Harper Collins Children's Books
Bilbo Baggins is minding his own business in his hole and the next minute he is being eaten out of house and home by a Wizard and a collection of dwarfs. He is a Hobbit and is used to doing his own thing but ends up being taken on a quest to fight an evil dragon and to rescue a hoard of priceless treasure.
On the way he encounters trolls, elves, giant spiders, goblins and other incredible creatures. The road is long and treacherous and he soon wishes he had stayed at home to his cosy fire and his kettle.
I have some faint and very distant memory of being read this in middle school but at the time I had this habit of drifting off whilst staring into thin air, into my own world of daydreams. I don't actually remember listening to the teacher or anything he said so it is ironic now that I find myself reading this as a book lover and aspiring ( desperate) writer. I found 'The Hobbit' to be imaginative and full of adventure, my only problem was the fact that I am 40 years old. If I was 9 or maybe even 13 I would probably have loved it and may have eventually named it in my top 5 books or something. However as a free thinking, neurotic father of two teenagers, although I can appreciate how good this children's book is, I didn't really enjoy it like I would have done if I had listened properly at school the first time around. Maybe I am just a bit too old and long in the tooth as they say.
This is probably a brilliant book for any child to read, because as well as being fun and full of adventure, it also introduces the moral themes of greed and selfishness and how by working together we can achieve more than being at odds with others.
I can't really give this book a rating but it is probably the best children's book I have read in this 52 book challenge. I haven't watched any of the 'Lord of the Rings' films but I am thinking of reading the books next year if I can stop daydreaming long enough.
The Hobbit is a wonderful story. I have to disagree about it being a children's novel though. I read this one in the 8th grade (13 years old) and thought it was ok. I read it again as an adult and found a whole new appreciation for it. I love it more now. I think it just depends on how far you can release your mind. Some people can't suspend belief enough to really enjoy a fantasy. Logical thinking takes over and we think "that could never happen... that's just silly." We really have to let our imaginations go with a story like this.
ReplyDeleteI guess it all comes down to personal taste, some adults would like this book and others wouldn't. I didn't hate it, I can appreciate it as a book but personally I didn't really love it. I'm not sure it is because I can't release my mind but maybe more the fact that I just don't enjoy reading this type of book. But maybe you have a point . Thanks for your thoughts and thanks for popping by my blog, I appreciate it.
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