The Hobbit

A classic adventure story full of hobbits, trolls, and so much more.

It surprised me how much I enjoyed The Hobbit!

It’s underrated how funny this book is and it’s not as challenging a read as you’d think.

(I also highly recommend the audiobook narrated by Andy Serkis).

I know I made a big jump from a modern sci-fi series to classic fantasy, but when I was a skinny, anemic 10-year-old kid, Bilbo Baggins, a hero who was three feet tall and liked good food, was the first time I genuinely identified with a fantasy hero. 

Heroes are always these big, strong, aggressive men. I love Marvel movies, so I think of Steve Rogers, Captain America. Bilbo Baggins broke that mold so far it shattered in a million pieces. Some people forget that even Captain America started out as a small guy with poor hearing and some major… show more.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Hobbit especially after visiting Hobbiton and Rivendell while traveling in New Zealand. I’ve seen the movie but hadn’t read Tolkien’s prose so I decided to rectify my oversight and started reading The Hobbit. I’m so glad I did!

There is more to the story than what is seen in the movie and having the background, the mythology, the motivations more clearly defined helped make the story even better. Definitely worth a read if you haven’t already!

When I was young, I had a terrible problem. I hated reading. Apparently, I needed glasses but never knew it. I would lay my head down on books (the only way I could get my eyes to move to the next line) and eventually get in trouble for laying down. It became a punishment and a chore. That is, until a copy of The Hobbit was placed in my hand.

I blazed through the magical adventure of the unknowing Bilbo Baggins and his zany companions. I couldn’t put it down. And for the first time ever, my brain and heart… show more.

I love the whole Lord of the Rings trilogy but I think to start an adventure you need to begin at the beginning!

The Hobbit has such charm and what are now classic quotes that I like to re-read this every year. Bilbo is relatable as a fellow who likes his home and routine, but decides that he can rise to the challenge and leave safety to help the group of dwarves. 

Even once you’ve found your voice, using it is still a slog. You must ever adapt to new circumstances, people may not understand what you’re doing, and it can be humiliating to make a mistake. The Hobbit helps me visualize why the effort is still worth it.

Using your voice parallels this heroic adventure. Like its protagonist, you’re embarking on a journey to discover gold (although again, yours is figurative). It’s a trail fraught with peril and uncertainty, but if you’re successful, you’ll enrich both your community and yourself.

“There are no safe paths in this part of the world.… show more.

Talk about an epic adventure, much of it on foot through mountains and forests! And the destination was the Lonely Mountain, similar to several stand-alone peaks in the Adirondack Park.

The Shire, where Bilbo Baggins lives, reminds me of the peaceful fertile countryside between the Adirondacks and Lake Champlain to the east and the St. Lawrence River to the North. The dense, primeval Fangorn Forest and other Elvin woodlands are similar to the endless acres of untouched forest in the Adirondacks.

And the alpine summits atop the High Peaks can be as welcoming or as wild as the mountains in… show more.

What’s not to love about The Hobbit, a classic quest that demands more from its hero than they think they can undertake?  

But perhaps what I love most about Bilbo Baggins is his consistent desire to be done with danger, yet his courage to face it anyway. In doing so, he discovers his true strength and displays an admirable and inspiring humility. The world doesn’t need to know every sacrifice you make for others, it’s enough that you’re making a difference.  

The main characters I write often share many of Bilbo’s values and traits, being the hero that their worlds… show more.

I love this book because it is an adventure in finding oneself and who values you.

Bilbo Baggins is unique among the hobbits. He doesn’t fit the pattern, but in joining an adventure he feared less than not joining, he came to find a family built on common goals, adventurous spirits, and the acceptance of difference.

How wonderful it is to find one’s kindred spirits where you least expect them and most need them.

I’ve loved fantasy from the time I was a little girl and my dad made up bedtime stories.

His were the best, of course! I must admit, though, I wasn’t introduced to Tolkien until my late 20s! A co-worker was so engrossed in the book while reading it on her lunch hour, she loaned it to me when she finished. I was hooked!

Tolkien was a master when it came to description, and unlike other verbose authors, I never tired of reading about the hobbits, dwarves, elves, or the evil beings that threatened Middle-Earth.