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Please discuss The Hobbit here.

I love this book. Top 10. I have it slated for a re-read this year, but unfortunately cannot fit it in this month. I'll post here again when I re-read it, but happy reading! I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did.

I re-read this year, even as an adult I found it engaging and fun!

I just love the first few chapters... read them aloud often with students... but I've not yet gone all the way through! So, now is the time! What I've loved in past study sessions with this novel is the way that Tolkien uses nature, shadows & light to move time - a classic example of show, don't tell.

I did a "re-read" on audio this year, mostly because I wanted my husband to read it with me. We found a very old audio version that had different people doing voices for all the characters. I guess it's abridged because it cut out some of the more minor narration stuff (he exclaimed, there was a shuffling noise, etc) and just put that in by sound, which was fine with me because I have read the story many times and I knew my husband doesn't care for all "the fluff" anyway. It was a neat way to experience it again.

I'd forgotten just how funny it is! In some places it is very serious, but it is written primarily for children, so it's not as dark as The Lord of the Rings. The dwarves constantly doubting Bilbo's abilities (not to mention Biblo's lack of confidence) is very humors and cleverly hides the message of not judging a book by its cover.

I look forward to hearing what others think (yes, even those that didn't read it as kids and maybe don't really care for it as adults).

absolutely one of my favorites and I am thoroughly enjoying rereading this book. I had read this book to my oldest son back in the early '70s so my copy is almost 50 years old! Luckily, it has a box it slips in so the wear and tear is minimal.

I, too, had forgotten just how humorous this book was. Bilbo's constant struggle between the Tookish and the Baggins sides of his personality is often the deciding factor in how this adventure/misadventure will go. And all the while there is Gandalf, the antagonist, enjoying the utter chaos that ensues, stepping in only when it is necessary to preserve life and limb.

I have reread the LOTR many times but I had not reread this in many years. I started reading it last night and had forgotten how different it is in tone from the LOTR. I am going to enjoy reading this again.

Haven't read it which is almost embarassing to admit but when it first came out, I was reading small children's books to small children. Now's the time! I'll pick it up tomorrow.

With the movie coming out this winter I was planning on re-reading this anyways (for the millionth time)but just hadn't found the time yet. this gives me a good excuse to put some time aside to curl up with a fantastic book and visit some old friends :)

I am going to read the Hobbit online. I'm ready excited to read it. : )

I am going to start this this weekend (:

I read "The Hobbit" when I was in the 3rd grade. It took me 2 minths, but I loved it. I think I would get a lot out od rereading it now, but there are so many other books on my list...

I've read this one at least twice and I love it. It was much easier to read than Lord of the Rings. :p I'm working my way through my lit class reading list at the moment so unfortunately don't have the time to re-read it this month. :(

I'm enjoying The Hobbit so far. I am currently reading a few books with a few different groups so it's difficult for me to read and discuss sometimes. Thus far, I am only on chapter 4 but I feel myself feeling somewhat sympathetic for Bilbo. (view spoiler)[Being pushed into a very daunting QUEST by Gandalf would have surely put me in a very upsetting mood. And it doesn't help that some of the Dwarves, especially the leader Thorin, seem to be rather invasive...much to Bilbo's chagrin. (hide spoiler)]

In How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines by Thomas C. Foster, he describes the essentials of a quest, which are:
(a) a questor (Bilbo & the Dwarves), (b) a place to go (Lonely Mountain), (c) a stated reason to go there (to reclaim the stolen Dwarve's treasure from the dragon Smaug), (d) challenges and trials en route (many!), and (e) a real reason to go there (to be determined). Foster always stated that "the real reason for a quest is always self-knowledge". I can't wait to find out to see how Bilbo matures and changes (gotta love round, dynamic characters) and to discover the TRUE reason of his quest.

I like the feel of the hobbit, but honestly lord of the rings is not my favorite, because there are times when there is to0 much description and I forget that I actually really like this books.

I re-read these books on a yearly basis in their entirety, and in order. I loved the Hobbit as a child, but only now do I understand the profundity of Tolkien and his books. I'd say let the kids watch the movies, (a little more violent and gory than the books, but excellently done), and keep the books from them until they hit 21. :0)

I hadn't read the Hobbit in years but when this side read came up I decided to re-read it. There are actually times when I can't put it down. Someone asked me why on earth I was bothering and my answer was because it is wonderful. Thanks for bringing me back to it.

I have read LOTR, but never got around to reading The Hobbit. I was planning on getting around to it before the movie(s) but thanks for the motivation! I am one chapter in and this this will be a much easier read than the trilogy.

I have never read The Hobbit and LOTR before even though my brother did when he was younger and is a big fan and has been after me to ever since. I finally have recently put them on my to-read list and am glad we are reading The Hobbit this month. I just started it and am liking it already. My brother was right. He told me I would like it.

Agree that it is a far easier read than LOTR, but no less absorbing for it. Highly recommended.

I actually read The Hobbit a month or so ago, before it was even nominated for a side read, and I loved it. Now I am slowly reading LOTR, among other books too, and though it is a tougher read I am enjoying it immensely.

I just finished reading the Hobbit. I really enjoyed reading about the adventure Bilbo went on. I watched a cartoon version of this book when I was in middle school and I loved it. Can't wait to the movie version comes out. Have seen the other Lord of Rings movies. : )

Wasn't that impressed. Never read it as a kid, which probably is a big factor, and there were just elements in the novel that did not at all suit me and made it less engaging that it should have been.

I know this is primarily a children's book, but the tone is just not right for me if it is to be the immersive experience I'd expect a fantasy novel to be. It's all about the journey and how Bilbo is going to experience changes, but we know exactly what these changes are going to be, and never, even when they are suffering from hunger, is there a sense of danger or risk. The light hearted tone just works as a dismissal of the "reality" and ultimately put me off. A great shame, too, since I, for instance, thought the Gollum part was building up magnificently, and when I read that Tolkien was inspired by his WW1 experiences, I wish it would have been managed differently to get a greater sense of the dangers, even if he does get a point across about heroism and loss.

Now, of course, if I accept the tone as it is, there was another thing that bothered me greatly, which is the character gallery. It's Bilbo's journey, which is fine, but his journey is accompanied by so many people, I wish Tolkien had taken time to explore these further as well. My main gripe is probably the dwarves. With a couple of exceptions, they're all just the same to me and ultimately aren't much more than run-of-the-mill hack and slash people that are used as a tool to display Bilbo's development.
Another disappointment was Gandalf, who is like a stereotype of himself in the novel compared to what I've seen in the LOTR films, as well as being a projection of Tolkien who stands as the wise man who teaches the reader.

With that said, the story goes by quickly enough and if nothing else, it's a good old good vs evil story with some pretty fluid writing. But it's not more than an average novel to me.

Well, the storytelling IS more lighthearted in The Hobbit than LOTR, and is not intended to really convey danger, since the target audience is primarily children. As far as the influence of the war, you see much more of that in the LOTR, in the books as well as the films. Most of the dwarves ARE pretty much interchangeable, although you learn more about a few of them later in the LOTR as well. If you haven't read LOTR and you were only so-so on The Hobbit, I challenge you to at least give The Fellowship of the Ring a chance. The writing style is very different and certainly not carefree and childish like The Hobbit (although the first sections taking place in the Shire have much of that tone). For many, The Hobbit probably is not as enjoyable if you were not introduced to it as a child and/or are not as into the fantasy genre in general. But it's still an interesting story.

I read it last year, so I will skip reading it. But good choice, it is one of my favourite.
I did not read it as a kid, but it was my first Tolkien. I found it a lot easier than LOTR, but not really a children book.
I thought Biblo especially in the beginning a kind of sissy, but that's maybe because he is a hobbit.

finished The Hobbit this morning. I have always liked this book much more than LOTR trilogy.

Bilbo learned much more about himself than he probably ever really wanted to know and I am sure that he is back to his little hobbit home under the hill smoking his pipe, the Tookish traits having been satisfied. And though he had thoroughly lost all respectability as a Hobbit, I suspect that now that his adventuring days are done he will one day earn back his good reputation.


Next on my list: Terry Pratchett's new book, Dodger, which I preordered. yay!

Liz wrote: "finished The Hobbit this morning. I have always liked this book much more than LOTR trilogy.

Bilbo learned much more about himself than he probably ever really wanted to know and I am sure that..."

Dodger is on my reading list as well. :D I have to finish the pile of books beside my bed, and then I can read all the Terry Pratchett books that I've hoarded.

Alana wrote: "Well, the storytelling IS more lighthearted in The Hobbit than LOTR, and is not intended to really convey danger, since the target audience is primarily children. As far as the influence of the war..."
I definitely will - after all, I did very much like the film trilogy. In truth, I've just missed out on a childhood treasure, which is unfortunate.

I first read The Hobbit when I was eighteen, and next when I was forty, and didn't find it childish either time. I think it would be hard to get into for someone who isn't a fantasy fan, though. I could relate to Brandon's description of it here -- even by eighteen, I tended to over-analyze books, predicting what's to come and comparing the book I'm reading with other books and whatnot, but with The Hobbit I can somehow "read like a kid again" and just enjoy it.

I like Lord of the Rings better than The Hobbit (and that I read for the first time in my forties), but they both have that magical quality of pulling me into the story to the point of not analyzing, which is rare anymore.

The Hobbit is also a favorite book of mine. I am a bit Tolkien obsessed, being one of that semi crazy breed that has actually read The Silmarillion.

Liz, Bilbo never does completely earn back his "respectability." Tolkien makes that clear in LOTR - however, he also makes it clear that Bilbo doesn't really care. His Tookish side, having been activated once, continues to lead him on adventures, although nothing like his trip to The Lonely Mountain.

I'd just like to mention that, for anyone who wants to delve more deeply into Tolkien's work, Professor Corey Olsen (better known as "The Tolkien Professor") has a series of lectures/podcasts available on iTunes. As I confessed, I am a Tolkien nerd. He has an at least partially completed series specifically on The Hobbit, and his English 494 class that deals specifically with Tolkien's works (including the Silmarillion) from 2010, is available in it's entirety.

I love LOTR even more than I love The Hobbit and reread it at least once every couple of years. It is a very different sort of book than the Hobbit, and Middle Earth is a very different sort of place, during the events of The Lord of the Rings.

Mayhem wrote: "The Hobbit is also a favorite book of mine. I am a bit Tolkien obsessed, being one of that semi crazy breed that has actually read The Silmarillion.

Liz, Bilbo never does completely earn back his ..."

Who says we are semi crazy? lol. I also consider myself a Tolkien freak who rereads the LOTR every few years. I've also read the Silmarillion several times. Rereading the Hobbit has been great because I have not read this in years. Made me realize how much I enjoyed this story the first time around.

Ruth wrote: "Mayhem wrote: "The Hobbit is also a favorite book of mine. I am a bit Tolkien obsessed, being one of that semi crazy breed that has actually read The Silmarillion.

Liz, Bilbo never does completely..."

Exactly! I am almost finished (second time after a forty year absence) and not only is it a great story but it is beautifully written. Some people may have difficulty reading it because the writing style is 'old' - it is not JK Rowling - but once you get into the rhythm and flow, you become a part of the story itself.

I am currently on chapter eight of the Hobbit and this is my first time reading it. I am quite impressed with the story, though not quite as enamoured with it as LOTR.

Tolkein is a very descriptive writer and I find myself pausing throughout the book a lot to re-read passages or visualize the landscape, characters and setting. While this makes the story a bit of a slower read than most children's novels, the descriptive writing is part of what makes the story so magical.

I am also not sure that I agree with statements that the novel does not convey any danger. The target audience for this book is children and I think that most children would perceive that there is some danger when reading this book. As an adult, however, I can't help but giggle lightheartedly when I picture some of the predicaments the treasure seekers find themselves in.

Reading this has made me want to reread another favorite of mine-"Watership Down".

Ruth wrote: "Reading this has made me want to reread another favorite of mine-"Watership Down"."

I know I checked that one out years ago, but I was a young teen and didn't really understand any extra significance to what I was reading. For the life of me, I don't remember much of anything about it, except there were rabbits involved. I don't even know if I finished it. I've always wanted to though. I think I remember a cartoon film version? I remember that being really creepy for some reason...

Alana wrote: "Ruth wrote: "Reading this has made me want to reread another favorite of mine-"Watership Down"."

I know I checked that one out years ago, but I was a young teen and didn't really understand any ex..."

You should try reading it again. It really is a great story. One of my alltime favorites.

I have finished reading the Hobbit and I loved it. I am only sorry that I missed out on the opportunity to experience this wonderful book during childhood. This book is so well-written that both the scenery and the characters leapt off the pages creating this wonderful imaginary world inside my mind. Gollum has to be one of the best secondary characters created in the history of fiction.

Jennifer, Gollum truly is a remarkably made character. I can't remember if you said you'd read the Lord of the Rings or not, but if not, you've only seen a drop in the bucket about Gollum! One of the most tragic characters ever created in literature.

I just finished the book.The Hobbit is the story of a solitary but comfortable middle class person taking an unexpected journey beyond his comfort level and finding strengths and unexpected skills that neither he nor anyone else expected. That he is doing this in a fantasy world is irrelevant because we all live in fantasy anyway, don’t we? Our own personal view of the world is our make-believe.

The descriptive scenes take us soaring and plummet us to the depths of the earth. The characters are family and friends and bosses and teachers and people from our ancestral past known only to us from intuition and instinct and from the myths and folklore of our lives, of the lives of human kind. In Bilbo’s inability to achieve an ethical standard that we in our Eurocentric society hold dear, but which in reality is very unrealistic, we find sorrow and feel failure.

Sentence phrasings may be archaic and stilted and difficult for us in 2012 to grasp but there is a pattern in the flow and if you abandon yourself to it you become more involved. He encourages you to create your own visuals. You close your eyes and you see this place. Middle earth.

Tolkien’s books are so unlike the movies I think it would be a huge mistake to compare them. It’s apples and oranges. I remember in the Lord of the Rings having a minds eye vision of Strider/Aragorn and when the movie came out I was very disappointed in the character as played by Viggo Mortenson. Not that he did a bad job. He was just not Strider for me. The one time this movie worked for me was in the depiction of the Gollum character.

It’s all about expectations, isn’t it? When I first read this, I was in my college library. There were benches by huge bay windows. I started reading the book in the early afternoon with sunlight streaming in and it was dark before I realized I had to go home. If you are expecting a movie, this is not the book for you. If you want to create your own in your mind, it is.

I just finished reading The Hobbit. It was my first time reading it and I couldn't have loved it more. I read it in just a couple of sittings because I found it so delightful. This was my first experience reading Tolkien and I felt his writing in this book was beautifully descriptive and truly brought to life this world he created. I know this will be a book I will come back to time and again, like an old friend.

Andrea wrote: "I just finished reading The Hobbit. It was my first time reading it and I couldn't have loved it more. I read it in just a couple of sittings because I found it so delightful. This was my first exp..."

I loved it too :). I read it after LOTR and it was awsome to see how it all started

This was my first Tolkien also, and it was great. I can't wait for the movie. Does everyone know they are making three movies about it? I don't see how the book is long enough to do that, but I will be open minded about it.

Three movies? I thought it was only two - did Jackson change his mind? I just bought the 75th anniversary edition of The Hobbit this week, because I haven't read it in over thirty years, although I have reread Lord of the Rings several times since then. I probably won't get to it until after the new year, though.

I would guess that they're stretching out the story by following Gandalf as he battles the Necromancer, and possibly by either having flashbacks to earlier events or pushing forward the creation of the White Council and whatnot. Some of the events in that conflict link pretty closely to the Hobbit -- Gandalf finds Thrain II and gets the map while researching the Necromancer, for instance.

I have been avoiding movie spoilers, myself, so maybe they're doing something totally different, but that's my guess based on the two trailers I've seen.

Yes, it is three movies, and I've been hearing all kinds of rumors as to why. I'll admit, I'm nervous about it, but considering what Jackson was able to do with LOTR, I think it will still be really good. Or it could turn into a Star Wars prequel/George Lucas kind of thing, but I really hope not.

I just got around to reading the book, and loved it! I never read it because I never thought tat it would interest me, but I was pleasantly surprised!

Catharine wrote: "I just got around to reading the book, and loved it! I never read it because I never thought tat it would interest me, but I was pleasantly surprised!"

I felt the same way when I finally got around to reading Tolkein. You've finished the book just in time to enjoy the movie too, which is an added bonus.

I'm getting ready to see the movie in a couple of hours and have been listening to the BBC dramatized version on audio, so I'm excited!

Alana wrote: "I'm getting ready to see the movie in a couple of hours and have been listening to the BBC dramatized version on audio, so I'm excited!"

Have fun Alana. Let us know if they've done a good job making the movie.

Alana,

I'd also like to know what you thought of the movie. There's a lot of stuff from the LOTR appendices in it, although they've played with the timeline, and they punch up the action considerable, but I was pretty happy with it until near the end, when they made a change that I thought changed Bilbo's character and his relationship with the dwarves, which bugged me (the other changes just kind of felt inevitable since Jackson wanted to do a movie that was a success and that's how he works).

Still liked it, though.