Reading level: All AgesGenre: Fantasy
Size: 320 pages
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Release Date: September 1997
ISBN: 978-0007611621
Stand Alone or Series: Prelude to the Lord of the Rings series
Source: Bought
Rating: 5/5 stars
It’s been decades since I read The Hobbit last and, with the movie coming out soon, I thought it would be a great idea to pick it up and read it again. Additionally my five year old son had been begging me to read it with him and wanted to know all about Smaug.
Do I seriously need to do a recap here? I will just for the sake of completeness. Bilbo is visited by Gandalf and a number of dwarfs who want him to be their burglar on a journey to steal the dwarves’ gold back from Smaug. Bilbo very reluctantly agrees to go on a journey that has him confronting trolls, elves, goblins, and eventually the dragon itself.
Is there anyone out there who hasn’t read this? If not please go read it. This is where fantasy got its roots from and is a must read for any fantasy fan. This book has it all; humor, adventure, friendship, magic, danger. You name it. This is how I first met elves and goblins and other fantastical creatures.
I was amazed rereading this at how much humor is in this story and just at how well the story is put together. The imagery is excellent and the story completely engaging. My five year old begged to read this book every night until we were through; the picture books were never picked up until we had finished this book. My son was desperate to meet Smaug and find out what happened to him. When we finished he wanted to start reading it again.
I am also amazed at how well this story withstands the test of time. Yeah, it gets a bit wordy at parts and yes, there are some turns of phrase that are pretty outdated. But that is part of its charm. It was so much fun to see my five year old enraptured by the same story my dad read to me when I was young. Seriously this book shaped my taste in reading forever.
This edition of the book is lovely, I got it as a gift from my parents, and there are many lovely and exquisitely detailed drawings throughout. They are every few pages and were really something to look forward to as we read the story.
Overall still an absolutely wonderful read. This is a book that stands the test of time and is enchanting for all ages. This is where fantasy starts and it was wonderful to see my son enjoy it as much as I did when my dad read it to me. Hopefully one day my son will read it to his kids too! Highly recommended for everyone.
This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- 150+ Books Reading Challenge
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