The little hobbit Bilbo Baggins only wanted what all hobbits want: to live a quiet life of peace and comfort in his tidy hobbit-hole. A visit from the
wizard Gandalf ends his days of idleness, landing him in the middle of a dangerous quest. Soon, he finds himself in the company of Thorin, descendent of
a dwarven king, and his companions, who are intent on reclaiming their lands and treasures from the marauding dragon Smaug. Like it or not, the humble
Bilbo is on his way to becoming a hero.
Review
This classic, widely considered the first (and some argue greatest) true epic fantasy, has long been on the "must read" list for fantasy fans. Actually,
those words seem to better describe the Lord of the Rings trilogy which follows this volume, but The Hobbit came first, originally published
in 1937. For what it is, it's a good story. Tolkien doesn't seem too big on characterization, and most of the dwarves remain simply names throughout the
book, with minimal notes on personality and skills. Some of the plot elements had the feel of contrivance and convenience to me. I found the writing style,
intended to mimic a storyteller, to be distracting, but eventually got the feel of it. In reading this book, I saw the foundations for many of today's fantasy
tales and role-playing games. All in all, I liked it, even if it pales in comparison to later works in the genre. It is definitely pitched at a younger audience
than the trilogy that follows it, though.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Book 1 J. R. R. Tolkien Ballantine Books Fiction, Fantasy Themes: Classics, Epics, Fantasy Races, Wizards ****+
Description
Frodo baggins has always looked up to his eccentric relative Bilbo, whose peculiar love of traveling and propensity for strange company have made him
notorious throughout the Shire. On Bilbo's 111th birthday, the old man disappears - quite literally, in the midst of his own party. In addition to
hundreds of bewildered guests, he leaves behind the magic ring he found during his adventures with the dwarves, the ring that grants him invisibilty.
But this is far more than the simple magical trinket Bilbo always believed it to be. It is the One Ring, forged by the evil Sauron to rule the other
Rings of Power. Tainted by the forces that created it, the great powers it contains inevitable corrupt its Ringbearer, as the creature Gollum himself
was corrupted, twisted into evil shape and black thoughts. Now that Sauron wakes, rebuilding his dark forces, he sends his foul will out across the land
in search of his Ring, with which he will become unstoppable. The only hope for the world of Middle-Earth is in the Ring's destruction, a task that can
only be accomplished within the stronghold of Sauron himself! The task falls to Frodo and his companions: timid yet loyal Sam, his friends Merry and
Pippin, the wizard Gandalf, and other mysterious characters they find along the way. Meanwhile, darkness spreads through all races of Middle-Earth as
Sauron extends his power from the foul stronghold of Mordor, searching for the Ring that will ensure his victory.
Review
A classic in the fantasy field, this is considered a "must-read." Personally, I believe I have read better, but I have also definitely read worse. It
suffers mainly from an excess of similar-sounding names and a tendency to stall the narrative for dry, irrelevant tangents about the history of Middle-Earth
and the people who live (or once lived) there. Tolkien didn't do things by halves, inventing whole languages and tracing ethnic lineages back thousands of
years across the changing face of his invented world, but sometimes less is more in worldbuilding: I found my eyes glazing over as the quest kept
sidetracking through history lessons. Otherwise, I found it more enjoyable than its predecessor, The Hobbit. The characters become more than just
names, each taking on distinctive traits (unlike the first book.) Here is to be found the roots of most, if not all, modern epic fantasy works, and certainly
the foundations for the genre as a viable writing niche.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Book 2 J. R. R. Tolkien Ballantine Books Fiction, Fantasy Themes: Classics, Epics, Fantasy Races, Wizards ****
Description
The Fellowship of the Ring, formed of Men, Dwarves, Elves, and Hobbits to ensure the destruction of the tainted One Ring of Power, has been sundered. Frodo
and faithful Sam have gone on their own to Mordor, the dark lands where the evil Sauron resides, while the rest of the company has been beset by Orcs and other
fell visitors. It seems that Saruman, once a wise wizard who has now succumbed to the temptation of the Dark Arts and Sauron's will, has taken an interest in
the travelers, and has sent his Orcish minions to capture the two remaining Hobbits in the party: Merry and Pippin. Meanwhile, the war between the forces of
good and Sauron's monstrous armies is drawing nearer.
Review
This is a typical middle book in a trilogy, feeling a bit in-between: it begins and ends in the middle of a much larger story, and doesn't stand up well on
its own. It does carry on with roughly the same pacing as the previous book, however, and much is accomplished in the story. Tolkien's habit of giving everything
multiple similar-sounding names and expounding on their history bogs down the story significantly. I admit to skimming these parts of the narrative. For some
reason, the history lessons didn't seem quite as thick in the half of the book dealing with Frodo and Sam.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Book 3 J. R. R. Tolkien Ballantine Books Fiction, Fantasy Themes: Classics, Epics, Fantasy Races, Wizards *****
Description
War is imminent, and the good races of Middle-Earth must make a stand at the ancient stronghold of Minas Tirith. Here, numerous prophecies, including the
return of the true heir to the human throne, play out in Middle-Earth's darkest hour, at the climax of the world's Third Age.
As their long-lost companions struggle to maintain their forces and morale, Frodo and Sam - and their unlikely, treacherous ally Gollum, the twisted former
bearer of the One Ring - come at last to the borders of Mordor. The end of the quest is in sight, but the closer they get to Sauron, the greater the risk of
failure... and the more irresistible the dark call of the One Ring's power.
Review
A satisfactory ending to a good story. The many threads and twisted tales come together for an epic climax, with victories and tragedies abounding. On the
whole, the Lord of the Rings trilogy deserves much credit for starting the otherworld/fantasy epic genre. Later writers owe much to him and
Middle-Earth. However, this does not mean that these writers don't match or surpass this tale, in my humble opinion. Tolkien's style and world-building
complexity works against the story, and the trilogy suffers from trying to pack too much history into the narrative. He does a very, very thorough job of
world-building, outlining everything from race history and royal lineage to various written languages and pronunciation guides. I have never seen any other
fantasy writer approach Tolkien in this department, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. As I mentioned, all the names and histories grew tiresome after a
time, and it was only by skimming them that I managed to finish. It felt like he wrote the story just so he could tell people about this wonderful world he
created, rather than creating a world to house the wonderful story he created. Still, the trilogy definetly deserves its reptuation as one of the greatest
fantasy epics, and general works of fiction, of all time.
