111 Book Review: The Hobbit
The Hobbit
by J.R.R. Tolkien
In a hole in the ground of literature — before The Lord of the Rings turned it into a massive crater — there lived The Hobbit. This is the story that introduced readers to Middle-earth in the tamest way possible: as a children’s book.
In fact, you’ll be disappointed if you read any other Tolkien first. Here’s your order: The Hobbit (for kids), The Lord of the Rings (for adults and teens!), and The Silmarillion (for misfits, weirdos, and book reviewers).
Despite what you may have heard, they never made any movies from this one. Never. There’s only a kids’ book about short people fighting reptiles over jewelry. (Tolkien really had a thing for bling.)
TL;DR: A fifty-year-old and a gang of even older folks roll out of town, struggle to follow clear instructions, fail up into undeserved riches, and punt all the difficult problems to the next generation while taking credit for all the heroics themselves.
My rating: 8 out of 11 Dwarves Whose Names You Won’t Remember
Get it here:
- IndieBound (print, U.S.)
- Better World Books (print, worldwide)
- Apple Books (electronic)
- Google Play Books (electronic)
- Scribd (audio)
Oh, you liked it? Well, then, try: The Lord of the Rings (the adult sequel) and The Silmarillion (the weird prequel)
