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Step into the magical world of Middle-Earth with J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved novel, The Hobbit. Join Bilbo Baggins as he is whisked away on an unexpected journey filled with danger and excitement in his quest to defeat the dragon Smaug and regain a lost kingdom. Read our review to discover how this classic tale of courage and friendship stands up today!
“The Hobbit” tells the story of Bilbo Baggins, a peaceful hobbit who is unexpectedly chosen by the wizard Gandalf to accompany a group of dwarves on an adventurous quest.
Led by their leader Thorin Oakenshield, they travel through unexplored lands filled with trolls, elves, and orcs in search of a long-lost kingdom. Along the way, Bilbo experiences untold dangers and forms unlikely friendships with some of Middle-Earth’s most legendary creatures including Gollum and Smaug the dragon. The hobbit also introduces some interesting new characters and sheds some more light on the nine dark kings who are called the Nazgul.
The Hobbit is a Prequel to the famous Lord of the Rings books. In the Lord of the Rings books, we follow Frodo, Bilbo’s nephew. In the Hobbit we discover the adventures of Bilbo in his younger days. We discover how he got hold of the infamous Ring of Power.
J.R.R Tolkien’s writing style is both vivid and captivating as he vividly describes the many terrains and creatures of Middle-earth. Those of you who have read Lord of the Rings already know this of course.
Through the exotic locations from The Shire to Erebor, readers can feel as though they are journeying along with Bilbo in his adventures. Additionally, Tolkien’s descriptions of various creatures, from elves to hobgoblins, allow readers to experience their otherworldly qualities firsthand.
If you have not yet read The Lord of the Rings, the Hobbit is the perfect book to start if you want to read the full story in chronological order.
The Hobbit offers readers a connection to the fantasy genre, with its impact felt in films and other works of fiction. For instance, the Elven city Rivendell is loosely based on references made in J.R.R Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings Trilogy. It is filmed largely in the valley of Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen in Switzerland.
The films such as Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Guillermo Del Toro’s The Hobbit draw heavily upon the vivid descriptions in Tolkien’s works and bring them to life on screen.
We often feel that movies cannot compare with books. In the case of both Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, we feel they did a marvelous job and the movies are almost as good as the books.
If you enjoy The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings we recommend you give George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones a try. Most likely you have heard of the Game of Thrones HBO series, but the original books are well worth a read.
The Hobbit has been praised for its vivid description, exciting characters, and deep journey. It is widely considered to be an epic fantasy masterpiece that serves as a keystone in the genre and strongly influenced other literary works in the same field.
Additionally, Tolkien’s broader world of Middle Earth has served as an inspiration for films, toys, merchandise, video games, and more.
The original Hobbit book was first published in 1937. Time flies and even though the first Hobbit movie as part of a Trilogy was brought out in 2012, much merchandise is still sold in 2023. Both The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings have a strong fanbase.
This cannot be said for the new series on Amazon Prime: The Lord of the Rings, Rings of Power.
When the novel was adapted into the famous film series in 2012, it was directed by Peter Jackson and written by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Guillermo del Toro.
It received widespread critical acclaim and is regarded as one of the best fantasy film trilogies of all time. The book serves as a main source of inspiration for the movies, which feature various characters found throughout Tolkien’s other works and explore many themes such as courage, trustworthiness, and friendship.
If you like travel stories full of adventure, compassion, and friendships through a very realistic fantasy world, both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit are must-read books for you. If you prefer reading them in chronological order, start with the wonderful Journey of Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit.
