Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when it was first published in 1937. Now recognized as a timeless classic, this introduction to the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the wizard Gandalf, Gollum, and the spectacular world of Middle-earth recounts of the adventures of a reluctant hero, a powerful and dangerous ring, and the cruel dragon Smaug the Magnificent."


I know, this is a YA book blog, but The Hobbit can be categorized as YA, right? Right.

The Hobbit is a wonderful prelude to The Lord of the Rings series which tells the story of Bilbo Baggins and his adventures with a wizard, a group of dwarves, and many more magical creatures. He travels far across Middle Earth from his home in the Shire all the way to the old home of the dwarves- the Lonely Mountain. The dwarves have hired Bilbo as a burgler, and have set out to take back their home from the dragon, Smaug. What ensues throughout their journey is nothing short of magical and amazing.

It took me a long time to finally finish this book for some reason. I started reading it once I saw the first film, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, and wanted to read the book to see what would be in store with the films. For a short-ish book, there is a lot that goes on, and I can see now why they decided to split the film into three. But this isn't a review about the films, this is about the book.

J.R.R. Tolkien is nothing short of an amazing writer. His way with words really draws you into the story and allows you to fully immerse yourself in Bilbo's world. You can picture, even without having seen any of the films that relate to this world, each part of the world that Bilbo and company visits. From Rivendell to their final destination, no detail is left out and you will never be left wondering about any part of their journey.

I found myself instantly attached to each of the characters and while I wish there was more about the dwarves themselves, I was happy with almost every single page in the book. For those of you that have already read this title, I'm sure you understand what I mean. I won't spoil this book for anyone, but I will say that I was truly not the same after finishing the final page. It ends happy, of course, with Bilbo in his hobbit-hole, but I honestly feel like things will never be the same with him. Or me, for that matter.

A possible downside for me, personally, is that some parts felt either rushed or just...brushed aside. There was a specific scene at the end that was a huge part of the book (to me) and yet only had one page at the most dedicated to it. I suppose there is only so much you can say about something, but I do wish that at least that bit of the book had more to it.

By the end, I was so ready to read Bilbo back to his hobbit-hole and progress on to the Lord of the Rings books. Not because I was dying for the book to be over, but because I was so ready to read more about the adventures in Middle Earth. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about this world and have been wondering for a while why it took me so long to pick up this book and read it. While I have seen both of the Hobbit films countless times (really, it's in the hundreds at this point) and the Lord of the Rings trilogy (probably the same amount of times, if not more), there's just something special about reading instead of watching a journey unfold.

The Hobbit is definitely worth a read and I encourage everyone to pick it up. Even if you have seen the films, there is nothing better than reading a book- especially this one.