I mean this book is pretty well known but if you haven’t heard it’s about a Hobbit named Bilbo Baggins who enjoys a comfortable and quiet life. His contentment is disturbed one day when a wizard named Gandalf and a bunch of dwarves arrive on his doorstep to take him away on an adventure.
I was just in the mood for a stand-a-lone fantasy that I would be able to loose myself in and as I was perusing my shelves I realized I haven’t actually read The Hobbit. I dove straight in and found it a little bit difficult to comprehend at first. There is just something about J.R.R Tolkien’s writing that makes it difficult for me to stay focused, which was similar to my experience reading The Lord of the Rings Trilogy as well. After about the first 100 pages or so I was more familiar with his style and I was able to focus on the actual plot.
Bilbo started off quite a bit blustery and rigid. He definitely goes through a transformation over the course of the plot and we see him become a lot more forward and direct. At time he can be very selfish and I grew weary of him dwelling on his homesickness but it doesn’t stop him from moving forward.
I really wish we would have followed Gandalf and his journey in banishing the necromancer with the rest of the wizarding council. He is such an interesting character that is always weaving in and out of the story and I really would of loved a few chapters from his perspective exclusively.
All of the dwarves were interesting though none really had any depth. I found J.R.R Tolkien never really gave any of his characters other than Bilbo much substance. Their own personal history and personalities are quite shallow. I would of been a lot more invested if we are given a more in depth look into their characters and how they distinguish from each other.
The overall plot was very entertaining and interesting. There is definitely more of a focus on the world building and the establishment of the different creatures that live in Middle Earth as opposed to any character development in my opinion. There were times that the story felt a little rushed but it was exactly what I expected and needed to read at this time!
⭐️3/5 stars Enchanting, adventurous, classic!
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