The Hobbit: The Enchanting Prelude to the Lord of the Rings

I read this in middle school and remember enjoying it. Having just finished it again, it is just as enjoyable.

A charming and adventurous story with a cozy, fairy-tale feel. Tolkien’s world is rich and imaginative, and Bilbo’s journey is both entertaining and heartfelt.

Enjoyable as it was when it was first printed nearly 90 years ago. Hard to put down once you started and leaves you on the edge of your seat throughout.

In a mythical or maybe just forgotten time, many creatures lived in places like the Shire, home to Bilbo Baggins, the Hobbit. Hobbits are comfort-loving creatures with no real sense of adventure. A knock on the door, and Bilbo's life is about to change. Calling this book a children's book is like calling "Alice in Wonderland" [see "The Annotated Alice"] a children's book. Yes, children can read this book, and it is fun. However, there is a lot more to this book than a cute story. And it has all the depth of the other Tolkien works, except for being shorter. Many people look at this story as a prequel to "The Lord of the Rings", where in reality it is a stand-alone story with a perfectly good beginning, middle, and end. When you read "The Lord of the Rings," there is enough description to forgo "The Hobbit." Personally, I find that reading The Lord of the Rings first gave me an in-depth background to better appreciate The Hobbit. Many of the creatures and adventures will put you on the edge of your seat. You will recognize the personalities and grow along with Bilbo as he faces new challenges and learns to deal with life. A good book to read first would be "The Power of Myth" by Joseph Campbell. Then you get a clearer picture of why the story progresses as it does.

I love, love, love "The Hobbit," and the other stories of Middle Earth by J.R.R. Tolkien! He has a nice writing style, easy for school-aged readers to enjoy as well as adults. This is the story of the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins (Frodo's uncle), and precedes the tales of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. This book introduces Gandalf, Gollum, and the ring, and informs the reader of other peoples and histories: the dwarves, the dragon, Smaug, and Wood-elves. The heroes in this book are varied and well written. The copy that I received is older and has maps, illustrations, and songs, which are all interesting and part of the story. If you liked the books or movies of "Lord of the Rings" or the movies of "The Hobbit" than this book is for you! You will not be disappointed!

I absolutely enjoyed this book - a great world and beautiful characters. I would suggest reading it before the Lord of the Rings.