The Hobbit

By J. R. R. Tolkien

This last week, Moose and I saw Peter Jackson’s THE HOBBIT: An Unexpected Journey. I had been avoiding it for several reasons. I am one who believes that one book should equal one movie. I kept thinking if he could make THE LORD OF THE RINGS a trilogy, he could make THE HOBBIT one movie. Sitting down in the theater I told myself I was going to keep an open mind. I really wanted to like it. About halfway through I realized it would be doubtful that I would watch the other movies. When the movie ended, Moose and I had a long discussion about why we were disappointed. I will spare you all of the details, but the crux of it was that it is no longer J. R. R. Tolkien’s HOBBIT, but completely Peter Jackson’s. I wanted more Tolkien. I can see why some people like it, but it just wasn’t for me.

This is in fact a book review, not a movie review, so now I am going to talk about why I love the book so much. I heard this book for the first time when I was in third or fourth grade. My mother read it to me, and then in fourth grade, my teacher read it to the class. I have since read it to Moose, as well as re-read it many times over the years. For those that don’t know, THE HOBBIT is a prequel to the LORD OF THE RINGS. There are consistent characters, but the two are actually written differently. Just because you like THE HOBBIT does not mean you will enjoy LOTR.

THE HOBBIT follows Bilbo Baggins on his journey from Hobbiton to the Lonely Mountain. He travels in the company of thirteen dwarves and Gandalf. Bilbo, a hobbit who has spent his time enjoying a life of ease, is now the burglar of the group. As they travel to the Lonely Mountain, Bilbo encounters trolls, goblins, orcs, elves, giant spiders, giant eagles, and Smaug the Dragon. He is often getting into pickles, but always manages to get out of some way or another. As the story progresses we see Bilbo evolve into a burglar, but at the same time, his personality remains constant.

One of my favorite aspects of the book is the lighthearted nature. There are some dark portions but at the same time, it is well balanced by easy banter and humor without being over-the-top or out of place. Next to Bilbo, Balin is my favorite character and he is the only reason why I don’t completely hate THE HOBBIT movie. I thought the actor who played him did it splendidly.