The Hobbit

The Hobbit    

By JRR Tolkien

Reviewed by Anna C.

This is the story of a Hobbit. A Hobbit named Bilbo Baggins, who lives in a cozy little Hobbit hole in the ground in an area known as The Shire, with everything he needs. A hobbit hole is a hole in the ground. It is not a dirty hole li  Hobbits are little creatures smaller than dwarves that have a thick layer of skin and fur on their feet, so they almost never where shoes. Hobbits love eating and drinking and are normally fat. Hobbits also love comfort and they are in no need of adventure. Just their own cozy Hobbit hole full of food and comfort.

One day the Wizard Gandalf came to Bilbo’s home with a company of 13 dwarves. Gandalf is a tall, powerful wizard who believes Bilbo is an adventurer at heart. The dwarves’ names are, Dwalin, Balin, Fili, Kili, Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin, Gloin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur and Thorin. They are all skilled, homeless old dwarves with very long beards. Thorin is a descendant of rulers from the town of Dale who were once very powerful.

Gandalf believes Bilbo would be a good thief to take on the dwarves’ mission to take back Dale from the evil dragon Smaug. Smaug lives inside Lonely Mountain which towers over Dale and he sleeps on a pile of treasure stolen from the once amazing town. The town is now in ruins and no one lives there. Thorin wants to bring back the beauty of the town. The plan is simple. Get to Dale, defeat Smaug, split the treasure. The journey just to get to Smaug’s lair in Lonely Mountain would be long and dangerous, though. They will leave the Shire, go through Bree, Rivendell, the Misty Mountains, by the goblin’s lair, pass Carrock, through the dark forest of Mirkwood, where many hidden dangers lurk, past the Long Lake, and finally arrive at Lonely Mountain to face Smaug.

Suddenly craving just a little adventure, Bilbo agrees to go on the mission. Along the way he was wishing he hadn’t said yes, but still loving the feeling of adventure. Bilbo will meet many dangers like goblins, trolls, giant venomous spiders, the deceitful creature known as Gollum, wolves, and most of all, Smaug. Bilbo’s key to success is his ring. He found it in the cave of Gollum on the way to Lonely Mountain. The ring can make anyone invisible when they wear it, but if it falls into the wrong hands, the results would be catastrophic. He will trick people many times by slipping the ring on his finger. He will also make many friends on this adventure, like dwarves, forest elves, and eagles. Bilbo will learn to love adventure on this dangerous journey. In the end he will take part in a dangerous battle fighting over the treasure with the evil forces of the land, winning his prize of a share of the treasure and will return home victorious.

 It was a little ironic that everyone thought Bilbo was a normal Hobbit with no skills and he ended up being the key part of the mission. This book is a fantasy because of evil goblins, shape shifters, elves, dwarves, hobbits, and dragons. I love the way this book is told in the third person by JRR Tolkien and how wonderfully words are used to tell the story. It was so detailed that I could really see what the characters were seeing. I can relate to Bilbo in how he was hesitant to try something new, but ended up loving what he tried. I wouldn’t change anything in this book and nothing should be changed. I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good story.