The Hobbit An Unexpected Journey : Official Movie Guide

4.5/5

*4.5/5 “Not all those who wander are lost.” Can you call yourself a fantasy lover and not having read The Lord of the Rings? In my defence, I have tried to read The Fellowship of the Ring multiple times but I could not get through it. I owned the bind-up of the stories and the size of the book and the pace of the story intimidated me so much that I never passed Biblo’s birthday party. Until now! I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought it would. You can definitely tell it was written in the 1950s. It has that classic lit vibe to it. The pace of the story is slow; there is a lot of description and dialogue. This makes the story less approachable but also incredibly rich. My favourite aspect of the plot was traveling because I got to explore many different environments in this incredible world. The Fellowship of the Ring is not a page-turner but a book you savour. “I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.” It is wonderful to read a book with such an interesting cast of characters. Each character has its own corky personalities, background, and motives resulting in fascinating dynamics in the story. I loved the loyalty and friendship between some of the characters. The author did a great job of letting the characters be influenced by the journey and by the ring. It was interesting to read how the ring influenced the characters behaviour. J.R.R. Tolkien did an amazing job of character development and character growth. I loved J.R.R. Tolkien’s writing style. He has a unique voice that fitted the tone of the story very well. He has a classical style of writing that is highly detailed and intricate. It makes the story and the world tangible. The writing almost feels fairytale-esque. The virtuosity of writing is especially visible in the poems and songs included in the story as well as the development of new languages. “Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.” The world J.R.R. Tolkien created is unique and the basis of many fantasy worlds created thereafter. It is very rich with many different creatures, cultures, and languages. It takes a while to get to know this world but I think the complexity of the world is reduced by the simple good versus evil division. The strength in the world-building lies in that every different area has its specific landscape and atmosphere. In conclusion, I enjoyed my time reading The Fellowship of the Ring. It is a masterfully created fantasy story with a rich and intricate world. It is definitely a commitment but one that is worthwhile if you are a fantasy lover. Rating breakdown: - Plot: 4/5 - Characters: 5/5 - Writing: 5/5 - World building: 5/5 - Overall enjoyment: 4/5