Mrs. Anderson's English 10 discussion

Category: Nonfiction/Informational
Rating:*** 3 stars
Dates Read: September 22nd-October 22nd
Summary: Exploring J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit goes through the Hobbit and explains each chapter of the book. Each of the chapters is explained in good detail, covering the characters and themes. Each of the poems are broken into stanzas and are explained in the same way. Michael D.C. Drout, editor of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Beowulf and the Critics” and “J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia” said this book “show[s] how Tolkien’s book - although one of the most beloved children’s books of the past century - isn’t just for kids. Neither is Olsen’s book, which will be as useful to adult readers as it is to students.”
Personal Reaction: When I first started reading this book, I thought I would never finish it. But I second guessed myself. As I got about half way through the book I got really caught up. I felt myself not wanting to put it down when I needed to. After reading the Hobbit for the first time, I wanted to do a little bit of research and learn about the history and the background to this amazing story of Bilbo going to the Lonely Mountain, or Erebor as the dwarves call it, and helping them reclaim it. I found this book and thought that it would help me understand the Hobbit better. Now that I have finished it, I need to read the Hobbit again, this time to see the characteristics of each chapter that are described by this book. I gave Corey Olsen’s book “Exploring J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit” three stars because it didn’t catch my attention at the beginning; it took until much later in the book. This is a book I would recommend to someone who has already read The Hobbit, since it because it gives away most of the story line. Read the Hobbit first, then this book.