Storytime! I think about 6 or 7 years ago I watched The Lord of the Rings for the first time in my life. Just around the time that The Hobbit films were made. I really enjoyed them (I think because I started getting into Fantasy back then) and I picked up The Hobbit book my parents' had on their bookshelves. This (of course) was the Dutch translation and the books that my parents' have are beautiful. Yet, I didn't read more than a page I think. The book lay on my nightstand for a few weeks but I just didn't read it. I am glad it didn't.
Recently, I bought the set of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. I still am a fan of both film series and I really wanted to have and read the books myself. Now, when writing this review I have finished The Hobbit and I really liked it. I am glad I didn't read the book in Dutch because I loved reading it for the first time in English. This book once again proofs that the English language is just so more beautiful than Dutch (at least in my eyes). One sentence that stood out for me was this:
The nights were comfortless and chill, they did not dare to sing or talk too loud, for the echoes were uncanny, and the silence seemed to dislike being broken -except by the noise of water and the wail of wind and the crack of stone. - The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien
The way in which Tolkien describes the surroundings of the characters is so good and phenomenal for me. It is not without reason that Tolkien is seen as the definer of modern fantasy. In many great works, we see his influence in fantasy. I look up to him as I am now learning about literature and also read some of the works Tolkien himself was inspired by. One of the most important ones: Beowulf. I find it interesting how elements of Beowulf (the oldest epic poem in the English language) are clearly seen in The Hobbit. Yet, Tolkien filled his story with detail, something that wasn't much done before his time.
Okay, enough fangirling over his work and inspiration, on to the review. The Hobbit is clearly written for a younger audience, this is also stated in the preface of the book. Tolkien came up with the story when making up stories when his children went to bed. Bilbo, the protagonist of The Hobbit, is a likeable person. He is a hobbit, hobbits live in hobbit holes and often enjoy comfort. Bilbo is no different yet he still joins the party of dwarves that want to reclaim their lost gold, led by Thorin Oakenshield. During their adventures, Bilbo matures, gets more confidence in himself and proofs to others that he has more in him than it seems. Gandalf, the wizard, already knew this of course. But, more importantly, during their travels, Bilbo finds a ring, the ring of power. This is his lead for the books he wrote after The Hobbit: The Lord of the Rings.
The story is written with an omniscient narrator, this is what gives it the feeling that the story is told and written down in the exact way in which it would be told. The narrator often says something in the trend of: 'this wouldn't be the last time Bilbo thought of home', little things like these make it more fun to read, definitely for children. Even though people die and there are many fights in the story, Tolkien keeps it light and does not add much drama to it. The Battle of the Five Armies, for example, do show his own experience in warfare, Tolkien had fought in the First World War. Yet the narrator does not zoom into the battle and stays with Bilbo who is only spectating it all. By doing so, Tolkien is able to discuss more serious topics yet is still able to make them not too serious for children. Of course, in The Lord of the Rings, this does not continue as the entire series gets more serious than The Hobbit.
An important theme in the book is greed. Not only the dragon has this, but the dwarves also have it too. It even influences the choices of Thorin after he the dragon has been defeated. He doesn't want to share his treasures with anyone except his fellow dwarves. Bilbo does not agree and decides to partner with 'the enemy', the men and elves to make sure that Thorin doesn't go to war with them. Eventually, a war still takes place yet against Orcs (or goblins). Bilbo doesn't fit in such an environment as he came from a quiet place, this seems to represent Tolkien's experience in World War 1, he also was plucked from a different environment and put into a war that was not really his.
I have already seen the films multiple times, whether it is a good decision to watch the film first I am not sure. But while reading the book some things stood out for me. First off, the films are very accurate to the book. Yes, things are changed and some things are added, but most of the story is the same as the book. It is obvious that a lot of details were able to be in the film because they made 3 of 1 book. Now, I am not exactly sure if the Orcs in the film are the same as the goblins in the book. Because to me, it seems that the goblins in the book are the ones that had kidnapped the dwarves and Bilbo in the mountains. Yet, then came after them when they had escaped. In the films, the Orcs are following them during their travels, and after they escaped from the goblins, the Orcs are hunting them down. At the beginning of the book, Tolkien explains that Orc is not an English word and is often translated to goblin. In the films, Orcs and goblins are two different species, while for now in the book it seems to be one. Please tell me if I'm wrong though! To me it seems that the goblins were changed to Orcs in the films with the Lord of the Rings story in mind. To make it more cohesive and fitting.
In the films the love story between Kili and Tauriel is added, this does not take place in the books. I think that for cinematics this is a smart move, it adds another layer to the story and gives the characters more personality. The deaths of Kili and Fili (spoiler alert) are also more impactful because they have a bigger role in the films. I do not mind this, but I can see why some people would not like the fact that something new is added to the story. Yet, I do think that these films are well made and would definitely recommend them to anyone that hasn't seen them yet.
Tolkien's background in Medieval English literature and linguistics really come forward in his stories. He was influenced in a lot of ways, yet was the person that combined it all into a fantasy world. A world with history, different languages and many, many details. The work he put into it is unthinkable, that makes it so good. He is one of my heroes and my dream is to one day write a novel as in-depth as he did. I will be starting The Lord of the Rings soon, so stay tuned for a review of those books too.
Today's post was I think the longest one I have written so far on the blog, I hope that it didn't scare you away. But The Hobbit did deserve so much attention. Please let me know if you liked a longer post like this!
Until then, keep reading,
Julia.
Interested in reading The Hobbit? You can purchase the book here. (This is an affiliate link, without extra costs for you, I earn a small commission on your purchase).
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