There and Back Again

Ever heard about the book The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolken? As I was flipping through Christopher Paolini's Eldest, I got bored of the rookie's writing, and found myself drifting to the skilled stories of the great J.R.R. Tolken. My mind zeroed in on one book in particular, The Hobbit.

I don't know why, but I regard The Hobbit as a masterpiece, like The Secret Garden, Black Beauty, The Wizard of Oz etc. From the first page, I could 'feel' Bilbo Baggins. I understood exactly how he felt, why he made the decisions he made etc. I felt his terror as he faced the Trolls, I felt his confidence as he hacked at the Spiders, I was biting my fingernails as he traded riddles with gollum (I even memorised all the riddles), etc.

Tolken somehow made Bilbo grow and mature in the book. And I don't just read it, I feel it. I see his way of thinking change as he is exposed to the outside world (Middle Earth). Lets face it, very few authors have the ability to make their fictional characters grow in their stories. Christopher Paolini certainly does not have this ability; Eragon the Dragon Rider still acts and thinks like he used too when he was a farm boy! The authors that have the ability include Tolkien and D.J. McHale. McHale demonstrated his skill in the Pendragon series. I won't say I'm a fan, but I have read books 1-8, and will read book 9 and 10 at any given time. The story is awesome. The entire idea is new, and the pregression of the whole story is just....wow. To write about fate and destiny, and the lives of a ka-zillion people in 10 separate worlds, and weaving them together, is not easy. In fact its downright hard. Hats off to McHale here.

Back to The Hobbit. Though I am a bit disappointed about the fact that Bilbo did not become a mighty warrior or a knight, and play an important role in winning the Battle of the Five Armys, I am content with the way the story ended. Bilbo went home, back to the Shire, the one place he wanted to be throughout his adventure. The one place where he will never again be troubled by Goblins, Trolls or Dragons. The one place where he could finish his book on his adventure: There and Back Again, A Hobbit's Tale by Bilbo Baggins. Besides, he did become an excellent swordsman (Bilbo's sword Sting was actually a dagger), and Bilbo came back with enough riches to keep himself comfortable for the rest of his life.

Truly a beautiful book.