Thrid Quarter Outside Reading Book Review

The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien. Ballantine Books, 1965. Fantasy

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. This is a tale about a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins who lives in peace in a hobbit hole until Gandalf the Wizard comes to his house and Bilbo is elected the "burglar" on a mission obtain a large amount of gold that a dwarf, Thorin, is the rightful heir to. The problem is, it's guarded by a dragon named Smaug. The hobbit, dwarves, and Wizard set out and along the way, fight trolls, giant spiders, meet the intimidating elves, humans, goblins, wargs, and gollum. When meeting Gollum, Bilbo finds a ring that has the ability to turn the wearer invisible. Bilbo must keep going until they find Smaugs lair.

"Filled with marvels and strange terrors...an extraordinary, a distinguished piece of work." - Dan Wickenden, New York Herald Tribune Book Week.

Tolkien writes with amazing detail. He describes every little aspect in different manners depending on the time and place. The way he writes is so intriguing. It hooks you to the book, so you have to keep reading. It's almost literally not a choice when you read because it's a great book with a great author and superb detail. The writing style is direct yet detailed in a way I cannot begin to fathom. It is a true mark of a great writer when the reader is awed by the book.

"I feel magnificent," he thought; "but I expect I look rather absurd. How they [the hobbits] would laugh on the hill at home. Still I wish there was a looking glass handy!" -Bilbo

In my personal opinion, this quote is sort of symbolic to Bilbo's character development. The mithril mail he is trying on represents his new found belief in exploring and adventuring, even though he may look absurd and how the hobbits would laugh at him. But he wishes a looking glass was handy because he is starting to enjoy being this new person, and wants to see what it is like to be this type of person. After rereading this quote several times, I thought about this. It seems to fit Bilbo Baggins as he reverts to his Tilly side of the family.

The story is a classic. So many different plots collide throughout the book and are all explained in detail. Tolkien is an author who is to smart and different to criticize. The book is great because it is its own. The Harry Potter Series and Inheritance Series were great books too, but they used some ideas from The Hobbit to create their great stories. The Hobbit is one of those books that only comes once in a while. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone. If you absolutely dislike fantasy, I would recommend you ease your way into fantasy and then read this book to get the true feel of it.

In life, we all have many obstacles to overcome. For example, a young boy really wants to make the basketball team, even though he is not that athletic. He has always wanted to learn the complex rules and plays of the game. He knows there are many kids trying out who are better than he is at basketball. So he practices every day, and tries and tries to get better and make the team. He puts all of his effort into his practices. When the tryouts finally come he makes some great plays and is proud of his accomplishments. The other kids trying out are aggressive and make even better plays. The boy ends up not making the team, but he is still proud and satisfied because he put all his efforts into trying out for the team. The boy knows that he tried his best, and was able to learn the game of basketball. He is happy with his strength and persistence when competing with the others.

In the old man and the sea, Santiago must overcome many obstacles, but perseveres through them all. "His hope and confidence had never gone." (p.13) This quote shows how Santiago is strong. Santiago is putting every ounce of effort into catching fish, although he hasn't caught any fish for 84 days. He still perseveres to catch fish even though his chances look somber. The boy trying out for the basketball team also has a very dismal chance of making the team, but still perseveres. Both Santiago and the boy going for the spot on the basketball team are very audacious to defeat and optimistic.

Santiago is tireless in his efforts. He continuously tries to catch the Marlin. Even when his body tires he doesn't give up. " cramp then if you want, make yourself into a claw. It will do no good" (58) Once he has accomplished reeling in the great fish his obstacles don't end there. As he tries to bring his fish home the sharks start to attack the Marlin. Just as the boy trying out for the basketball team has to face the aggression of the other athletes on the court, Santiago must face the aggression of the sharks in the sea. "They must have taken a quarter of him and of the best meat" he said aloud (110).

When Santiago arrives home there is nothing left of the marlin but its skeleton. Instead of Santiago feeling poignant, he feels proud. He realizes that while he may not have brought the fish home to make money and prove to others he caught it, he proved to himself that he could accomplish the goal he had set out to do. Santiago managed to obtain his goal with effort and resolve. "He hit it without hope but with resolution and complete malignancy"(102).

In life there are many obstacles people encounter. Like Santiago, the boy trying out for the basketball team has multiple hurdles to overcome. He is less athletic than his peers, he is still learning the game, and he has aggressive competitors. He doesn't make the team, but he has pride in the effort he put into his try out. He is left with a greater understanding of the game and an improved ability to play. Santiago's obstacles are many as well; The demure size of his boat, the large size of the fish, and the aggression of the sharks toward the dead Marlin. Santiago brings home the fish, but not as a whole, as a skeleton. Santiago is proud that he knows he accomplished what he had set out to do. He caught the great fish! Both the boy trying out for basketball and Santiago proved to themselves they could accomplish their goals with persistence and pride. People face obstacles in everyday life. Conquering hurdles can be difficult, but with belief, effort, and perseverance, obstacles can be overcome.