I just finished re-visiting one of my favorite characters in literary fiction.
Mr. Bilbo Baggins and I just finished our journey "There and Back Again" for the umpteenth time. I have known Mr. Baggins for the greater three quarters of my life. I remember when I first linked that funny looking red-headed cartoon
character to this marvelous book. I remember my 4th grade teacher
reading it to us in school, and later having to write an essay in the
8th grade.Each and every time I find something new that I love about being a hobbit.
I was inspired for my latest read by several people that I follow on Twitter. In lieu of the new movie coming out (Click here to see the trailer), August was deemed "The Hobbit" month. Needless to say I spent the first three weeks of August reading what everyone else had to say about their re-visit or first time visit down the hobbit hole. I finally caved, (book #35 on my 50 book pledge was chosen), and I took the journey to defeat Smaug once again.
One of the things that I like the most about "The Hobbit" is it's straight forward simplicity. Simplicity, mind you, that later turns a little more complex when one carries on the adventure in "The Lord of the Rings". Yet "The Hobbit" manages to stay as a quick, exciting, straight-forward read, which leaves you feeling as though you've been on an epic journey. I've found that many books I've recently read tend to focus on descriptions focusing of every single tiny detail that each and every character is thinking, feeling, doing, and seeing ("The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" - I don't really care how many cokes Lisbeth Salander drinks in a day, yet Mr. Larsson had each and every one of them well documented), resulting in something that should only be a few hundred pages, turning into something that is rather long and heavy to hold for the duration of the adventure. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE epic reads, but they have to actually be epic, complex, AND exciting.
Through the whole book there are terms along the lines of "poor Mr. Baggins", which I like to think of as sarcastic by the end. Mr. Baggins is not poor by any means. His hobbit hole is a marvel in architecture, so much so that his relatives could not wait to get their hands on it, and he ate several meals a day, no poor person could afford either. Mr. Baggins is the shit! Inexperienced in everything, away from home and not only did he carry the dwarves through their journey, he rescued them time and time again. He endured and persevered. And, yes, like everyone else, he missed the comforts of home, but you can't honestly tell me that Bombur wasn't hungry or that Fili and Kili didn't miss their own beds. So, "poor Mr. Baggins", it must suck to be so awesome.
This re-read was just as good as every other time that I've read this book. I smiled at Gandalf's fireworks, and I almost refused to read "Flies and Spiders", simply because I hate the though of giant spiders, and I still remembered the answers to the riddle game with Gollum. The trip down the river in the apple barrels still leaves me feeling clausterphobic. And I could still feel Bilbo's pride and confidence grow each, and every, time he defied the odds and showed the world what a quiet homebody can accomplish if their mind is set.
Needless to say, deeming August as a time to re-read "The Hobbit" was a marvelous idea, kudos to whoever thought of it :)
