The Hobbit

Book Written by J.R.R Tolkien

Review by Jonathan Bristol, Age 17, Krislizz International Academy
The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien is one of the best known and best loved fantasy books. It is a popular fictional
book that is less complicated and a lot shorter than his famous trilogy work, the Lord of the Rings – but it has no
less adventure J.R.R Tolkien never fails to deliver.
It is a book full of adventure, heroism, song and laughter, featuring landscapes that are quintessentially
spectacular, a sight to behold. It is far more light-hearted tale than the Lord of the Rings and introduces to the
world the unforgettable journey of the courageous Bilbo, the wise and powerful Gandalf, and the cunning and
cruel Gollum. The Hobbit is a book that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike especially for those who
loves reading fantasy novels.
Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit, a race of small people which are smaller than bearded dwarves, and is about
half of Big People, as they call us. In the beginning, young Bilbo Baggins was casually living in his comfortable
little hobbit hole, showing his Baggins side, a side of him which liked the idea of living a peaceful life and disliked
the idea of going on any adventures. One day, he was whisked away by the Legendary Wizard Gandalf, who told
him that Gandalf was searching for someone to go on an adventure with a company of dwarves led by Thorin
Oakenshield, to take their stolen treasure from the safeguarding of the Great Dragon Smaug. Long ago, back in
the day when dwarves inhabited the Lonely Mountain, they were renowned for their mining skills. They were
able to dig the gold out beneath their feet, and as their mined golden treasures started to increase in number to the
point of being countless, it caught the attention of the evil dragon. Dragons of course are known for their love of
gold and will do anything to gain them at any cost. Smaug, an especially large and selfish dragon attacked the
dwarves’ stronghold and drove them out.
Gandalf suggested Bilbo to accept the dwarves’ proposal as their Burglar wherein Bilbo rejected the idea
at fist. But after they were able to appeal to Bilbo’s innate sense of adventure, his “Took side” won him over and
he joined the adventure to reclaim the thirteen dwarves’ long lost gold. And hence commenced an epic journey
that promised to changed Bilbo’s way of living as well as his reputation as a Baggins forever.
The adventure begins as soon as the group encountered three trolls who’s complaining about having no
men to eat, whose intention is to kidnap Bilbo and the thirteen dwarves to put them in their stew. If the band
successfully get pass these evil creatures, they would have to cross the Enchanted Mirkwood Forest along with
its unbelievably huge spiders, traps in the form of wicked trees, and a multitude of illusions. Only if the band
manages to get out from the said forest alive, they still have a Goblin King to defeat and several Wargs to fend
off.
What make this book interesting was that the readers can see the changes happening to Bilbo as the story
goes on. The reason for that is because the other creatures and characters were shown to have distinct personalities
that doesn’t or didn’t changed throughout the story. A great example would be the dwarves’ love for treasures
and the goblins being hostile to both dwarves and elves. However, Bilbo wasn’t held back by the fact that hobbits
don’t go on any adventures and prefers to have a peaceful life.
One of the most appealing aspects of The Hobbit is that we can all find our inner-Hobbit; the part of us
that wants nothing but an easy and comfortable life. But there is still something inside all of us that perks up at
the thought of an adventure and a journey into the unknown and I think it is the reason why The Hobbit is such a
firm favorite and fondly remembered by all who read it.
This is one heck of an adventure that will surely reel you in the world of fantasy. You will surely not be
disappointed. The book is solid, the ratings are incredibly high it’s a great read overall. The words aren’t that deep
and confusing and is greatly recommended for those who like fantasy adventure novels with ancient-like vibes.