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Our guest reviewer for The Hobbit is 12-year-old Red Theorist, who loves reading a wide range of fantasy for young people. His favourite authors include Gama Ray Martinez and Mark Walden.
J. R. R. Tolkien is probably most famous for his trilogy The Lord of The Rings, which often overshadows his first book, The Hobbit.
However, The Hobbit is a wonderfully written book featuring incredible descriptions, unexpected plot developments and much more.
What it’s about
The story starts out simply enough. The overall hero, Bilbo Baggins, is enjoying a quiet life at home.
Tolkien writes about his everyday life, and a bit about his family. But one of Bilbo’s traits is emphasised many times: Bilbo is not a fan of adventures. He prefers sitting at home, doing housework and eating.
However, when Gandalf, an eccentric wizard, turns up at the door to Bilbo’s hobbit-hole with thirteen adventurous dwarves, Bilbo is soon caught up in a plot to raid the hoard of Smaug, a magnificent (and very dangerous) dragon.
What I liked best about The Hobbit
- The detail. The Hobbit was obviously meticulously planned, with vivid descriptions of every character, setting and creature. Tolkien really manages to make it feel like the reader is travelling across Middle Earth along with Bilbo and the dwarves.
- The characters. All of Tolkien’s characters are unique and instantly likeable. Characters like Gandalf and Golum, who also feature in The Lord of The Rings, are known and loved worldwide.
- The writing style. The Hobbit is a perfect mix of classic quest/adventure story elements and completely new ideas, put together with Tolkien’s unique and incredible writing style. The book has many unexpected twists and turns, making it the perfect adventure.
Who would like The Hobbit?
Tolkien fans who have already read The Lord of The Rings would definitely enjoy The Hobbit.
Pretty much everyone else into fantasy and adventure stories should like it too.
Although some of the more complex language would make this a challenging read for younger children, parents could always read along and explain the more difficult words.
In terms of independent reading, I would recommend this book for adults and children over twelve years of age.
In summary
The Hobbit is a beautiful fantasy adventure for older children and adults. The length and complexity make it an enjoyably challenging read, but those who make it to the end will definitely feel like it was worth it.
It has been said that the English-speaking world is divided into two groups: people who have read The Hobbit, and people who are going to read it. After entering this sensational world created by Tolkien, I very soon found myself agreeing, and I hope that others who read it feel the same.