When the little and common-sense hobbit Bilbo Baggins sets out for a journey with thirteen dwarves and a wizard, little does he know about what’s waiting for him there. Goblins and other smily creatures chase him, and he has to fight or run for his life. Once he loses his companions, but luckily finds them again soon. He finds a unique treasure that helps him more than once in peril. He uses his intelligence and wit to save his friends – and his judgement and noble heart to make the right choice at the moment of a crisis. He even summons enough courage to face a real dragon and talk to him.

“The Hobbit” gives us the first outlook on Middle Earth – just a small part of it, but presenting us with a good idea of what this imaginary world is like and what kinds of amazing creatures populate it. It gives us the first chance to fall in love with it too – the chance to get enchanted and to form an unbreakable bond with a world created by a genius. Once affected like this, one would be always happy to return.

The language used by the author is such that is easily understood by children – or foreign readers for that matter – but there is nothing primitive about it. It’s rich, melodious and colourful, with a hint at old-fashoned, which is common for High Fantasy books. And yet it’s quite different in style to “The Lord of the Rings”.

I have heard it’s now being filmed, and I’m sure the film will be a success. Tolkien’s fans will see to that – and their number keeps growing, as more and more people come to appreciate the greatness of his works. I’m one of them – not the kind who dress up and stage battles, but the kind who admire quietly and return to the books of the favourite writer again and again. Having recently turned 38 – hardly a child anymore – I’m discovering I still love “The Hobbit”.

The story begins in Ged’s own village where he, a kid of 7, learns his first magic from his aunt. Five years later it helps him defend his village from fierce warriors, and soon afterwards he receives a true name and becomes an apprentice of Ogion the wizard. But Ogion teaches him patience – not magic – so Ged leaves him and sails to the island of Roke to learn the Art in a real School of Magic. That’s where his boyish pride makes him play childishly with forbidden spells thus releasing a terrible Shadow.

The rest of the book describes his futile attempts to escape the Shadow, followed by his hunt for it. Finally, Get guesses its secret and saves the world – and himself – from a terrible danger. He knows now that patience is indeed the greatest of arts – and the hardest to learn, and names Ogion his only true master.

On his way to achieving his quest he saves people from an old and huge dragon, flies across the sea in the shape of a hawk, escapes a few traps and also learns that the schoolmate who once made him jealous and induced him to that reckless and tragic thing – releasing the Shadow – has proven a mediocre sorcerer, unworthy of a wizard’s staff. Ged could have proven his superiority by simply waiting a little bit longer – the irony of it.

We all, who have no magic in us, could still learn a lot from this extremely fascinating book. Wisdom of our world is the same as wisdom of Earthsea.

“To hear, one must be silent.”

Ursula Le Guin makes every word sing – her prose is more poetic than poetry and more musical than some music. She grabs the readers’ attention without effort; she fascinates them and guides them along the intricate paths of her world; she leaves them hungry for more. She’s made me want to try my own hand at fantasy – and I might one day. I know now why people who have read at least one of her books say her name with awe.

I didn’t mind that, of course. Great masters always have their followers influenced strongly by their art. If the result is more good books for me to read, so be it. “The Weirdstone of Brisingamen” is a good book.

There are several episodes in which danger seems too close, and everything looks like the battle is lost – and the reader feels thrilled and forgets that the world in the book doesn’t even exist. But these episodes are skilfully alternated with quiet and beautiful scenes that allow the reader to rest, relax and recover hope. The writing style is quite typical for fantasy – melodious, sublime (unless it’s Gowther talking) with a few invented words that look quite natural – after all, it’s an invented world.

The kids – Colin and Susan – are admirably smart, brave and resilient for their age. For that reason alone kids will love this book – and, doubtless, adults also. The adventures will take your breath away – you won’t be able to read anything else until you finish this book.

His Shire is green and peaceful – Gondor is strong and proud – Mordor is evil and gloomy. The author takes us from one place to another, along with the characters – and the imaginary world becomes real, more real than the one in which we live.

Races of Middle Earth

Tolkien’s hobbits, Elves, Dwarves, Orcs and Ents are very real – and, I must admit, a lot more similar to men in mentality than the author claims. That is common to all books and movies that attempt at creating new races totally different to the human race, but only succeed at creating a new version of human beings – good or evil. It’s inevitable, and it’s a good thing if we think about it: we wouldn’t have been able to correctly perceive creatures that would be really different from us in thoughts and emotions.

Of course there are certain differences between races that populate Middle Earth: hobbits are lively and carefree (before they get old and grumpy); Elves are solemn and wise (thought sometimes merry and foolish); Ents are mysterious, but somewhat warm and soothing, though they are supposed to be dangerous. Orcs are plain evil; so are Trolls, who also give the impression of being stupid and clumsy. Lastly, men are… well, just men: if not like you and I then like our ancestors from two hundred years ago.

Characteristical features of the novel

Tolkien was very thorough at creating his alternative world. His world has geography – the maps are very detailed – and history. The first chapter of the trilogy is all about history of the Shire, so it’s not very exciting to read, and many people give up before proceeding to the second one. That’s a real pity: my adivce would be, if you feel bored with the first chapter, just skip it and start at the second. The adventures of the four young hobbits and their friends will soon capture you.

The episodes in which our lively little friends encounter sinister Ringwraiths always take my breath away: there seems no possible escape for the four friends and their protector “Strider”, but by some unbelievable miracle they always manage to escape.

It’s possible to get a little bored again when Tolkien starts describing travels: the characters, apparently, just go and go – and sometimes, for a change, fight with some evil forces. Those fights seem hopeless at first – but, according to the law of the genre, our heroes are bound to win every time. Finally, after a most fierce battle with the Orcs the Fellowship of the Ring breaks into several smaller groups.

Then more exciting adventures begin for everyone. Personally, I somewhat envy Merry and Pippin: meeting Treebeard was worth everything they had to endure for it.

Tolkien’s descriptions of the battles – especially the battle of Gondor – are really grand. In these his genius knows no limits, and his gorgeous English thrives on them.

As Frodo and Sam travel to the heart of Mordor – Mount Doom – their hardships becoming worse with every step – Tolkien once again shows his unique mastery. He makes the reader feel those hardships almost physically – the hunger, the thirst, the fatigue, the weight of the Ring of Power and the gnawing pain of having to constantly resist its temptations. There’s Gollum, slimy and insidious, lurking somewhere in the vicinity – and all the time the two friends know that there will be no coming back.

The reader is taken through Mordor together with the two little heroes – through the same hunger, the same thirsty, dry throats and the same struggle – to reach Mount Doom together and fight that last desperate fight with Gollum, in which the accursed ring is finally to be destroyed. How little and insignificant become our own real life problems after we’ve accompanied Frodo and Sam on their journey!

My favourite characters

I think these would be Frodo, Gandalf, Éowyn and Treebeard. Actually, among those fighting on the side of good it’s hard to dislike anyone, but these four stand out. Perhaps, I should have included Aragorn, as well.

The films

They are gorgeous too – especially the third one, “The Return of the King”. The scene of the attack of the Rohan cavalry during the battle of Gondor would alone be enough to declare any movie a masterpiece – and there’s so much more! It deserves all the awards it has received, but I’m sure that watching the films without reading the novel first is a mistake. The novel will help you understand the adaptaion – otherwise, some questions will forever remain unanswered. Some people I know have watched all three films but haven’t read the novel – and they still wonder “why so much fuss over a tiny ring”.

Indeed…

For the overview of the plot, see Wikipedia