The Hobbit

The Hobbit is a fantasy tale written by J.R.R Tolkien. It was first published in 1937, and is known as a classic today. The Hobbit is about a creature named Bilbo who lives in his comfy hobbit hole, doing nothing of great importance, until adventure calls. A great wizard by the name of Gandof arrives at his door, saying that he should come with him and some dwarves on an expedition to a far away land. He endures many hardships, but in the end comes out a braver, better hobbit. The author really tries to get across the point that greed can be harmful, and kindness is the most important trait a man, (or hobbit) can have.

 The story is told from a third person view point, with the author being the "third person" who looks over, and tells of a great adventure. He tells of a timid hobbit becoming brave, a great battle between different creatures, and greed for jewels, and more importantly power. Tolkien's intended audience is just about anyone, according to my observations and reading of the book. A 10 year old might not be able to grasp the book, but he would still enjoy it. A man of 90 could also revel in the page turning classic. A middle aged woman could enjoy it as well, it is just that broad and fantastic. The book is a fantasy, and fits the classification very well. It talks of elves and dwarves, man and small men-ish type people (hobbits), and dragons and goblins, which are creatures that are commonplace in other fantasy novels. The book was interesting from the first page to the last. Tolkien did a swell job of keeping me engaged, mainly because he kept several conflicts going at once, and used imagery beautifully. He made me feel like I was part of the adventure, and that is what a good writer does. Tolkien writes in a flowing, smooth style, where almost no short sentences are present. He has the characters talk a lot, but does not use "bang,clang,smash, etc". that much, which helps the flow of the book. I think his style is effective for his intended audience, after all the book and the series are considered masterpieces of his time.

This book affected me in many ways. It made me reflect over who I was as a person, and why others are as they are. I realized the small things in the book, which translated to real life. It changed how I looked at the world and it's inhabitants, and how I wanted to treat it. I agree completely with the morals and lessons present in the book, because they make sense to me.

 The Hobbit was probably the best book I have ever read, and I have read a lot of books. It was just so great, and every paragraph was a quality paragraph. Not once did I find myself spacing out, it had my full attention. I think everyone should read this book, I would even recommend it to my worst enemy!

 Jacob Chapman 
10/24/13 
 Rating: ***** 5/5