The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein
Mariner Books; Reprint edition
September, 2012
First Line: In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.
Back Cover: Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely traveling any farther than his pantry or cellar. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an adventure. They have launched a plot to raid the treasure hoard guarded by Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. Bilbo reluctantly joins their quest, unaware that on his journey to the Lonely Mountain he will encounter both a magic ring and a frightening creature known as Gollum.
My Thoughts: I am a big fan of The Lord of the Rings movies, but have never read the books. Ryan is the opposite. He read all the books but refuses to see the movies because he is scared they may ruin the story for him. Because of this, I know the books must be pretty good. I figured I would start by reading The Hobbit since the movie came out last month and I really wanted to see it. Did that happen? No. I will definitely see it when it comes out in Redbox.
This story was very interesting to me. I loved reading about the times before The Lord of the Rings movies. I was able to get a better understanding of the background story. I do have to say that this book had a tendency to drag on at times, but even with the slowness, it was a pretty good read overall. It was full of adventure and you can’t help but fall in love with Bilbo. The climax of the book – when he fights the dragon, Smaug – is very exciting. After this battle, the book grew very slow through the end.