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TheSite.org Book Club - Discussion on August's book: 'The Hobbit'
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Discuss away! As clementine_the_tangerine nominated this, I'll let her start off the discussion.
Nothing to do with not having finished it yet...nope...
ETA: I believe the chat for this book will be next Wednesday (12th) but I'll let piccolo confirm that
Nothing to do with not having finished it yet...nope...
ETA: I believe the chat for this book will be next Wednesday (12th) but I'll let piccolo confirm that
Post edited by JustV on
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But my first thoughts are that it is living upto my expectations from childhood. Our teacher read it to us in year 4 and did a particularly convincing Gandalf voice so that has kinda infiltrated into my head when reading it.
The part with the trolls right at the begining still makes me laugh.
Aye.
Am I the only one who finished it?
I really enjoyed it; took me ages to read it as a kid and I was a bit lukewarm about it. I've been trying to reread it since I read Lord of the Rings, so I'm glad I've finally got around to it!
It exceeded my memories of it. The language is more beautiful than I remembered, and the descriptions much richer.
Having said that, it's still very much a children's book, and somewhat lacks emotional depth for me.
It wouldn't be the first time
I had largely forgotten the entire book, so it's nice that it's bringing back memories and making me go, "Oh yeah!". But you're right, it is much more of a children's book than I was expecting it to be (it felt much more adult when I read it the first time!).
Did anyone else catch the necromancer reference?
The necromancer reference is clear to anyone who has read LOTR, by the way.
What I noticed for the first time this time (last time I read the book I must have been 17 or something) is that almost every creature is sentient. Spiders, birds, wolves, I think it was everything except for the ponies.
Something I noticed long ago is that there are absolutely no women in the book. The only one even mentioned is Bilbo's mother.
As for inconsistencies, its only little things like that sting/glamdring/orchrist glowed for orcs in lotr and orcs aren't even mentioned in hobbit. Also the wolves thing there's some wolves/wargs confusion
They are mentioned, but only very briefly. I have a vague recollection that Gandalf says something about goblins and orcs being related or evolved from each other or some shit. (I know what I'm trying to say but I am sleepy)
I noticed that but, weirdly, it doesn't really bother me. Usually it would be real bug-bear, but perhaps because I'm viewing it now in light of the whole of LOTR (some token women), and as a very dated work, it just didn't seem worth worrying about.
I said it more as a curious fact, than something to worry about.
Something else that some of you might not know: In LOTR, it's said that Bilbo lied to the dwarves about how he got the ring, saying that he won it in a competition with Gollum. In the Hobbit, the lie isn't mentioned. In truth, the first editions of the Hobbit had a different chapter for how he got it, in which he did win it. Tolkien rewrote that chapter later, into what it currently is.
They are mentioned - only as passing comments though.
I think you're right that they're kind of the same thing, though. Or descended from each other or something.
Just a reminder that chat for The Hobbit will be tomorrow evening at 7pm
I still haven't finished it... but Bilbo has just gone into the mountain (ooooh!) so I'll get reading tonight