⭐⭐⭐⭐
Pros: Tolkien does have an undeniable wit to his writing/Gandalf is one salty B****.
Cons: The 13 Dwarves and trying to keep them all straight/Though it helped created depth to Middle-Earth, the whole, Thor, of Thrain of Thror King Under the Mountain, title dropping got really, really old.
Full Review:
Bilbo Baggins, a comfortably wealthy and polite Hobbit is enjoying his morning pipe when an old man in a gray cloak, holding a walking stick stops at his door, quite unexpectedly. Bilbo wishes him a good morning, as is courteous and the old man proceeds to ask him all sorts of questions, as to why this morning should be good. The conversation takes a turn for the absurd when the old man makes mention of Bilbo's mother, Belladonna Took and he realizes, OMG, he knows him.
It's Gandalf.
All he remembers at first is Gandalf's fireworks. This random guy spouting out weirdness about adventures, burglary and other such nonsense, is kind of pushy and unnecessary. Befuddle, Bilbo stumblingly remembers his manners and invites him to tea. Any time. And scuttles inside.
As Bilbo goes to make himself a drink after that weird but kind of intriguing conversation about, treasure and such, Gandalf makes a mark on Bilbo's newly painted door and shuffles off.
The Hobbit's almost managed to forget the whole conversation had even happened until a few days later, the doorbell rings.
He leaves his dinner with a sigh and answers, shocked to find a Dwarf. A muttered introduction and Bwalin enters, without an invitation and proceeds to eat Bilbo's dinner. 12 Dwarves later, all unexpected, all somehow distantly related, and all with slightly rhyming names (Dori, Nori, Oin, Gloin, et al) just walk on over the threshold. Gandalf's eventual arrival seals the deal and Bilbo finds himself in for a night that will truly change his life.
The Dwarves speak of lost treasure and their plan to take back their Kingdom under the Mountain, where Smaug the dragon sits over their hoard of gold. Though it's very rare for a respectable Hobbit to ever dream, let alone consider partaking in an adventure, Bilbo finds himself cautiously curious.
Gandalf explains that Bilbo will be their fourteenth, their expertly skilled burglar, though, truth, Bilbo hasn't stolen a thing in his life but no one listens to his stuttered explanations. After a whirlwind night, Bilbo's almost managed to convince himself that it had all been a dream when Gandalf shows up and promptly scolds him for his laziness.
A bewildered Bilbo takes the note that Gandalf plucks from the mantel. It's from Thorin & Co, thanking him for his hospitality and look forward to his arrival at the Green Dragon. 11 am, sharp.
Well, the only, polite thing to do is to obviously go on the adventure. And so Bilbo rushes out the door and makes it to the Green Dragon just in time. The story that follows shows Bilbo turn from a quiet, polite, un-assuming Hobbit, to a quick-witted, confident, snarky little Burglar.
Tolkien's unassuming, clever wit, peppered throughout the novel aways managed to make me chuckle. And Bilbo's true growth as a character is endearing to watch. The "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" thing got real old real fast though and sometimes Tolkien's descriptions, though intricate, were hard for me to imagine, thus, they felt cumbersome. Overall, it was a fun fantasy story and I don't remember the LOTR books having the same vibe, so, I'm cautious. It's why I'm reading a book in between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Let my brain kind of reset back into Tolkien mode when the need arises.
It was a fun re-read though and I'm glad I gifted it to myself for my BDay. Tolkien didn't publish The Hobbit until he was 45, so I still have time 😅
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