I must admit that the first time I tried to read this book; about five or six years ago, I got no further than chapter five. This time however, I am older and a more mature reader and I have thoroughly enjoyed the entire book, the only regret I have is not reading it again sooner. It really is a masterpiece and a genuine work of art. I have not seen the film which I am pleased about because it has meant that I could read the Hobbit without anyone-else's interpretations influencing my imagination.
I love dwarves, they really are funny little creatures although they would probably not thank me for describing them as so.
The thing that I think surprised me the most about the Hobbit is the unending list of hidden messages that the author has embedded in the text. For example, the idea that two people can carry out the same task but for two completely different reasons and with different motivations. Thorin Oakenshield wanted to reach Lonely Mountain ultimately to retrieve the lost treasure whereas poor Bilbo did it purely out of not wanting to break a promise he had made. There are so many other messages, too numerous to mention, but I think the most fascinating thing in that these messages can change depending on who you are and how you read it.
My favourite part of the novel is when Bilbo talking with Smaug and is trying to bluff his way out of being eaten. I absolutely love the language that Tolkien has used here and I must say that I felt as entranced by the dragon-speak as Bilbo was. I was totally enchanted by the conversation and I feel that if I had not known what I did, then I would probably have been tricked into believing the dragon and falling for his trap.
I find Tolkien's use of words incredible and incurably poetic. All the way through the book, right from the beginning with the songs and the poems of the dwarves and the elves, right through to the riddles in the dark with Gollum, to the discussions and the parlay between the dwarves and the men/elves towards the end. I everything the Tolkien writes, he has a knack for creating the most wondrous speech. He spins his sentences like a spider spins silk, drawing you into the story and trapping you within the pages, unable to draw yourself away from the magic woven by the author. The language that he uses in his description is equally as incredible and the language that he uses in the character's dialogue -
"A black cloud hurried over the sky. Winter thunder on a wild wind rolled roaring up and rumbled in the mountain, and lightning lit its peak. An beneath the thunder another blackness could be seen whirling forward; but it did not come with the wind, it came from the North, like a vast cloud of birds, so dense that no light could be seen between their wings."
There is so much I could write about the Hobbit if I had more time to do so, although in someways I feel that this book should just be enjoyed for what it is and interpreted by individuals rather than analysed and reviewed on a large scale.
I would be more than happy to recommend this fabulous book to anybody, young and old. Although it is quite dense and may take a while to read, I have found it incredibly easy to read and I would definitely describe it as a 'page-turner'. One fantastical oddity leading onto the next, drawing you from page to page, the text not for one moment relinquishing it's grip on the reader.
The Hobbit is a beautiful book full of adventure and sorrow and victory. Perfectly written and awaiting its readers.
No comments:
Post a Comment