My Take - The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

I have been meaning to read The Hobbit for a long time but ironically I was sceptical of it because of its genre. I have not read much fantasy fiction and I have a feeling, perhaps irrational, that I won’t like this genre. I wasn’t sure how will I sync myself into a fantastical land or relate with characters that are not even human in the first place. But, I am really grateful to J.R.R. Tolkien who dismissed my unfounded fears/scepticism and made my plunge into the universe of fantasy fiction an enjoyable and satisfying experience.

The Hobbit is usually considered to be children’s fiction but as an adult I was hooked on to it till the very end and never for once did I find it juvenile. The storyline of The Hobbit in itself is brilliant; however it has been refined and embellished manifold by the writing style of Tolkien. According to general opinion, Tolkien’s literary skills reached their zenith in his The Lord of The Rings series, but for me his literary skills dazzled and sparkled no less in this novel as well. The Hobbit has a folksy, rustic charm and is lyrical as well. The narrative has a very folk-lorish vibe and reading it one feels that they are being told a bedtime fairy tale by an excellent story-teller. The writing is crisp, clear and evokes vivid images in the mind’s eyes (to borrow Hamlet’s words). The writing is so chiselled that not even a single word is rendered unnecessary or redundant.

Apart from Tolkien’s writing style, the story is brilliant in its own right. Most of the fantasy works that I have read focus on the historical background of the characters and events. But Tolkien emphasises more on the geographical context of the tale and creates a vivid and convincing (imaginary) geographical location in which he sets the events. Indeed, geography (though imaginary) aided by the illustrated maps, plays an important role in giving credence to the tale.

The Hobbit is also different from most of the fantasy tales because we don’t have a hero (in traditional sense) here. The eponymous hobbit of the novel, Mr Bilbo Baggins can hardly be called a hero when compared to the protagonists of fantasy fiction. Bilbo neither had the physical attributes of the traditional hero nor the basic traits required of them, such as bravado. Yet, Bilbo is a hero in his own right and this is his story. Gandalf is, expectedly right in his estimation of Bilbo, as he always says to him, “There is always more about you than anyone expects!” I, who was initially so unsure of connecting with the characters ‘that are not even human’ can see a glimpse of myself in Bilbo. He is an ordinary person leading an uneventful, ordinary life represents so many of us. Yet, there was so much extraordinary in him that revealed only when the right time arrived. Bilbo represents our inner hero buried beneath the drudgery of life and also the hope that we, the ordinary beings are capable of extraordinary feats when the time arrives. He becomes the epitome of the hope that we are stronger, braver and smarter than we believe ourselves to be.

The Hobbit is a quest of the dwarves aided by Bilbo to reclaim their lost treasures and ancestral land. In this quest, the dwarves and the hobbit, quite naturally faced a lot of hurdles which they overcame successfully. My favourite episode is Bilbo’s encounter with Gollum in the goblins’ tunnel in the Misty Mountains. It was Bilbo’s first adventure in which he overcomes the hurdles and perils alone without anyone’s aid. It is a vividly described episode, like all other episodes, yet it is unique in that the apparent villain Gollum is not outright demonised by Tolkien. Though, Gollum is wicked but Tolkien’s description of his dismal conditions makes the reader empathise with Gollum. This, according to me, is one of the geniuses of Tolkien’s writing style, that he does not allow the reader to experience bitterness or hate any character. He gives a rationale behind their unpleasant behaviour and urges us to be more forgiving and tolerant towards them because it is impractical of us to expect anyone to be absolutely upright; it is only humane to err and we must accept it. For instance, the dwarves had been unjust to Bilbo in several occasions but like Bilbo, Tolkien urges us to take these little inconveniences in our stride and restrains us from nursing any bitterness against them.

Though this a tale of quest involving several deadly adventures, which must inevitably culminate in war or a battle, yet Tolkien had been sceptical of war and violence throughout the narrative. He expresses his disapproval first through Elrond; then through the raven, Roäc and finally through Bilbo’s disapproval of the final battle. Greed for gold and the tendency to hoard treasure does no any good. In fact, these very tendencies are the roots of all the miseries and sufferings of the world. This message, though implicitly pervasive throughout the narrative, is brought forth poignantly by the elves’ song in the last chapter:

“The stars are far brighter

Than gems without measure,

The moon is far whiter

Than silver in treasure;

The fire is more shining

On hearth in the gloaming

Than gold won by mining,

So why go a-roaming?”

Beside Bilbo, I also loved the character of Gandalf. He epitomises the adage, “A friend in need, is a friend indeed.” If only we all had a friend in our lives like Gandalf, we would have never again doubted our worth. He believed in Bilbo when nobody else did; and he was there to guide him until Bilbo was mature enough to manage the rest of the quest by himself. Don’t we all deserve a friend like Gandalf who sees the potential within us and pushes us to be our best self?

Though a fantasy fiction set in an imaginary location with characters ‘that are not even human,’ yet The Hobbit teaches us valuable life lessons. It is surely a gem of a book and its labelling as ‘children’s fiction’ must not impede anyone from discovering the real treasure hidden beneath its folksy, charming narrative. I will end my review of this wonderful novel with one of my favourite lines of it:

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”

My rating – An absolutely perfect 5 stars

 “There is more in you of good than you know,” hence never stop believing in yourself and never ever doubt your worth.