In this delightful and enthralling tale, J R R Tolkien first created the imperishable world of fantasy called Middle-earth, and those charming, indomitable creatures, the hobbits, whose adventures are continued in “The Lord of the Rings”. —back cover
If you care for journeys there and back, out of the comfortable western world, over the edge of the wild, and home again, and take an interest in a humble hero: blessed with a little wisdom and a little courage and considerable good luck", here is a record of such a …
In this delightful and enthralling tale, J R R Tolkien first created the imperishable world of fantasy called Middle-earth, and those charming, indomitable creatures, the hobbits, whose adventures are continued in “The Lord of the Rings”.
—back cover
If you care for journeys there and back, out of the comfortable western world, over the edge of the wild, and home again, and take an interest in a humble hero: blessed with a little wisdom and a little courage and considerable good luck", here is a record of such a journey and such a traveler. The period is the ancient time between the age of fairy and the demonian of men, when the famous forest of Mirkwood was still standing, and the mountains were full of danger. In following the path of his humble adventurer, you will learn by the way "as he did" - if you do not already know about these things - much about trolls, goblins, dwarves, and elves, and get some glimpses into the history and politics of a neglected but important period.
For Mr. Bilbo Baggins visited various notable persons; conversed with the dragon, Smaug the magnificent; and was present. rather unwilling, at the battle of the five armies. This is all the more remarkable, since he was a hobbit. Hobbits have hitherto been passed over in history and legend, perhaps because as a rule they prefer comfort to excitement. But this account, based on the personal memoirs, of one exciting year in the otherwise quiet life of Mr. Baggins will give you a fair idea of the estimable people now " it is said" becoming rather rare. They do not like noise.
Quel bonheur de se plonger dans le Hobbit...un avant-goût du Seigneur des Anneaux, mais sans la noirceur. C'est un petit bijou de moins de 300 pages, visiblement écrit pour un jeune public, mais que j'ai découvert cette semaine à l'âge adulte avec un immense plaisir, comme un enfant. Chacun des 20 chapitres de 10-20 pages est d'une certaine façon complet, pas de cliffhanger, on ne reste pas mort d'angoisse de connaître la suite, mais on reprend quand même le livre le lendemain.
Plutôt facile à lire en anglais malgré quelques mots rares ou recherchés, on sent que l'auteur a recherché un langage adapté au jeune public, le public non-anglophone l'en remerciera aussi.
It was fun to read this in a language I can just so read. It gives the prose a more archaic feel. And maybe the nordic sound of Danish is a good fit. The book itself is enjoyable even for a non-Tolkien fan and only occasional fantasy reader like myself.
It's been a couple of decades since I last read The Hobbit, but the story still holds up. This new audiobook edition is read by Andy Serkis (the actor who voiced and played Gollum, among many others). His voice acting is spectacular and really adds to the book. Highly recommended!
