“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.”
The
Hobbit is a fantasy adventure tale set in fictional Middle-earth
and is the prequel to The Lord of the Rings, although it can be read as a standalone novel. The Hobbit is often considered to be more of a children’s book
than its gargantuan sequel, however it is creepy, exciting and has dynamic
characters that older audiences will appreciate and doesn’t read too much like
a children’s novel, as well as being written in such a way that it is amusing
and charming enough for children to enjoy.
The
Hobbit is about an unambitious hobbit (these are creatures very
much like men, except they are very small, do not wear shoes due to their
furry, hard-soled feet and loathe adventures) named Bilbo Baggins who lives his
life very contentedly in the cosy comfort of his hobbit hole - complete with
numerous pantries to sate his enormous appetite - until he is reluctantly recruited
by Gandalf the wizard to accompany a group of dwarves to steal a treasure-hoard
from the lair of the fearsome dragon Smaug.
This novel has one of the most fantastic opening chapters
I have ever read and is a strong testament to Tolkien’s superb writing talent.
I adore Tolkien’s quaint and cosy description of Bilbo’s home, which sounds
like the most marvellous and snug place to live in the whole world. This first
chapter is very funny, with Bilbo being taken by surprise at the swarm of
dwarves who invade his home for tea, and his horror at discovering they want
him to come along on an adventure!
Once the party hit the open road they encounter plenty of
scary and exciting creatures such as man-eating trolls, goblins and vicious
wargs as well as the daunting prospect of being eaten alive by giant spiders. There
is always something exciting happening to the group and the narrative is never
dull.
All of the characters are wonderfully entertaining. The
group of dwarves don’t have very distinct personalities from each other, but
Bilbo is a highly amusing fellow. Tolkien sets him up as a bit grumpy and a
person who loves his home comforts and loathes any disruption from his mundane
daily activities in Hobbiton; he regularly makes reproachful remarks about
adventures:
“We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner!”
However as the story progresses it is interesting to see
Bilbo’s ‘Tookishness’ emerge as he uses his bravery and wits (and, of course,
the ‘One Ring’ which turns him invisible) to get out of the several
sticky situations the treasure hunters find themselves in.
In contrast to his semi-comedic portrayal in The Lord of
the Rings films, in The Hobbit Gollum is a strange, scary little creature; he is a gaunt and emaciated thing, constantly
arguing with himself, completely set on gobbling Bilbo up if he fails to beat
Gollum in a riddle contest.
Due to the thrilling adventure that unfolds between its
pages, the compelling and beautifully illustrated characters (many of whom I
haven’t even discussed - witty, clever Gandalf, Beorn the grumpy skin-changer, the terrifying dragon Smaug amongst others), Tolkien’s skill at painting a vivid picture
of welcoming Hobbiton, gloomy, dangerous Mirkwood and the other fantastical
locations of Middle-earth, The Hobbit is one of my favourite books. I can’t say anything negative about this
enchanting novel; there are moments of great peril and terror, but it manages
to remain light hearted throughout. There is something in it for everyone and I
highly recommend it.
No comments:
Post a Comment