Elizabeth’s Comments (group member since Dec 28, 2012)

Elizabeth’s comments from the Not Quite A Topless Robot Book Club group.

So this was fun to read as a grown up. Last time I read The Hobbit was in elementary school. This book really is episodic; each chapter like a separate little adventure of its own. I had totally forgotten about characters like Beorn the skin walker and Bard at the end there. Bilbo's brave moments are much fewer than in the film, and have more of an impact as a result. Also, seems like Bilbo is the only one with any real character development, as the dwarves are all pretty static with unremarkable traits. I think this makes Bilbo stand out in a way he wouldn't otherwise, however. But really the deaths of the dwarves never had any impact on me in the book because they are a clump of interchangeable background characters with superficial differences.

I think Bilbo's story ends after he confronts the dragon and finds his weak spot. I liked Bilbo's adventures in Mirkwood and how his riddles with Gollum sort of prepared him for the larger confrontation with Smaug. Also I thought it was funny how the Mirkwood elves are kind of the lower class hillbilly set compared with the other immortal fancy pants elves like Elrond.

There are times when I don't like the episodic style of this book and wish it would just stick with the main characters and story. I couldn't care less about that Bard guy and it seemed really clumsy to introduce him at the very end and automatically expect the reader to accept him as this worthy hero. I was disappointed that he killed Smaug, because Bilbo's story seemed to be adding up to this moment for him. I hope the movie changes this part. I think at this stage as a writer, Tolkein was much better writing small scale action and conflict as opposed to massive battles with a whole bunch of crap going on.

The ending of this book just doesn't stick in my head the way some of the earlier scenes do. And now that I'm older and have read many other books, I've learned to expect a decent ending.

Also Gandalf has a tendency to come in and save everything at the last minute. Typical Gandalf style, I guess!