The CAA Book Club: The Hobbit

[Lehn]

Well, mates, what did ya'll think of The Hobbit?

This is the second time that I've read it personally, but I still don't see why some people like it better then the Trilogy. I always thought that the Hobbit was just a little too-cutesy-wootsy. It was bearable though, because who doesn’t have a soft spot for Hobbits? Admit it, even with the hairy feet, they are pleasant enough.

... My fav scene was the Riddles in the Dark with Gollum, but this is one of my favorite quotes:

"....and knocked their king Golfimbul's head clean off with a wooden club. It sailed a hundred yards through the air and went down a rabbit-hole. And in this way the battle was won and the game of Golf at the same moment..."

Strange Things That Happened to Me While Reading This:

1) I read it for the first time because I ended up trying out for and getting a part as a Wood elf in our Drama Club's production of The Hobbit So, basically, I have the entire book memorized (or at least the stage adoption of it) from seeing it performed every day for about 2 months. Plus, I can do the voices for most of the parts.
2) Someone told me that some nut job is writing a prequel to The Hobbit. Any one else hear anything else about this?
3) Never, ever watch the cartoon version of this unless it's at 3:00AM and you've had lots of caffeine.

[Locke]

o.0 GOLF! i loved that part!

and the " Whats in my pocket" thing was simply cool xD im going to try that on my friends and see if i can get some money off of it.

actually... NEVER EVER see the Lerard Neroy music video bout Bilbo @_@ really...

and a word to you Lehn, i most enjoyed havin a book to read and discuss ^_^
book clubs are l33t now

now go and pick another book out of your hat!

[Mangafanatic]

Where can I find the list and hook upto the list? I didn't know this ever got started. Sorry, I didn't know it got past the "idea" stage! *sob sob*

[CDLviking]

This is the second time that I've read it personally, but I still don't see why some people like it better then the Trilogy. I always thought that the Hobbit was just a little too-cutesy-wootsy. It was bearable though, because who doesn’t have a soft spot for Hobbits? Admit it, even with the hairy feet, they are pleasant enough.

Well, The Hobbit was meant to be a children's novel. And I love the hairy feet (my feet being pretty hairy themselves, but you probably didn't want to know that).

2) Someone told me that some nut job is writing a prequel to The Hobbit. Any one else hear anything else about this?

Tolkein already wrote a prequel entitiled The Silmarillion (sp?). It's basicly the entire history of Middle Earth, including a creation story. I've yet to read it, but it's high on my list of priorities.

[PumpkinKoRn52]

It was a good book. Not the best or nothing, but a good book.

[oro!]

Well, The Hobbit was meant to be a children's novel. And I love the hairy feet (my feet being pretty hairy themselves, but you probably didn't want to know that).

Tolkein already wrote a prequel entitiled The Silmarillion (sp?). It's basicly the entire history of Middle Earth, including a creation story. I've yet to read it, but it's high on my list of priorities.

Ugh, bad picture, CDLiving.

I have read the Silmarilllion as well as the Hobbit and LOTR. I think this was my third or fourth time reading The Hobbit. It was still good. I love the part with Beorn, it just wanted me to get out and find some honey. (specially because when I read it it was before lunch)
I just wished the wood elves had been nicer, ya know. It just was weird to me.
The visual pictures were so great. I loved imagining all that treasure and what everything looked like. He gave a good description!
This also gave me some reading points in school, so that's cool!

[CDLviking]

I've also been told that I am very Beornish as well.

[ClosetOtaku]

Reading The Silmarillion is like reading a history book, but if you're familiar with LOTR, it will fill in quite a few gaps. It is astonishing how much of the history of Middle Earth has been lost to men and other folk, but sits as an enduring (and somewhat painful) background for the Elves. You see it poke through every once in a while in the Elvish poetry or Elrond's musings... but other than that, "history became legend, and legend became myth, and some things that should have been remembered were forgotten".

As for The Hobbit... indeed, Tolkien wrote it first, and it was a children's book, but it is well worth the read, even for adults.

[mitsuki lover]

The Hobbit came first followed by The Lord Of The Rings.Tolkien was still working on The Silmarillion at the time of his death.Who knows how different it would have been if he had lived longer to revise some of what he had written.He was a bit of a perfectionist,to say the least.

[oro!]

How many years did he spend total on his books, I wonder?

[ClosetOtaku]

How many years did he spend total on his books, I wonder?

Much of his life... some of the ideas for The Silmarillion started in 1917; he thought of publishing those stories first, but as you might imagine he was dissuaded because there just wasn't that much interest in it. The idea for The Hobbit came, I believe, in 1928. Between then and his death in 1973, he was pretty much constantly working on those books, other works and short stories, and of course scholarly books on linguistics. So... about 56 years. And, yes, he was quite the perfectionist, and rather sensitive to criticism.

[Sephiroth]

i loved the hobbit, not to mention lord of the rings, unfinished tales and the silmarillion

[glitch1501]

i loved the hobbit, though i didnt think the ending was all that great, i thought that the person who kills the dragon should have been explored more throughout the story, its like, hey i came out of no where and kill this dragon

[soul alive]

i enjoyed reading the Hobbit very much, despite its contrast with the LotR trilogy in plot depth. my favorite parts are the scene with the trolls, where they are arguing about eating the heroes and end up taking so long they get turned to stone when the sun comes up. the book that i have has full panel color illustrations throughout, that are pretty neat.

[INDENT]on a side-note, i have heard rumblings about a movie version of the Hobbit being produced by the makers of the LotR movie trilogy... does anyone know any more about this? (and will they have the same actor who played Bilbo in LotR play him in the Hobbit? )[/INDENT]

[Lehn]

Here's probably one of the best LotR websites out there if you guys want more information about Middle Earth:

http://www.theonering.net/index.shtml

Poking around, I was surprised (pleasantly) to find out that Mr. Astin (Sam) wrote a book about the filming of LotR and his life:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0312331460/ref=ase_theoneringnet/002-5175302-0293655?v=glance&s=books

have heard rumblings about a movie version of the Hobbit being produced by the makers of the LotR movie trilogy... does anyone know any more about this?

I think it's in the works, but I'm not sure. I heard WETA had it lined up after Narnia.

Feel free to keep chatting about The Hobbit, guys, but the next book for November will be The Princess Bride by William Goldman

[oro!]

The Princess Bride is actually a book. Cool!
I thought they were just kidding on the movie and stuff.
The Hobbit was more simplistic 'cause it was supposed to be for kids. How could a kid (younger than say 11 or 12)understand it if it were more complicated? Just my opinion on the matter.

[Pantakrator]

I don't know if it's legit or not, but I downloaded "The Hobbit" trailer off LimeWire...

[Mangafanatic]

There was talk of a Hobbit movie shortly after the smashing success of LOTR. So it itcould be legit.

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

That trailer was made by a fan. Also The Hobbit was written back in 1939 for a 6 to 12 year old audience that's what the Harper Collins guy's son says on the LotR DVD. He reviewed it before it was to be published. I can't imagine a 6 year old reading a book that thick!

[Keely]

Some of you mentioned how the plot for the Hobbit seemed to be lacking compared to LOTR. Well...just to let you know the plot for the Hobbit is actually QUIET relevant TO LOTR.

If you've read any of the additional books other than just the Sil ( "Unfinished Tales" specifically) then you'll know that Gandalf actually put together the expedition for the Dwarves gold specifically so that Smaug would be killed. You see, at this time Sauron was builing his strong-hold in Dol Guldor in the Southwest corner of Mirkwood before he was able to gain enough power to move back to Mordor.

Sauron's evil presence was why Mirkwood had become so dark again. Gandalf knew that if the wyrm Smaug was allowed to survive after Sauron's power had grown that Sauron would use Smaug in the coming war and they would have less of a change of defeating him. It was all very well orchestrated by Gandalf. He did have a purpose for Bilbo in the story.

Now, if Toklien had this all worked out when he first wrote the Hobbit I don't know, in fact I doubt it. But he DID write a story in the Unfinished Tales of Gandalf explaining this all years later. Actually the Hobbit that we have today is edited from the original of the 1930's to be better able to fit in with LOTR. The tale of Bilbo getting the ring is the most changed from the original.

Toklien was editing his stories constantly so we may never know his exact reason for everything he wrote, but there are other books out there that will give you insight

[Keely]

yeah, server kept timing out...sorry...

[Keely]

sorry about the dbl posting, the server was acting wonky...

[Keely]

please delete.

[dareiq s'an]

Im in the middle of reading the hobbit, and Ive only read the first wo LOTR books,I like the hobbit so far but its not as serious or exciting as LOTR is. But I love all of tolkeins work, including the simarillion, that was pretty good.

[Locke]

I don't know if it's legit or not, but I downloaded "The Hobbit" trailer off LimeWire...

.... what were your keywords?@!!

[Little Momo]

Hi has anyone else read The Princess Bride?
It was a great book.

[Cap'n Nick]

Hey book club peoples! Sorry this is off topic, but is there a place where I can consistently look up the book of the month?

[Locke]

nope, there will be a thread for each one !

[Wind]

I was wondering if anyone has read the Lays of Beleriand and the books about the history of middle earth

BTW I know this off-Topic but if anyone wants to read some poetry I wrote based upon LOTR here's the link LOTR poetry

[LostChild]

Tolkein already wrote a prequel entitiled The Silmarillion (sp?). It's basicly the entire history of Middle Earth, including a creation story. I've yet to read it, but it's high on my list of priorities.

Yup, The Silmarillion, the Histories of Middle Earth (there's like, five or seven of these), and a whole lot more. I liked the Hobbit mainly becasue after seeing FOTR for the first time, I didn't understand it. So I went and asked about it 'cause I'd heard the movie was based on a bunch of books, "...some old dead guy wrote... and The Hobbit is where you'd want to start." I'd also seen that cartoon version of it *gags self* and thought at the time, "If there's a movie, its gotta be good." Turns out, I loved it! (I was like, ten or twelve at the time Whoa... its been that long?) Now, in my neighborhood, you've got LOTR related questions? I've more than likely got the answer. "If I don't have the answer, give me a few days to find it, and I'll get back to you," is what I tell people.

I'm reading LOTR for the seventh time right now, and I'm hoping I've stayed on topic with all my rambling...