The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

There really is nothing I could say about The Hobbit that hasn’t already been said. That being the case, however, just reading (or hearing or saying or thinking) the perfect opening line, “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit,” makes my toes curl with excitement. That line is like the word “SPECIAL” spinning on the television screen indicating that something different than the usual network programming is coming up. (Remember that?) The anticipation of a fantastic ride, “there and back again” as it were, is delicious.

I’ve read The Hobbit more than once, but I’m not one of those persons who has read it so many times that I have every detail memorized (I think you know there are folks like that out there). I can’t even remember if I’ve read The Hobbit since I was in college and I re-read it as part of a Modern Masters class on the works of Tolkien. (That’s right. I got to read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings for a class!) That was a long time ago. So long ago that there were significant parts of the book about which I had completely forgotten.

Since I have seen the recent release of the film version of the first portion of The Hobbit, I couldn’t help comparing the book to the movie as I went along. Usually this kind of practice makes me disappointed and frustrated. I must be learning to lighten up, however, because I found it fun this time around. Sure, there are plenty of passages that required some punching-up to make them more theatrical, but my heart no longer yearns for perfect film adaptations. I can enjoy the two media separately, but books are almost always better experiences for me.

I wish I had one of those personal stories to tell about how discovering The Hobbit as a child launched a life-long love of reading and an intense (and nerdy) appreciation for fantasy literature. I don’t. Sure, I’ve enjoyed this book every time I’ve read it, but, to tell the truth, I think I was more excited about it this time around than any other. It’s simply a great adventure story, one of the best and one of the first of its kind. There’s an inviting narrator who tells his story almost like a bedtime story for children, but that narrator’s wisdom and craft along with some of the more intense themes make his tale enjoyable to those of us who have grown up a little bit, too.

“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.” A simple beginning to a wonderful story. It takes a certain amount of discipline to move on to another book instead of just picking it up and reading it again….and again.

 

 

 

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