Blog Post #1

For my final independent reading book of the year, I decided to return to a cherished novel from my formative years. When I was young, maybe eight or nine, my mom read me one of my all-time favorite fantasy/adventure books: The Hobbit. At the time, I loved it for its fast-paced action, whimsical characters, and vivid details. Now, I want to return to it to see how it stacks up against the cannon- the books that are accepted as the best, the novels that are considered the classics. The Hobbit has had its fair share of popularity, but does it hold its own against the likes of Moby Dick and War and Peace? Does it have the qualities of great literature we have been examining all year? Does it have an underlying message about the truths of life? Or is it merely as important as the mystery novels Thomas Foster is so fond of- thrilling, captivating, and capable of taking the reader on an emotional journey, but lacking any real weight or staying power.
So far, I have indeed found many of the other things Foster talks about cropping up. However, although I can't exactly put my finger on it, I can sense a difference in the style and quality of the writing, and I haven't yet figured out how all of the events fit in to the deeper puzzle, if there is one. So far our hero, Bilbo Baggins, has embarked on his quest to help the dwarves in the company of Thorin Oakenshield recover their treasure from the lonely mountain. They lost it in a great battle  to the terrible dragon, Smaug. Of course, Foster would tell us that Bilbo's journey, his quest if you will, is more than just getting from point A to point B. It is about Bilbo's development and growth in some way. So far, it seems that Tolkien could be getting at something like this. Bilbo's behavior before the trip- he is timid and rather unadventurous- and his changing attitude as it progresses towards one of embracing the unknown could signify his changing attitude towards life as a whole. Tolkien also uses weather effectively to augment mood and convey meaning. The weather parallels the spirits of the traveling company, and enhances the reader's understanding of their mood. Each obstacle that they must conquer- from the trolls to Mirkwood to the Elvenking- might represent a deeper idea, and the book might be like an allegory. However, these devices are presented in such a way that is somewhat less elegant than the styles of other great writers we have read this year. The devices jump out as more obvious, as if they were forced. Not to say that Tolkien's writing is bad, it just seems a little less tight, a little less purposeful in places than that of the brilliant writers we have studied. I will have to read further before I decide if The Hobbit deserves a place amongst the greatest books of our time.