Search

Search only in certain items:

40x40

Heathski (173 KP) rated The Hobbit in Books

Feb 13, 2019  
The Hobbit
The Hobbit
J.R.R. Tolkien | 1937 | Children
10
8.4 (144 Ratings)
Book Rating
Better than Lord of the Rings
I read this when I was a child. It was the first proper book I ever reviewed. I loved it. I listened to it on Audio which was ok. Ive seen the cartoon film and I loved the most recent films. The book is still the best. Reading it as a child, I could conjure up vivid images and hear them speak in my mind. I went adventuring along with them, and felt what they felt. It was written for children but still inspires me as an adult. It's a fantasy tale of heroism and hope against the odds. It's definately worth reading.
  
The Children of Hurin
The Children of Hurin
J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien | 2014 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
It's hard to know what to write about this book. Set in the first age of Middle Earth, it is part of Tolkien's mythos building alongside The Silmarilian and other works. Indeed, I believe part of this tale does feature in the other tome. I guess the best way of looking at this work is similar to the way theologians look at the Old Testament to the New Testament. Tales passed down as opposed to first hand experiences (Given The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings are 'written' by Bilbo and Frodo, I think this analogy is fitting.) with all the 'What the....' moments you get from reading singer if the Old Testament passages. Is this as good as the classics in Middle Earth, no. But can I see what Tolkien was trying for? Yes!
  
Second entry in Weis and Hickman's 'Dragonlance Chronicles' trilogy: a trilogy that is almost a rite of passage for nerds like me to read after we move on from Narnia, but before we reach The Lord of The Rings.

And, I have to say, this largely follows the same structure as the mid part of JRR Tolkien's magnus opus, with the companions split into several groups, and of on several inter-connected quests.

As with the first book in the series, the characters are largely cardboard cut-outs, with it being in the world building where the novel excels. Of the companions, I also know that we are meant to associate with Tanis Half-Elf the most (or Raistlin), but I have to say: I've always had a soft spot for Sturm Brightblade the most!
  
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
2014 | Action, Sci-Fi
8
7.4 (28 Ratings)
Movie Rating
It’s been thirteen years since Director Peter Jackson first took us to middle earth and showed movie

audiences that large scale fantasy could be done right on film with The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. And

now the final trek through middle earth is here with the third and final film in the Hobbit series.

Picking up at the climatic conclusion of 2013’s The Desolation of Smaug, The Battle of the Five Armies is

less about the journey and more about the war between the various armies of middles earth over the

massive riches in the mountain home they journeyed to reclaim. After the exciting beginning that serves

to tie up the previous film and sets to table for this one, we begin to see the brotherhood between the

dwarfs, a wizard, a few elves and a Hobbit that focuses on the bonds of friendship and loyalty. This

builds on itself as it leads to the climactic battle of the five armies. The battle is on the grand scale you

would come to expect from these middle earth films, only at times this battle seems to rely on a bit too

much CGI and thus almost plays out cartoonish. Granted, this is a fantasy world were Dwarfs, Elves and

Men are fighting Orcs so it is really not that hard to suspend disbelief in the first place. Thus the film is

entertaining in its own right as it wraps up one trilogy and bridges to another.

This bridge is what surprised me most. We received a bit more insight to some of the higher beings and

their understanding that villain in the Lord of the Rings trilogy is slowly returning to power. These

sequences are entertaining and great for fan service, but they seem to be handled a bit to simply as it

makes us wonder, if they knew this dark figure was alive, why did they wait so long (The Lord of the

Rings Trilogy) to do something about it. Still, it is nice to see the story wrapped up into one complete

adventure that viewer could connect all the way through.

In the end, those fans of the books and previous films will be pleased with the action, pace and way this

film wraps everything up. Other than the sequence of Bilbo’s interaction with Smaug in the last film, The

Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is the best film in the Hobbit Series.
  
Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
2006 | Fantasy

"I loved Pan’s Labyrinth. It transported me into another world. I like fantasy worlds; I love Lord of the Rings as well, for that reason, because you really get to get out of reality and go somewhere else. Pan’s Labyrinth was kind of this dark, sick, beautiful… it was like watching a moving painting, like a Salvador Dali painting or something like that. It was just really magical and it sort of provoked so many different feelings at one time. It’s kind of sick, you know, the guy with no eyes is coming at her and it felt like when you have a crazy dream — you’re watching someone’s crazy dream. It just affected me."

Source
  
A Darker Shade of Magic
A Darker Shade of Magic
V.E. Schwab, Victoria Schwab | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry
8
9.2 (19 Ratings)
Book Rating
As has been said by numerous other reviewers I am sure, the world building in this book is exquisite! I don't think I've seen the multiple world's idea done quite as well as I have here. It's certainly the most thought out and crafted, and would be hard to beat.

Both the main characters were will defined and their relationship is one I could definitely believe.

The one draw back is the plot reliance on the mcguffin. By the end it definitely had a feel of the Ring from Lord of the Rings, and ultimately I felt it was this that held the book back from being really great.

I look forward to continuing in this world with this charactera in the future.