Whew… This one took a surprising amount of time to finish up, I have not abandoned this. I had to move, started a new job, getting back on a steady schedule so it’s been a trip.
This book is one of my favorites if even underestimated by most people a majority of the time. The writing style I think is what gets to most people. Tolkien is very abrupt in this one and the writing is straight to the point so for some people it doesn’t seem to flow. What happens is it is actually a very short book for such a long story.
“I am looking for someone to share in an adventure that I am arranging, and it’s very difficult to find anyone.” -Gandalf
#storyofmylife
Not entirely sure, but I believe this is one of the only quotes you tend to see around when Gandalf quotes pop up. It is definitely a good one.
“Far over the misty mountains coldTo dungeons deep and caverns old.”
Peter Jackson is a great director, but the music. Was. Amazing. In all three movies from this book and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Love it.
One of the coolest you tube videos relating to this series is the video of Peter Hollens Acapella where he does the whole dwarven song by himself. It blows my mind a little more every time that I watch it. Seriously, if you’re taking the time to read this, go watch it.
“May the wind under your wings bear youwhere the Sun sails and the moon walks.”-Gandalf’s farewell to the eagles
I just really liked how Gandalf phrases this goodbye. I’m going to remember it and start saying it to people to throw them off guard. It’s beautifully phrased and I love it.
One of my favorite parts of the book that they left out/changed in the movie was the meeting of Beorn. It was actually a very amusing part of the book. Beorn is a surly guy that doesn’t usually entertain visitors, So they essentially trick him . At first, only Gandalf and Bilbo approach his home and begin to tell the tale. As Gandalf tells the story the dwarves show up in pairs at intervals interrupting the story and getting Beorn curious to hear the end of the tale. What’s one or two more dwarves. He is so engrossed in the story that he doesn’t register the large crowd of dwarves arriving. When all the dwarves have arrived and Gandalf is finished he offers them food for their outrageous story. He also admirers how Gandalf has tricked him. It makes me laugh.
You get so much more from the experience when you read the book. You get more of the information. Not bashing the movies, I am a huge fan but there were some glaring differences between the movie and the book that bug me.
As I have already mentioned, there is the huge difference with Beorn. The biggest annoyance to me is why the hell is Orlando Bloom present?? Is Legolas even mentioned once in the Hobbit?
No.
He is not.
And this chick that becomes Kili’s love interest? That does not even exist in the book.
Where is the book fact checker? Obviously not present.
“Oh Smaug the Chiefiest and Greatest of Calamities.” -Bilbo
This has always been one of my FAVORITE lines. There’s just something about it and it rolls right off the tongue. It’s a hell of a title and Cumberbatch did it in style.
One thing that gets to me about the dwarves though….
I think that for all the elaborate stone work and fancy halls, if the dwarves had not built such a huge place under the mountain then the dragon would never be able to even get inside. After all, dwarves are not all that big.
Just think about it.
100 Books To Read Before You Die 