“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.” So begins a literary romp through the land of Middle Earth. For The Hobbit really is a romp. J.R.R. Tolkien’s later books are journeys or quests, but in this first book of Middle Earth, Tolkien gave us a rollicking good time without any background information needed.

The Hobbit is set in the peaceful, fruitful land of the Shire, domicile of hobbits, and in an epic trek across Middle Earth through wild mountains, goblin tunnels, dark forests, merry towns, and dragon lairs to the Mountain. Although the story travels, it escapes being a book about places instead of characters by keeping the story in the forefront and never losing sight of it. Tolkien doesn’t tell us in The Hobbit if Middle Earth is our world, but some believe it is pre-Christian Europe.

The hobbit is Bilbo Baggins, of the Shire. He has a defenseless appearance, but in a pinch his bravery and loyalty show through. Bilbo is enjoying a quiet life at the beginning of the story, which is disrupted by Gandalf, a wizard, who is looking for a burglar to join a party of dwarves. The dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield, are bent on revenge and adventure. They seek to kill a dragon who slew their kinsfolk, and regain the gold he hoards in the dwarves’ dwellings under the mountain. They need a burglar, and they promise a share of gold if they succeed. For Bilbo, adventures are “nasty disturbing uncomfortable things!” However, when Gandalf and thirteen dwarves unexpectedly show for tea, Bilbo is too flustered to prevent them. He intends to bid them farewell the next day, but he overhears them casting doubts on his burglarious abilities, and determines to prove his worth and go.

The next morning he set off, forgetting his pocket-handkerchief. The hobbit had a long journey and many adventures. The travelers were captured by mountain goblins, and Bilbo was separated during the escape. Astray among dark tunnels, he met a creature named Gollum and found a magic ring which makes the wearer invisible. Bilbo used the ring later to avoid giant spiders and the dragon. Unfortunately, dragons have sensitive noses, so Bilbo isn’t altogether safe with his ring.

The Hobbit, with adventure, magic, and mystery, is an exhilarating excursion into Middle Earth. It will sweep you out of your chair and to the mountain with Bilbo, the unwilling burglar, and his companions. When I finished The Hobbit, I felt as though I had gone adventuring myself. That’s the charm—not until you finish do you realize the story’s strength, and truly appreciate its power.

(c) November 2003, Nadya