Ahh, The Hobbit. One of the greatest novels of all time, perhaps the greatest fantasy novel. It is almost certainly the first fantasy book I ever read. I’m pretty sure I read other books before it, but I don’t remember any other fantasy. One of my all-time favorites.
You have probably been influenced by the movies of a few years ago, which somehow managed to stretch the book into three films (can you say ‘cash grab’?). They were enjoyable, but overly long and somewhat boring in the end. I think I’ve watched them a couple of times, and might not see them again. I’ve read the book a half dozen times and might read it again soon.
The book is interesting and imaginative and probably far ahead of its time. In fact, for a story written almost a hundred years ago it stands up remarkably well. Were I introducing fantasy to a new reader, this is probably the book I’d start with (in fact it was with my own child).
What’s the book about?
You surely know the story by now. A hobbit is recruited by a wizard into a gang of dwarves to take back their home from an evil dragon. They have plenty of adventures along the way, culminating in the discovery of the One Ring, which gives said hobbit the courage to be the hero and win the day.
There’s plenty more to it than that, but you already know the story. If you don’t, I suggest you put down whatever you’re doing and go read it now. I have talked before about my personal favorites, and this would be right at the top.
Themes of The Hobbit
I am nowhere near knowledgeable or scholarly enough to describe particular themes as groundbreaking. There are surely whole books on the themes and where they come from. These are my interpretations of a few of the major themes.
The Unexpected Hero
There is never a real explanation as to why Gandalf chose Bilbo to be the thief in the project. In terms of theme, it is the blossoming of an unassuming character into their talents. I suppose the theme would be that regardless of your background and abilities, you can always rise to the occasion and have a significant impact on events.
The Temptation of Power
This story combines with the Lord of the Rings to tell the full tale, but here we see the allure of power and how it can corrupt. The character of Gollum is a warning to Bilbo and to the reader of what might happen if they give themselves over to that power.
Overcoming Greed
The dwarves’ story is largely one of greed. Yes, they want their place in the world back, but they are just as interested in the money that comes with it. We see several situations where greed takes precedence, and it is only in the end of the story (as it should be) do we discover the rejection of greed to be a saving grace.
A Character of Great Interest
I’m going to go out on a limb here and talk about Gandalf. He is the prime character, the instigator of everything, despite what you might think. Without Gandalf none of the story would happen, although you could certainly say that about Bilbo too.
Gandalf is the most powerful wizard in the world, a good hand-to-hand fighter as well as a good magician. There are times throughout the story (and through Lord of the Rings) where you wonder why he doesn’t just go do everything himself. He certainly has the ability and the power.
For that reason he’s a slightly unrealistic character. Why bother with all of it, if you’re just going to be rescued easily? Why do anything if he can just come along and solve all your problems? I say unrealistic even though this is fantasy, because he’s the perfect example of not needing to have a story at all. It’s like the eagles in Lord of the Rings, where modern readers have invented plenty of scenarios to avoid the fact they could have carried Frodo all the way.
I have deliberately avoided having a Gandalf in my stories, and for that reason I have nobody in my books to compare him to. There are witches, yes, and they can do powerful things, yes, but not as powerful as Gandalf. Anything my characters have done is limited in some way, even if not specifically shown on the page. There is no witch who can dominate the world (very mild spoilers: if you’re thinking of Haprel, it takes concerted effort of multiple witches, and Yomu, well, let’s just say all is not as it seems).
I know what you’re thinking: my favorite series, the Kingkiller Chronicles, has a Mary Sue as the main character. Kvothe can do almost anything he puts his mind to. That is true, but we excuse it because so much of it becomes integral to the story. Of course Kingkiller couldn’t exist without Kvothe, it’s his story after all. But The Hobbit could exist if it was just Gandalf, while my Kingsmoot series relies on each and every character like a house of cards. Take one out and they all fall down.
Having said that, it’s not completely true. You could certainly write the story without several of the characters. It would be so much lesser than it is though, right?
Other series to read
The obvious choice here is Lord of the Rings, because it’s the sequel to The Hobbit. Standalone, but sequel. In fact if you like it so much, there’s an entire world of Tolkien stories to get wrapped up in. I have tried one or two of them, and honestly, there’s a reason they didn’t make it big like The Hobbit and LOTR. But let’s find some non-Tolkien to follow up with instead.
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis: I largely recommend this because it’s from a similar time, the early days of fantasy. I can’t say it’s a particular favorite of mine, but then again I haven’t read it in a number of years.
The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss: I do recommend this though. But how do I compare it to The Hobbit? I think both are about people discovering themselves and just how far they can go.
The Gentleman Bastards by Scott Lynch: Quite an alternative, I like this because it’s more about a thief who plans and knows what he’s doing, rather than winging it like Bilbo.
In Conclusion
The Hobbit is one of the greatest fantasy stories of all time, still generating interest almost a century later. It’s the classic book every writer wishes they could create, and earn fame and fortune and a place in history. Obviously there are extraordinarily few books which will do that.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. If you haven’t read it, read it now. If you have a child just getting into reading by themselves, it’s the perfect starter for fantasy. If that’s the case though, beware of the mildly scary moments they will encounter. But pull them through it, and you might have a fantasy reader for life.