I really hate fantasy. However I do consider myself a "reader". Therefore I feel obliged to read the works of Tolkien cos well... he's a pretty major name in 20th-century English literature. *sighs* The things I do for the love of books.

I was apprehensive when I started this. I was introduced to hobbits and dwarves and wizards and I very nearly quit on page 16. However I decided to continue with one thought circling in my head, "it's just a bit of fun". Whenever I came across a passage with trolls or dragons or the such I remembered that it's all in good fun. Slowly I began enjoying myself as the pages went on and I found myself in some ways engrossed in this novel, only to be taken out of the narrative by another fucking song. I held my tongue and finished it. Somewhat relieved but also proud that I got through it. I suppose I did enjoy it in parts. It certainly isn't bad. Far from it. However I might need a bit of coaxing to begin that other series of his.

This book?
Precious.

I'm not remotely ashamed to name The Hobbit no-contest my favourite book of all time.

Really it's just a fairy tale for children - it doesn't even try to weave a grand mythological epic such as the Lord of the Rings or Silmarillion did - but as fairy tales go, it does pretty much everything as well as it possibly could. It's simply written, easy to get into and follow, carries strong morals for children and even some adults to learn from, and is of course filled to the brim with fantastic locations and landscapes, dark and twisted tunnels and creatures and perils, and in the end there waits the dragon.

Most fairy tales probably would've ended the story at that, but The Hobbit does go out on its way to examine the whole premise and the genre conventions a little more, namely by telling us what is bound to happen AFTER the treasure is claimed. Just about everybody involved has a believable and relatable motive for their share of the gold, and there's little to nothing a single small hobbit can do to prevent what happens in the end. I didn't think of such things much as a child, simply taking it as an exciting (and ultimately tragic) climax to an already amazing book... but I think it well demonstrates that there's something here for adults as well.

Not much else to say. It's funny, and tense, and exciting, and sad, and then funny again. Bilbo's adventure from his little hole in the ground is forever burned into my memory, and has influenced my own writing more than its fair share. If the very thought of reading fantasy or fairy tales doesn't make you break out in hives, you should read this. Everyone should read this.

I love the feeling of connectedness you get when you've wondered about something for a long time, and finally discover the answer. I had a great example of that yesterday. As I said in my review of The Lord of the Rings, for me Tolkien is all about language. I must have read The Hobbit when I was about 8, and even at that age I was fascinated by his made-up names. They sort of made sense, but not quite.

Then, when I was 21, I learned Swedish, and suddenly there were many things in Middle Earth that came into focus! Of course, the Wargs get their name from the Swedish varg, wolf. And "Beorn" is like björn, bear.

But I never figured out why Bilbo was teasing the spiders in Mirkwood by calling them "attercop". Now I know. It's an archaic English word related to the modern Norwegian word for spider, edderkopp. The Swedish word, spindel, comes from a different root. I've thought about that for over 40 years. See how much fun it is to acquire a new language?
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If you want to know what I think of Peter Jackson's three Hobbit movies, look here, here and here.

“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.”

So begins J.R.R. Tolkien’s love letter to fantasy literature.

A reader to this timeless classic will first notice that this is a first person narration, the reader hears Tolkien’s voice as he narrates the tale of Bilbo Baggins, Belladonna Took’s odd son who, though he resembles his respectable and comfortable father, has an unexpected adventure in him. J.R.R. Tolkien is telling us a story, with an occasional soliloquy and off stage remark to us the reader.

This of course is the charming and entertaining prequel to Tolkien’s monumental fantasy trilogy, The Lord of the Rings, but a fine tale in its own right and by itself. Generations of readers and dreamers have loved this story for its whimsical allure and for its role as a stage setter for its more epic later cousins.

The Films. Readers nowadays have the good fortune of being audience to Sir Peter Jackson’s magnificent films, but I and many folks of an earlier generation better recall the 1977 Bass and Rankin animated film with voice talent from John Huston, Orson Bean and Richard Boone. This cartoon was my first introduction to Tolkien’s work and would inspire me to actually read the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings later.

Thorin, the important Dwarf and company leave from the Green Dragon in May, accompanied by the wizard Gandalf and having employed Mr. Baggins as their lucky number (14) and as a burglar. And Bilbo’s unexpected adventure had begun.

“I am Gandalf, and Gandalf means me!” – The significance of Gandalf in fantasy literature cannot be overestimated. Certainly there had been wizards, magicians and sages in literature before 1937, but Gandalf in many respects is THE wizard. As fine a performance as Sir Ian McKellen did in all his films portraying Gandalf, I still, in my mind, hear John Huston’s husky yet urbane voice speaking for him. Later readers of the Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion will learn more about the Gray Wanderer, but in the Hobbit he is simply Gandalf.

Chapter 5 – Riddles in the Dark. After some fairly pedestrian undertakings Tolkien has Bilbo getting lost in a deep cave and introduces us to one of his and literatures greastest, most complicated, and strangely likeable villains, Gollum. Later readers would learn the deeper truths of his history, but Tolkien’s guests in this chapter see him as a eccentrically troubled scoundrel.

Songs. A reader in the twenty-first century, and especially one who has enjoyed the Jackson films, may be surprised to discover that Tolkien’s original story was not as martial as the films. Certainly Jackson produced his Hobbit films to be less war-like than his epic LOTR films, but Tolkien’s prose contained a fair amount of poetry and song, casting his story in a more innocent and lyric form than would be palatable in today’s publications.

I remember trying to convince my high school English teacher that this was deserving of more literary praise and so this was also my first or one of my first indications that many literary folks place an asterisk on the science fiction / fantasy genre when it comes to acknowledging the quality of the writing. Kurt Vonnegut mentioned that as soon as the science fiction label was affixed to his name many critics would not take him seriously.

The Hobbit is a great example that sometimes critics can be myopic and time will tell the true greats. The prologue to a great trilogy, simple and charming, The Hobbit is a great book by itself.

Finally, this review is of a re-visit to The Hobbit, after a hiatus of perhaps 30 years. I rarely will re-read a book, there are just so many great books and so little time – but The Hobbit is one of those special works that can be savored and enjoyed again and again.

*** 2020 Reread.
I need to reread this more often. Professor Tolkien’s charming storytelling is a soothing comfort for troubled times.

This time around I focused on the details that I had missed before, and Tolkien has provided many, some nuanced within his excellent story and other subtle enough to be missed, but important spice added to the recipe.

It’s also important to distinguish between the book and the excellent adaptions by Peter Jackson and the 1977 animated classic by Bass and Rankin. In my memory, I sometimes forget what is actual canon and not artistic license. I had forgotten that the Master of Laketown (left out of the 1977 film) was from Tolkien.

Tolkien’s description of the journey is also endearing, taking the time to add his nineteenth century sensibilities to the fantasy.

If you have never read this work, please do. I can highly recommend an enjoyable reread to the rest of us.

This is a tough review to write. Let me go ahead and get this out there: I hate reading classics. I used to be really afraid to admit that, but I've accepted the inevitable judgment and have to be honest about it now. With very few exceptions, I do not enjoy them, and I find them to be boring and hard to trudge through.

Tolkien, however, was a writer who I have said many times I consider to be one of the single most influential and imaginative artists in all of literary history. He created a world that was so fleshed out, and impacted the world so strongly, I am truly convinced that the fantasy books we read today would be vastly different without his efforts having paved the way for so many creators. For that aspect alone, this book is worth 5 beaming, shining, solid stars.

On the other hand, it took me five tries to finish this damn book. I have been trying to read it my entire adult and teen life, and honestly thought I would DNF it again this time. While it's a gorgeous world full of lovable, interesting characters and creatures, it's an absolute chore to get through. If this were a story that had been published within the last decade or two, and hadn't been so damn creative for its time, this would probably be a 2-star review for how utterly bored I was during most of it.

All of that said and done, I have to acknowledge the previous gushing I offered up on Tolkien as a creator, as well as the fact that I already know I hate reading classics, and my boredom was just as much my own fault as anyone else's... so, I'm going to set this at 4 stars. I know my rating system for this review may not make a lot of sense to some of my friends and followers, but after a few days of deliberating, it's the decision I felt most comfortable with.

You can find this review and more on my blog, or you can follow me on twitter, bookstagram, or facebook!

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Original pre-review:
This will be my fifth time starting this book, and I am determined to finally finish it, with the help of my amazing buddy reading partner, Terry!

I read the first book of TLOTR a few years ago and was completely underwhelmed by it. I certainly wouldn't have read this, had me daughter not asked me to read it aloud to her. What a lucky thing that she did! This was genuinely heartwarming and full of adventure. Not a word was wasted (unlike in TLOTR, where entire chapters left my head swimming with unnecessary detail), and the characters - the entire hoard of them - were beautifully described.

I was never really into fantasy when I was younger. I loved mysteries, biographies, historical fiction, and gothic classics. My sister and brother read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I picked up The Hobbit once and was bored to tears. I put it away without finishing it, thinking it just wasn’t a book for me. When The Fellowship of the Ring movie came out, I decided I should read the novels. I devoured Fellowship and quickly followed it with The Two Towers and The Return of the King. I fell in love with the world of hobbits, men, elves and dwarves. The mythology Tolkien had created was much better than I had previously thought. Oddly enough, I still didn’t read The Hobbit until now. My husband I decided to do a buddy read, which is so much fun. It’s great to be able to read a book with a loved one and to hear their thoughts on the characters and writing style. Bonding time!

I did enjoy reading about the adventures of Bilbo. I’ve seen the cartoons (hated them mostly because of the terrible musical score) and Jackson’s movie trilogy (although it really was quite the cash grab and not as faithful to the novel as it should have been). Reading the novel, I had more insight into events that I had only read about in other novels or seen portrayed incorrectly in cinema. It was nice to see the real version.

Bilbo is adorably sweet, kind, brave, and the best friend any of those dwarves could have asked for. I feel quite like Gandalf feels about him - exceedingly fond of the brave little hobbit who left his home for a once in a lifetime adventure. Bilbo really is the most important character. You see the interesting and mysterious qualities of Gandalf, but the dwarves are a bit of a two-dimensional group. Some characterization of a few but mostly they are just a list of rhyming names. It made me long for Gimli. The elves are a weird version. Having read LOTR, I was a bit put off by the elves in The Hobbit. I definitely wished to have Galadriel and Legolas show up. The spiders, goblins and wargs are very nasty, as they should be. Beorn was a great addition - a werebear is a very good friend to have on your side. The characters definitely make the novel. Couple these with the setting and you have a wonderful mythology.

The tale itself is fun but it almost feels like just a series of tiny adventures. I thought the Desolation of Smaug and the Battle of the Five Armies would have been more developed scenes. Sadly, these are told by the narrator as afterthoughts since Bilbo doesn’t get to witness all the events. I would have placed those scenes as the climax had they been done differently. At this point, I’m not sure what constitutes as the climax but that’s okay. I did enjoy the little tales held together with the traveling of the merry band of dwarves and their master-thief hobbit.

This is not Tolkien’s masterpiece, but it is a prelude. It’s a tale meant for young readers. It’s a practice run as he started his world-building. The Hobbit is a must-read for anyone who wants to read LOTR. I would suggest trying it first. I didn’t and it made me sometimes feel critical of the tone and writing differences. I had to remind myself that this was a different tale for a different audience. I am so glad I gave it another chance, but I wish I had done so years ago.

I absolutely loved this. I wish I read this when I was younger. I would have LOVED it and probably would have rated it 5 stars and been super nostalgic about it. Alas, I read it for the first time at 23, but it's definitely still magical!

(Book 610 From 1001 Books) - The Hobbit = There and Back Again, J.R.R. Tolkien

The Hobbit, or There and Back Again is a fantasy novel by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published on 21 September 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the New York Herald Tribune for best juvenile fiction. The book remains popular and is recognized as a classic in children's literature.

Gandalf tricks Bilbo Baggins into hosting a party for Thorin Oakenshield and his band of dwarves, who sing of reclaiming the Lonely Mountain and its vast treasure from the dragon Smaug.

When the music ends, Gandalf unveils Thrór's map showing a secret door into the Mountain and proposes that the dumbfounded Bilbo serve as the expedition's "burglar".

The dwarves ridicule the idea, but Bilbo, indignant, joins despite himself.

The group travels into the wild, where Gandalf saves the company from trolls and leads them to Rivendell, where Elrond reveals more secrets from the map. When they attempt to cross the Misty Mountains they are caught by goblins and driven deep underground.

Although Gandalf rescues them, Bilbo gets separated from the others as they flee the goblins. Lost in the goblin tunnels, he stumbles across a mysterious ring and then encounters Gollum, who engages him in a game of riddles.

As a reward for solving all riddles Gollum will show him the path out of the tunnels, but if Bilbo fails, his life will be forfeit.

With the help of the ring, which confers invisibility, Bilbo escapes and rejoins the dwarves, improving his reputation with them. The goblins and Wargs give chase, but the company are saved by eagles before resting in the house of Beorn. ...

تاریخ نخستین خوانش: ماه نوامبر سال 2004میلادی

عنوان: هابیت - آنجا و بازگشت دوباره؛ جی.آر.آر تالکین؛ موضوع: ادبیات فانتزی از نویسندگان بریتانیا - سده 20م

مترجمهای هابیت، خانمها و آقایان: (رضا علیزاده؛ نازنین پوریان؛ سپیده حبیبی؛ فرزاد فرید؛ شاهده سعیدی؛ پریا آقاسی بیگ؛ ماه منیر فتحی؛ و ...)؛ هستند

نمیدانم چندبار این «هابیت» را خوانده ام، همیشه تا نام «بیلبو» را میشنوم، پرواز میکنم، لابد شمایان هم فیلمش را دیده اید؛ «هابیت»‌ها گونه‌ ای از موجودات خیالی، در رمان‌های «تالکین» هستند، که در سرزمین میانه و «شایر» زندگی می‌کنند؛ «هابیت‌»ها نخستین بار در کتاب «هابیت تالکین» مطرح شدند؛ شخصیت اصلی این داستان، «بیلبو بگینز»، هابیتی است که ماجراهایی دارد؛ شخصیت اصلی مجموعه ی «ارباب حلقه‌ ها»، «فرودو بگینز» نیز یک «هابیت» است؛ در «کتاب هابیت»، «تالکین»، «هابیت»‌ها را موجوداتی کوچک، توصیف می‌کند، که نصف قد انسانها را دارند، لباس‌هایی به رنگ روشن می‌پوشند، کفش به پا نمی‌کنند (کف پاهایشان به طور طبیعی پوستی همچون چرم دارد) و پاهایشان پوشیده از موهای ضخیم، و مجعد است؛ از نظر اخلاقی، «تالکین»، «هابیت»‌ها را، موجوداتی «خوشرو»، «خوش خوراک»، و به دور از ماجراجویی، توصیف می‌کند

داستان «هابیت» بازگویی کم‌رنگ شدن دنیای موجودات افسانه‌ ای، و زمان حکومت انسان‌هاست؛ داستان درباره ی یک «هابیت» به نام «بیلبو بگینز» است، که او برای گرفتن یافتن، و بازپس گیری گنجی گرانبها، که توسط «اسماگ» اژدها، به غنیمت گرفته شده، به سفر می‌رود؛

سفر «بیلبو»، او را از سرزمین آرام خویش، به جایگاهی شیطانی می‌برد؛ همراهان وی، در آن سفر «گندالف جادوگر»، «تورین سپر بلوط» نوه ی پادشاه پیشین «دورف‌»ها، عموزادگانش، و دیگر «دورف‌»هایی هستند، که برای آزادسازی «تنها کوه»، یا همان «اِرِبور»، شاهزاده‌ ی خودشان را همراهی می‌کنند؛ کوه «اربور» در چنگال «اسماگ» اژدهاست؛ «دورف‌»ها و «بیلبو» برای رسیدن به آنجا، دشواری‌های بسیاری را از سر می‌گذرانند؛

در آن سفر «بیلبو»، در غاری که از آن «گابلین‌»هاست؛ حلقه ای گرانبها که داستان «ارباب حلقه‌ها» درباره ی آن حلقه است را، از «گالوم» میدزدد، و به این ترتیب، چگونگی رسیدن حلقه به دست «بیلبو»، در همین داستان «هابیت» است، که فاش می‌شود؛

گروه همسفر سرانجام پس از پشت سر گذاشتن خانه ی «بئورن» سیاه بیشه، و قلمرو «الف‌های جنگلی»، با بدرقه ی مردمان «شهر دریاچه»، به «اره بور» میرسند، و با یاری «بیلبو» در پنهان را باز میکنند، سپس «هابیت» را، برای یافتن گوهر فرمانروای پیشین خویش (فرمانروا با آن می‌توانست هفت سپاه «کوتوله‌»ها را زیر فرمان خود درآورد) به داخل کوه میفرستند، اما هنگامی که «بیلبو» آن را مییابد گوهر را برای خود برمیدارد، و آن را از «تورین» پنهان میکند؛

اژدها میفهمد که از او دزدی شده، و حدس میزند که دزدها از «شهر دریاچه» آمده‌ اند، او به «شهر دریاچه» یورش میبرد؛ و پس از کشته شدن «اسماگ» به دست «بارد کماندار»، در «شهر دریاچه یا اسکاروث»، بازماندگان از یورش اژدها، به همراه شاه «الف‌های جنگل»، و سپاهشان به سوی «تنها کوه» میروند، تا سهم خود از گنج را از «تورین»، که با کشته شدن «اسماگ»، شاه زیر کوه شده، درخواست کنند؛ با اینکه «تورین اوکن شیلد» پیشتر این وعده را به آنها داده بود، و خواسته ی آنها نیز برحق بود، اما پس از کشته شدن اژدها، او از پرداخت سهم به «بارد - از نوادگان گیریون فرمانروای پیشین دیل»، و به «تراندوئیل شاه الف‌های جنگلی» سر باز میزند؛

اما شبی «بیلبو»، یواشکی از دیوار قلعه پایین میرود، و «آرکنستون یا همان گوهر پادشاه پیشین دورف ها» را به «بارد» میدهد، تا آن گوهر را با سهمشان از طلا با «تورین» معامله کنند، اینکار او برای جلوگیری از جنگ بین «دورف»ها و «الف»هاست؛

روز دیگر، سپاه «الف‌»ها و «انسان‌»ها جلوی دروازه صف میکشند، هنگامی که «بارد» گوهر را به سیزده «دورف» مسلح روی دروازه نشان میدهد، «دورف»ها میاندیشند گوهری قلابی است، ولی «بیلبو» به آنها میگوید، که او گوهر را به آنها داده، و «تورین» دلش می‌خواهد «بیلبو» را از روی دروازه به پایین پرت کند، اما دیگران مانع از انجام آن کار میشوند؛

آنگاه «بارد» برای آخرین بار به «تورین» میگوید که آیا او با آنها معامله میکند یا اعلان جنگ میدهد؟، «تورین» با ناباوری میگوید «من اعلان جنگ میکنم»؛ برای اینکه از پیش یکی از زاغهای «اره بور»، بنام «روآک» را، به تپه‌ های آهنی فرستاده بود، تا «داین - پسر عموی تورین» را خبر کند، و اکنون او با بیش از پانصد تن از «دورف»های تا دندان مسلح، رسیده بودند؛

جنگ «الف‌»ها و انسان در برابر کوتوله‌ها داشت آغاز میشد، تیرهای الف‌ها چندین بار پرتاب میشوند، در همان زمان ابری از لاشخوارهای پرنده که جلوی تابش آفتاب را می‌گرفتند، توجه آنها را جلب میکند، و سپس ارتشی بزرگ از «گابلین‌»ها و «وارگ‌ها - گرگ‌های بزرگ سرزمین میانی» از راه میرسند؛ جنگ بزرگی درمیگرد، که در یک سو «الف‌ها، دورف‌ها و انسان‌»، و در سوی دیگر «گابلین‌»ها و «وارگ‌»ها هستند، و آن جنگ را نبرد پنج سپاه نامیدند؛

یورش «گابلین‌»ها از یکسو برای کشته شدن «گابلین اعظم» آنها به دست «تورین» و یارانش، و از سوی دیگر، برای کشته شدن «اسماگ» و تصاحب گنج عظیم «تنها کوه» بود؛ «گابلین‌»ها به فرماندهی «بولگ» به کوه هجوم میآورند، شمارشان بسیار است، ولی با بیرون جستن «تورین» و یارانش از قلعه، و آمدن عقابهای «مانوه» و «بئورن»، اوضاع باز هم دیگر میشود، و «گابلین‌»ها شکست میخورند؛ بسیاری از آن‌ها فرار، اما در کوهستان‌های مه آلود، و سیاه بیشه، به دام افتاده، و کشته میشوند؛

پیش از آن که عقاب‌ها برسند، «تورین» در حلقه ی محاصره گرفتار شده، و زخم‌های ژرف برمیدارد، «فیلی و کیلی - از گروه سیزده نفر» نیز هنگام دفاع از «تورین» کشته میشوند، خود «تورین» هم پس از اینکه از «بیلبو»، برای رفتار خویش در جلوی دروازه عذرخواهی میکند، درمیگذرد، و به جایش، «داین»، شاه «تنها کوه» میشود،

بدینگونه ماجراجویی «بیلبو بگینز» به پایان میرسد، و باید به خانه باز گردد؛ او به جای سهم یک چهاردهم از گنج بزرگ «دورف‌»ها، تنها دو صندوقچهٔ کوچک با خود به خانه میبرد؛ شصت سال پس از آن روز است، که ماجرای «ارباب حلقه‌ها» آغاز میشود

نقل برگردان شعری از کتاب هابیت تالکی��: (باد در خلنگ زار ِ پژمرده میوزید
اما در جنگل هیچ برگی بر درخت نمیجنبید
شب و روز، سایه آنجا را گرفته بود
و موجودات اهریمنی، خاموش به زیر درختان خزیدند

باد از کوهستان سرد وزیدن گرفت
و همچون موج غرید و غلطید
شاخه ها آه کشیدند و جنگل نالید
و برگ درختان بر روی خاک ریخت

باد از غرب، راه شرق در پیش گرفت
و هر جنبشی در جنگل فرومرد
اما رها شد صدای زوزه اش
خشن و گوشخراش، در سرتاسر مرداب

هیس هیس علفها برخاست، و منگوله هاشان خم شد
جگنها به خش خش درآمدند
بر روی آبگیر پر موج، و زیر آسمان سرد
آنجا که ابرهای پرشتاب، پاره پاره شکافتند

بر تنها کوه برهنه گذر کرد
و برفراز کنام اژدها وزید
آنجا، سیاه و تاریک، افتاده بود، تخته سنگهای بی روح
و دودی به هوا برخاست

جهان را وداع گفت، و به آسمان پرگشود
از فراز دریاهای پهناور شبانه
ماه برفراز تندباد بادبان کشید
و اخگر ستاره ها، در برابر دم آن برافروخت)؛ پایان نقل از ص 190، و 191، کتاب

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 28/05/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 07/05/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی

Amazing.

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The above was my first review of this and really summed things up quite succinctly. Below is actually a review of the first of the trilogy of movies following The Hobbit (kinda).
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There have been lots of thoughts on this movie already, but I felt I needed to add my two cents, because, well, lots of people are just plain wrong.

Okay, maybe people have good reason to be disappointed with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, but I wanted to tell you why you shouldn't be.

I think we all had a bit of an inkling that the film version of our beloved book, The Hobbit, wasn't quite going to follow the book precisely when we learned it was going to be two movies. I mean, each of the books in the Lord of the Rings trilogy got one movie and they're all longer than The Hobbit...so logic already started us down this path.

Then we found out it was going to be three movies.

Slight doubt was replaced with actual knowledge. The movie version(s) of The Hobbit was NOT GOING TO FOLLOW THE BOOK exactly.

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So, why are so many people coming out of this movie utterly disappointed the movie didn't follow the book? You already knew this going in! There were no expectations to dash in this regard and if you had any expectations, they should have rightfully been dashed weeks if not months before the viewing of this movie.

The Hobbit delivers with orc-slaying, adventure-having, rock-throwing, breath-taking goodness. What's wrong with that?

Now there are few books I reread, there are just too many to go through once, but The Hobbit is one of the rare books I've read twice. It will always have a special place in my heart and I still loved this movie.

I'm not going to say it was completely devoid of fault. Two things irritated me for a time and they were the handling of the troll scene, which was good in its own right, but COMPLETELY different when it could have been kept the same. The other thing was the use of CGI was a bit (okay really) heavy at times especially for the main big baddie.

If you could only have seen my face as I watched The Hobbit. There was literally a smile ear to ear the entire time. I loved it.

I'm pleading with you, manage your expectations. Think of this as Peter Jackson goes to Middle Earth (with possibly the only goal of staying consistent with his earlier films). You'll be much happier.

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Because I can't help myself, here's yet another review, but from a recent reread ... so it's different OKAY:

Finished this with my twins. I think they loved it, but it might have just been my reflected joy. I loved every second of reading it to them and I think they liked it.

My 4-year-old would come in every now and then and she's the only one I've ever heard of who loves the songs. We sing the kids songs every night and she would request The Hobbit songs (to whichever tune I came up with). She especially loved the spider-taunting songs. Old Tomnoddy!

I absolutely loved this book on my third time through. Still feels like coming home. Still has all the charm and beauty I remember falling in love with.

5 out of 5 stars (Just the best)

this is not a review.

this is smack-talk.

me and a buddy saw the first two films in the peter jackson trilogy (for a second time) this weekend. he says he loves actor lee pace just like i do, but that his character, thranduil, was campy as fuck and also what the hell were they even thinking?

to which i reply:



y'all know i like 'em long, lean, and unavailable.

aint nobody gon' talk shyt 'bout muh boo.

ACTIVATE MEME BATTURR