I love what he says in the last chapter, when he finally arives in the Shire once again… The book’s last poem. I also love Gandalf’s reply to it. I dare think it woul’ve been a great book ending right there.
Petter [spoiler]I think the reason for Gandalf being an “unknown” beggar is that he hasn’t been there before, atleast Beorn knows Radagast ^^ ^^
Now when I read this chapter I don’t think Beorn is like Tom Bombadil, I think they are completely different, what do you think Petter[/spoiler]
SPOILER - Click to view
Anyone else that wonders what the Carrock is, I have always thought of it as a BIG stone
[spoiler]I love how Gandalf tells Beorn the story and always saying a little bit to large number, I don’t know however what to think about the dogs that can walk on their hindlegs,
Beorn is a skin-changer that’s cool^^[/spoiler]
First of all, I have to emphasize about the point it’s a story which is written for children, what is visible through many direct comments of the writer towards his reader. This style and this kind of comments are not present in LOTR.
I notice too that this children tale style quite disappears in the end of this book. Precisely, it begins to disappear when they enter the Lake Town and it totally disappears when it’s told about Bard [spoiler]the man who kills Smaug.[/spoiler] At this point, the style changes dramatically, it is more like sagas and other scandinavian legends thus it looks like Silmarillion or LOTR. In the first parts, we can imagine that the narrator is very close to Bilbo; or Bilbo itself (with a sort of self-derision). It’s no more possible in the ending. Then the content changes too [spoiler]as it becomes more social and political.[/spoiler] All this are little errors in my eyes.
Second, did you notice it’s exactly the same story scheme than LOTR? [spoiler]The hero is unvoluntarily driven into an adventure. They meet Elrond at Rivendell, then they cross the mountain through a cave where they are pursue by gobelins. Here, Gandalf uses his best magic. They find a refuge in a forest and are rescued by their inhabitants. They enter a town where there are political problems just before they go to the mountain of fire. Facing the mountain of fire, they are discouraged. The hero can enter the mountain but he cannot solve the main problem, it is solved by another one (Gollum or Bard). Social and political problems are solved by a big battle. Eventualy, the political power is given to a war hero who was the son of former kings (Bard, Aragorn) instead of a bad regent. Then the hobbit comes back to his home where he find a little social problem which is easily solved. In this scheme, some events are not in the same place but they are quite the same : spiders in Mirkwood correspond to the spider at the entry of Mordor ; what happens in Mirkwood corresponds to what happens in the LOTR old wood - sleepy waters, etc.[/spoiler]
The Hobbit was written just before WWII. I suppose that it’s visible in its content. I suppose too that Tolkien was not very satisfied of the children style and that the reason why he changed his style in the end and decided to take quite the same elements and put them in a bigger saga.
There are some unforgettable chapters in the Hobbit. IMO, the greatest one is the first. Other good moments are
SPOILER - Click to view
The trolls encounter
An ephemeral vision of stone giants playing at throwing blocks during a thunderstorm
Gollum and the riddles
Beorn, though it’s a remake of chapter one
The description of Mirkwood and particularly the moment when Bilbo climbs a tree and discovers the endless forest through thousands of moths flying
The description of Smaug with its enjewelled scales sleeping on his treasure.
It’s not really the place to speak about LOTR, but even if I like the Hobbit very much, I really prefer LOTR which is deeper and far more poetic.
Magnus Yeah, I think the carrock is just a big rock of some sort. According to Wikipedia, this is also a bit of a linguistical joke on Tolkiens part, as car in Anglo-Saxon actually means rock.
What I find makes this book stand somewhat out from a lot of other fantasy books, is how closely linked the characters and their environment are. Wherever they go, the characters immediately take on the feel of the area they’re in, which gives a sense of completion when it comes to the atmosphere of the story.
I think the narration stays pretty close to Bilbo, with the exception of the battle of the five armies of course. Both before and after the battle, the narration is not that different from earlier in the book, I find.
Indeed, I too found that the overall scheme of the storie are quite similar, though of course the context is very different.
Neuh… I only just started because I only have the book since yesterday. (but I do have it now 2 times one in English and on in Dutch) Well this one will stay until the next moon begins anyway, I think. Maybe we should make a poll for the next round earlier. Is already decided who is going to host it? (I know that’s the other tread)
Anyway I haven’t finished reading yet, only the first chapter.
Sorry for the bit later reaction for this, but I wanted to say something about this.
I have an English book and a Dutch one. The Dutch one uses most of the time Aardman; it is explained in the introduction. That’s because Orc (actually Ork) isn’t a Dutch word.
In my English version they say Orc is usually translated with goblin (or hobgoblin for the larger kinds) Sometimes Orc will stand in the book, but most of the time goblin.
We’ll appreciate a lot to read your thoughts on the book.
And since you two are still on the beggining… I suppose a moon really is a nice period of time, as long as the thread has moments of activity all throughou the moon. Lets see if it comes back to life now
I’m reading it because of LD4all for my english assignment =P I actually wanted to read another book for my english assignment, but in the end I didn’t. I read them anyway ^^
I’m by chapter IV (or maybe III) I’ll read soon the rest of the book ^^
I actually don’t really like the style Tolkien writes in. I already tried to read LOTR before, but I couldn’t come into the book. The story is nice (way to detailed for me) but it is nice. I do like the story in The Hobbit too, but it’s the style I don’t like. I have the book in English and Dutch. I read the first chapter in Dutch and English and I don’t like the style in both the books. So it’s not that the language is a problem.
The style is also one of the reasons I’m procrastinating. Some books you just read fast, because the style of writing is good. Some crappy story lines can read good because of the style of writing. And something in this book doesn’t make me want to read further and further. Am I the only one who thinks this way about the hobbit/Tolkien?
I love this book, I’d say it is one of my favourites. I’ve actually read this book really recently, like three months ago, but I’ll still make comments where I deem appropriate
Owh yes that’s right I think I have to clear my last post. After I wrote that I begun to enjoy the book more than before. I like the style more, and such things. I don’t think I will read LOTR though. I once begun on it, but it was just not something for me.
I dare think it woul’ve been a great book ending right there.
