So this morning I finished reading The Hobbit. It’s not the first time I’ve read it, but it is the first time I’ve read it in many, many years. I would guess it’s been over a decade since I read it last. I’ll be honest, I enjoyed it far more than I expected to. I should also warn y’all-spoilers ahead.
I was surprised because in many ways, The Hobbit doesn’t have the qualities I look for in my favorite books. It doesn’t have a well-developed antagonist, and although the company goes through an enormous set of trials, it is only at the very end they suffer the consequences of their actions, and even then the consequences are glossed over (with the exception of Thorin, who gets a short death-scene).
Despite this, I found myself in love with the story. I think what I loved most about the story was the sincerity of it. It’s a small, heartfelt story, and one that I could see myself reading to my children before bed some time. Tolkien describes his world with beautiful imagery, and I found myself getting lost in the descriptions of the places, where usually I skim through them to get to the next action or conflict.
I’m curious to see if I like the rest of the series as much. Like The Hobbit, it’s been over a decade since I’ve read any of them, but I have to imagine the tone is much different. I’ll let you all know how I feel about it when I finish. Until then, keep reading!
Ryan
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