Hello Fellow Journeyers,
You might be wondering why one would bother with writing a review of a classic such as this; upon listening to Andy Serkis's new audio rendition of The Hobbit, I thought it time to dive back in and see how it stacks up after nearly 15 years since last reading it. This was my favorite book growing up, so I was equally excited and terrified to see what I thought of it as an adult. Let's see!
What's the story about: The Hobbit is a book that helped create and establish the fantasy adventure genre and as such, is an adventure story. An unlikely hobbit joins a large party of dwarves that goes looking to reclaim their home and treasure after a dragon has taken over their mountain. (It's nearly impossible to write anything new that no one has read before so this was my best attempt.)
The best thing about returning to such a wonderful book as The Hobbit is being reminded of all the major events that take place and rereading them in all their fun and peril. From happening upon the three trolls, to being captured by goblins, to meeting Gollum, to being saved by eagles and finally meeting and confronting the terrible Smaug. It all is just as enjoyable and written to perfection that I couldn't help but smile as the child inside was reawakened by the wonderful pages of excitement and wonder. That said, I did notice a lull in the pacing of the story around the middle 50% mark that I didn't notice. It seemed to have wained a little in the fact that things just keep happening to them without reason besides "bad luck." I was surprised by this.
As stated above, reading Tolkien's Hobbit is something that made me as nervous as it excited me, because I hoped it would match up to what I remember. It does, with all the delight of a youthful adventure tale. This is a story for young audiences and old alike, but reading as an adult made me long for The Lord of the Rings just a little. There is less substance (nothing can really be without substance entirely written by Tolkien) but it feels decidedly lighter and less grand. Which is actually a good thing when considering how dark and dreary a large part of The Lord of the Rings is. But here is where I'll stop comparing it to its counterpart.
All the grandeur aside, how does the book read? The way in which the writing is conveyed is just a little odd, looking at it now; much of Tolkien's writing becomes overly telly from the get go, which got annoying: "Oh, the streams and lakes were beautiful and I wish you could see them for yourself," and "You nor I couldn't believe this and that." These phrases are really on the nose and being narrated to directly just felt out of place for me; but this detracts little from the overall appeal of Tolkien's wonderfully fast and joyfilled writing. And, after knowing that he was highly influenced by Lord Dunsany's writing, I found this to be okay since The King of Elfland's Daughter is written in a similar fashion. Another thing worth noting is there was a little loss of nuance (as is the case with children's books) with how information is revealed. Instead of leaving the reader to wonder what happens next or who we will meet, we're simply told. There is no wondering or questioning about it and this I found to be a little frustrating.
Side Note: Regarding Andy Serkis's performance reading it. If I needed no other reason than to give this book 5 stars simply for the story, Andy Serkis does an outstanding job narrating this book. His voice has perfect tonal qualities as he imbues each character with life. But he also understands the rhythm and flow of each sentence as only the best narrators do. All that to say, if you get the chance to listen to this in audio form, I believe his performance surpasses the one of Rob Inglis or any other rendition. Lastly, his interpretation of Gollum is just the best...
★★★★★ 5 Stars - The Hobbit cannot be loved enough in my book for being the story that got me into reading as a kid. It's the classics' books' classic book. This story is one that I plan to read to my children as early as I can and only hope they can find the joy in it that I did. The Hobbit is classic fantasy, where the main character is innocent, but learns much. From themes of courage and daring, to the corruptive nature of power and darkness. Always a worthwhile read to venture down, even when it is for kids. Definitely Essential Reading!
Let me hear from you! If you like what you read, want to hear more thoughts on this book, other reviews, or talk book recommendations and Essential Reading, leave a comment below.
Rating system:
★★★★★ 5 Stars: It was amazing; I loved it. Read this book; it is definitely Essential Reading!
★★★★★* 4.5 Stars: It was nearly perfect. I really loved almost every aspect of it, but a few things kept it from being amazing.
★★★★ 4 Stars: It was very worth reading and satisfying; highly recommend.
★★★★* 3.5 Stars: I thoroughly enjoyed this story, but it was lacking in certain crucial areas.
★★★ 3 Stars: It was good, but could've been better or improved upon significantly.
★★★* 2.5 Stars: I wanted to enjoy it. Certain aspects were good, it was worth finishing, but many issues.
★★ 2 Stars: It was okay, I didn't feel strongly about it.
★★* 1.5 Stars: I finished it, but it was a chore to get through.
★ 1 Star: I did not like it. It was not worth finishing or I did not finish it.
*I round up based on the system on Goodreads.