Randy Mootooveran
Sci fi, Fantasy, Horror Lit
February 21, 2018

My outlook on The Hobbit

The renown behind this book has been well established long before Peter Jackson made the first film adaptation on the Middle- earth universe. Compared to The Lord of the Rings, the Hobbit is much more lighthearted and simplistic by comparison. By no means does that take away from its appeal, especially when it gives context on how this world fell into turmoil when the eponymous Dark Lord himself returns 60 years later.  What makes the book an entertaining read is how the company of Thorin Oakensheild stumbles into danger at every turn while on their mission to take back the mountain from Smaug. In my opinion, this kind of story would not be as popular if it were written today. I have nothing but respect for Tolkien, but parts of the novel aren't as engaging as I would have liked. Apart from Bilbo, Thorin, and Gandalf, the other dwarfs personalities are nearly indistinguishable. I understand the fact its meant to be a running joke throughout the book, but it made things less engaging whenever the next dangerous situation arrived and I was left trying to remember who was who. No, The Hobbit really shines when the characters are simply experiencing how strange the world they're in is and talk about their history. Even before he expanded the mythos, Middle- earth is full of interesting sights and sounds that feels described as though it were ripped straight out of a history book. If there's one thing I took away from the reading, its to not be constrained by creativity when trying to invent your own world. Tolkien, like J. R. R. Martin and      J. K. Rowling, knew that their worlds had to be well defined in order to captivate the audience. Fantasy should be a wellspring of ideas with the potential to tell whatever story the author wants to create. If something like the Hobbit managed to turn a goofy adventure into  a fantasy epic by its end, no author should let that stop them from crafting one of their own.