Sep 12, 2003 04:57 PM
3602 Views
(Updated Sep 12, 2003 04:57 PM)
This book forms a very nice introduction to the world of Tolkien. Set as a prequel to his better known work - Lord of the Rings now made all the more famous thanks to Peter Jackson's perseverence and efforts - the Hobbit tells the tale of Bilbo Baggins and a band of thirteen dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield. This unlikely bunch, assembled by the redoubtable wizard Gandalf set out to recover the stolen treasure and gold, that once belonged to the dwarves. An evil dragon - Smaug - has killed off Thorin's relatives, and now sits guard over the fabulous dwarf treasures that were collected over many, many years.
Bilbo Baggins role in the book is one of reluctant participant. His actions however, are a catalyst to a chain of events that will ultimately culminate in terrific battle against the evil Lord Sauron in the Lord of the The Rings - Return of the King. In the same way we find that Gandalf plays the role of a sutradhar, directing the course of the action by deft interventions at crucial junctures. His role is like that of Krishna in the Mahabharat, ultimately leading not only this ragtag bunch in the Hobbit, but also the Fellowship of the Ring against the evil Sauron in the LOTR.
The book introduces each of the protagonists in a straightforward manner and then proceeds to engross the reader by filling in details about each character as the story proceeds. Much like a story about life, the Hobbit is a tale about finding out one's inner most self - in the process unearthing skills and behaviour one may not have expected to find. The protagonists are not entirely heroic or good, nor are they completely bad. They are united by a singular cause and on the way to achieving it, Tolkien relates their many pratfalls, making this a much more believable tale, even though it is set in a fantastic world peopled by elves, dwarves, dragons, wizards, talking animals, evil orks and humans in magical enironments.
Tolkien began creating tales of dwarves, elves and evil beings as bedtime stories to tell his children. And they turned out to be his most unlikely, but best, critics. Tolkien's eldest son would find inconsistencies in the stories that his father would relate, forcing Tolkien to go back and improve his work. Ultimately Tolkien ended up creating not only a timeless tale, he ended up creating a new language with complete with its own script and grammar. Tolkien was a professor of language and semantics and his books are an superb exposition of his mastery not only in his field of expertise, but also as an engrossing storyteller.
Most books do not need a movie to explain themselves - however, in my case I first watched Fellowship of the Ring before reading the Hobbit. The movie is by far among the best I have ever watched and helped to bring the characters in the Hobbit to life, for me. This greatly enhanced the degree to which I enjoyed this book. This book is a lovely read for kids above 12-13 years of age and adults of all ages!
