Usually I am suspicious of graphic novelizations of classic novels, but this version of "The Hobbit" was surprisingly well-produced.

Not like the book definitely but it's "an adventure" to travel with Bilbo in the illustrated story. Characters are not exactly how I imagined them the first time I read the book, yet anyway, it's a great graphic novel. For all Middle-Earth fans, do not have second thoughts! :)

This was so cool!

¡Qué preciosidad de cómic! No podría valorarlo con menos de 5 estrellas ni aunque quisiese.

Decir ante todo que es una versión adaptada del libro, con lo que es normal que su extensión se reduzca y haya pasajes que se resumen en una página o poco más. Pero aun así, la obra de Tolkien es perfectamente reconocible bajo los trazados de cada viñeta. Basta echar un vistado a un paisaje, a un orco o a un enano para darse cuenta de que estamos observando Tierra Media en todo su esplendor.

El cómic posee una edición cuidada y de gran lujo. Es un poco grande para leerlo tumbado, pero por lo demás es una auténtica maravilla que guardaré como un tesoro (anillo) junto al libro original. Creo que es un buen complemento para todo aquel amante de la obra del profesor Tolkien, pues ha sido tratada con respeto y cuidado hasta el más mínimo detalle de vestimenta, paisaje y acción.

Muy recomendable.

A very well illustrated graphic novel of a famous book! I really enjoyed reading this. The illustrations look a bit old fashioned but they do not deviate from the story line and the descriptions are apt. Most of the subject matter has been condensed in the speech bubbles and we don’t lose any vital part of the plot. The colour scheme looks really pleasing to the eyes and I enjoyed reading this book.

As for the story,it is quite a serious one but not without its moments of wit. I was able to reminisce about the novel I’d read before while reading this graphic version. Pick it up if you’re a fan of Tolkien. You won’t be disappointed!

I absolutely love David Wenzel's artwork. His style is very suited to graphic novels in my opinion. While I am generally a fan of Chuck Dixon's writing (Batman), this adaptation is not great when it comes to the story. It is a very faithful retelling of the story, but that just leads to a lot of very long paragraphs of text that are straight from the book or lightly edited. Often this was not enough graphic and too much novel... ;)

The Hobbit: Graphic Novel, Adapter: Chuck Dixon, Creator: J.R.R. Tolkien, Illustrator: David Wenzel, Adapter: Sean Deming

Mycket spännande och skrämmande och fint tecknat och intressant få veta om förlagan till Ringens herre.

Thanks to Cory Anthony, reading the Hobbit became an annual autumn tradition. The kind of book you can read in a day but encapsulates some of the best sentiments of Thoreau, On The Road, and the kind of wonder that makes kids take off on bikes to explore the places beyond their hometown's city limits; to find Trolls frozen in stone, hidden and lost secrets in the deep woods waiting to be found, and new horizons yet to be discovered or imagined. A book to read as a kid, but hopefully one you'll never be too old to enjoy even wrapped up and warm in your own hobbit hole. And who knows, maybe it'll spark that old wanderlust. ..."Its a dangerous business going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet there's no knowing where you might be swept off to."...

Recuerdo exactamente dónde y cuándo leí este libro.
Desde los años 80s quería leer algo de Tolkien, que era un autor de culto entre los nerds de esos años, pero en Argentina los libros eran inconseguibles.
Había empezado la universidad hacía un par de meses, y un compañero de facultad igual de nerd me prestó este libro.
Me lo llevé a mi casa, y al llegar encontré una ambulancia y enfermeros en la puerta. Mi abuela había fallecido inesperadamente de un infarto. Mis padres me mandaron a dormir a casa de mi tía, a unas pocas cuadras, mientras hacían los arreglos funerarios.
Esa noche en casa de mi tía no podía dormir, así que saqué este libro del bolso y durante toda la noche me quedé despierta leyendo, sumergida en sus simples y agradables ilustraciones. Fue mi primer contacto con Tolkien, y luego pude conseguir los libros, finalmente (aunque en desorden, y los leí a medida que los iba comprando, una forma muy extraña de leerlos).

Original review posted at Layers of Thought in a graphic novel trio review.

3.5 starts actually!

An epic story, with cute and colorful drawings about the famous Tolkien hobbit, who finds one of the fabled rings which become an important part of the continuing saga of The Lord of the Rings.

About: Bilbo Baggins is happy with his quiet life in his little cottage when the wizard Gandalf and a group of dwarves invite themselves for tea and drag him along on an incredible adventure. Unbeknown to him, he is to play an important role in its success and become the story's reluctant hero.

Thoughts: Recommended for all ages, this is a wonderful introduction to Tolkien for anyone who is daunted by his books. I know I had difficulties accessing them as a youngster (and as an adult too) and thought this would be a perfect substitute. I loved the cute and colorful pictures golemand the text was so pleasant and easy to digest. It would be wonderful for children of almost any age. Including kids of the ancient variety!

The particular version, which I read in the UK, was apparently written for the local population; some of the wording and references may be difficult for a US reader. So be aware of your version and don’t let anyone tell you that books don’t need to be translated from UK English to US English. It was a fun and lovely read at 3.5 stars. I can now say I have finally read – The Hobbit.

The version I reviewed is out of print for the US and its cover art is not the same: 144 pages; Harper Collins (1991). For the UK this version is also out of print but is available used. In Canada there are new copies and it looks like one is available in French.

Enjoyed this fun way to read a favorite book! Will have to say my older eyes found the small, medieval font hard to read. The panels and captions were right in the crease, but that’s printing and not a fault of the book.