The Hobbit
J.R.R. Tolkien
narrated by Rob Inglis
first published 1937
11 hours, 8 minutes
********************
At the risk of getting strung up by my thumbs, I am going to describe this in one word:
Boring.
That’s right, I called this fantasy classic/epic adventure tale boring. I lost count of the number of times I zoned out (more times than there were dwarfs in the story, I can tell you that).
Maybe that’s because I listened to it. But I also tried to read it when I was a kid (a kid who loved fantasy stories!), and I got nowhere.
All I know is that there were dwarfs (lots!) and trolls and elves and hobbits (of course) and spiders and a most unprecious Gollum and a burping dragon (evidently ponies make dragons burp…or at least pony-eating dragons made the narrator burp) that was finally vanquished so that Bilbo could return home to his regularly scheduled meals.
My advice: don’t listen to this one!
Now just think – this is being made into a trilogy….three movies from that one, boring story….
Trisha´s last [type] ..Book Review: Judging a Book by Its Lover
Huh? The Hobbit movie is in THREE PARTS?!
Care´s last [type] ..Monday Randomusings 10-22-12
I am with you on this! My husband and kids seem to love these books, all of them, but I think they are really boring and can’t get even halfway through the first one. I am not sure I will ever be able to…
zibilee´s last [type] ..The Midwife of Hope River by Patricia Harman — 403 pgs
I’ve never read this because I’m pretty sure I’d feel the same way.
Okay, this just totally made me giggle. Thank you, ’cause I was in dire need of a giggle.
I just read this for the first time earlier this year (for school with kiddo)…I didn’t expect to enjoy it (hence the reason it took me nearly 50 years to get around to it), but I actually did. Not nearly as much as LOTR, but at least enough that I’m glad I finally got around to it.
Debi´s last [type] ..a short break…
Stringing you up by your thumbs is something Mr. Bateman would do. There I go again. Trying to work Bateman into a conversation.
I thought the Hobbit was boring too.
Ti´s last [type] ..Review: 1222
oh! (totally unrelated to this post…) Did you see one of the latest Letters of Note about a response to a fan letter sent to Christian Bale?! Seriously, it must have happened to him while filming AP because it was NOT NICE.
Care´s last [type] ..Monday Randomusings 10-22-12
The kids and I listened to this one, and we DID get through it, and ultimately found it dear. I will say that the narrator sucks. I’m not totally sure why he sucks…he has a nice accent, but maybe it doesn’t vary enough or something but you really have to concentrate and have a determined spirit to get through it. We tried to start the LOTR on audio though and bagged it. It was just horrid. So yeah. I’d agree with you wholeheartedly on the listening advice.
Sandy´s last [type] ..The Invisible Ones – Stef Penney (Audio)
Wow, wow, wow, I remember this as being one of my favorites! Of course I did READ it rather than listen, and I also remember having to consult maps or character lists or some such things numerous times, so I imagine listening to an audio would be difficult. Too bad!!!!
rhapsodyinbooks´s last [type] ..Review of “Life Drawing for Beginners” by Roisin Meaney
No screams of outrage from me; I completely agree. I have no idea how they are going to make this one fairly story-light book into a trilogy of films. It doesn’t have close to enough awesome stuff in it.
Jenny´s last [type] ..Review: Fanpire: The Twilight Saga and the Women who Love It, Tanya Erzen
The Hobbit put me off JRR Tolkien for years. I probably should have just gone into The Lord of the Rings, but there was no one to guide me.
bybee´s last [type] ..Readathon: Final Update
I never tried to read The Hobbit, but I did try to read LotR. Emphasis on try.
heidenkind´s last [type] ..Weekend Cooking: JAMIE OLIVER’S GREAT BRITAIN
I’m so glad you said boring. I read this one in middle school and just hated it… But a friend who absolutely adored it gets really upset if you say it’s boring, so I usually keep it to myself!
Kim (Sophisticated Dorkiness)´s last [type] ..Review: ‘The End of Men’ by Hanna Rosin
You don’t like The Hobbit?!? Fifty lashes with a wet noodle for you!
Honestly, though I vaguely recall liking it, I don’t remember it all that well. I remember Tolkien’s books as being outstanding but pretty hard to get through, at times, because of all the gratuitous description. Cut to the chase, will you, Mr. Tolkien!
Stephanie´s last [type] ..Wild Animals I Have Known by Ernest Thompson Seton
Not good news. I was planning on reading it to my kids but I was worried I might find it boring. Sounds like I will, I’m not a big fan of fantasy so I guess I’m not too surprised. Maybe it was the audio, but I kind of doubt it.
Kristi´s last [type] ..We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
I LOVED the audio of this. I’ve read the book and listened to this version of audio many, many times. Oh well. To each her own.
Beth F´s last [type] ..Imprint Friday: The Stockholm Octavo by Karen Engelmann
I have a fondness for The Hobbit. It was read to us by our Fifth Grade teacher and it sparked my love for reading. What is odd to me, though, is that it took another 20 years before I ever attempted LOTR. I tried to reread The Hobbit not too long ago and think I skimmed quite a bit.
Care´s last [type] ..Monday Randomusings 10-22-12
I’m SO glad someone else whose taste I trust, thinks this is a huge sleeper. Cannot BELIEVE it’s being made into a trilogy. Boyfriend and I were just being annoyed over that the other night.
Andi (Estella’s Revenge)´s last [type] ..Count of Monte Cristo Readalong!
Wait, The Hobbit is going to be THREE movies? I mean, there’s not that much that is going on there. WHAT IS WITH THE WORLD AND TRILOGIES?!
I enjoyed this book, I think. I read it many years ago, when I read Lord of the Rings. I have never felt remotely compelled to re-read any of those books, but I have positive memories associated with reading them. I can definitely see how you found this one boring, though – I am not ashamed to admit that I have no problems with liberally skimming a book sometimes!
Aarti´s last [type] ..To Kill a Mockingbird Movie Event
Thumbs are overrated!
I thought this one was boring too… I had to read it twice for school – once in Grade 4, once in Grade 10. After that, never again!
I seriously think this might have ruined Tolkien for me forever because I don’t much care for his longer series that involves hobbits either…
Steph´s last [type] ..Remember when I used to write book reviews?
I’ll wait for the movie! HAHA!
Jenners´s last [type] ..RIP Review: American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
That is so funny! I think my impressions of The Hobbit are completely relative to my opinion of the LoTR books. I tried to read LoTR and was overwhelmed with the mind-numbing details. In contrast I thought that The Hobbit was fast-moving and mostly entertaining, although definitely a children’s tale.
Alyce´s last [type] ..Best & Worst of Charles Dickens
I tried this when I was in high school and didn’t get very far. Unlike the trilogy that I loved. I am so looking forward to the movie!
stacybuckeye´s last [type] ..Halloweening with Gage in November