The Hobbit is one of the greatest fantasy novels ever written.
Written for a younger audience The Hobbit is far shorter and less complex than it’s big brother The Lord of the Rings.
While the plot of The Hobbit is a lot weaker than that of the Lord of the Rings it still packs an exciting punch, and being much shorter the adventure never really stops, this is one continuous rollercoaster of action.
In The Hobbit we are introduced to a young Bilbo Baggins who is quite happy living a simple life in his Hobbit hole. In bursts the wizard Gandalf who, along with a gang of dwarves, whisks Bilbo off on an adventure to reclaim the lonely mountain – the former dwarven home – and the treasure held within.
We are told that the Dwarves dug deep and greedily, growing their treasure until it eventually caught the attention of the evil dragon Smaug. Smaug was a large and selfish beast and it did not take long for him to attack the lonely mountain and drive away the dwarves.
The Hobbit is filled with some iconic scenes, none more so than the trolls intent on kidnapping dwarves and making them into a stew. Even here Tolkein is able to mix heart pounding adventure with a little humour. This is a well crafted fantasy book that has you chuckling one second and worrying about death the next.
Tolkein takes us on an adventure across Middle Earth in The Hobbit, an adventure of a lifetime. Everyone should experience this book at least once. It may not reach the lofty heights of The Lord of the Rings but this is a very different book, intended for a very different purpose and reader.
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