I think the best part about reading the Hobbit is how I've changed reading the Hobbit. I don't mean some sort of literal growth and maturity. Boo. I'm still as weird and immature since the first time I read this book in middle school. But perhaps "literary maturity" is a better term for it...
In middle school, I thought this book was amusing, but mostly a required intro to the world of Lord of the Rings. The movies had just started coming out, and I was so excited after seeing the Fellowship movie that on a friend's advice I started reading the Hobbit. (I will now claim this was the moment that determined we would become BFFs 4 Life! (middle school remember?!) and we are as nerdy now as we were then). But really, if I was being honest, I didn't care for it a ton. It was kind of slow, and oddly technical, and I remember the part where they are in Mirkwood lasting EONS. I would have swore it was half the book.
I was so dumb.
I've been on a kick to revisit my old favorites, and since that includes Lord of the Rings, once again I started with the Hobbit. This time it was kind of hilarious, but in a sneaky surprising humor, that I did not understand or appreciate in my youth. Dry wit, I guess.
And excitement! I can't believe I found this book boring in the past. There is so much that happens, and none of it takes too long, unless you stubbornly refuse to keep reading. It does seem after a while that the structure is repetitive - the dwarves get in trouble, it seems hopeless, until Bilbo uses the ring and saves the day. But it's still a lot of fun anyway.
But I think my favorite part of the book was the writing style, which I was much more sensitive to this time around, especially reading it during Nanowrimo - when I failed to successfully complete the target words in my own fantasy novel. But really, The Hobbit has so much voice. Honestly, my favorite character was the narrator. It was so spot on, and clever, and I loved that he spoke to the reader directly. He's a story teller! It was brilliant. I could never come close to recreating that, and wouldn't even dare to try, but it was so wonderful. The true brilliance of this story, I think.
Anyway. That's my initial thoughts. I don't want to dig deep on it, this is a book review not The Hobbit and Philosophy. But it's great. No, Great. Capital G.
I can't wait to read it again in another decade!
P.S. - On the movies... well. They are crap. They are entertaining, and some of it stays true to the *spirit* of the book, but it messes with the story for the sake of an action sequence and CGI for no real benefit. But it doesn't need to be three movies, it didn't need to be done so special effects heavy, and that's what I have to say about that!
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