Customer Reviews

The Hobbit (BBC Radio Presents; 5 CDs)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I greatly enjoyed the BBC presentation of Lord of the Rings, so figured I'd buy this one as well. Sadly, it is not nearly as good. The sound effects are painful to listen to at times, pronounciation is hard to follow and often incorrect, and the voice of the characters can sometimes be hard to follow. Gandalf for instance does not at all sound like I would expect him to! The way Bilbo interjects comments during parts of the narration seems a bit odd as well, but I did think the actor did a nice job with him at least. I think someone not familiar with the book would have a very hard time following the story, but for Tolkien fans, it's harmless fun at least.

Having just purchased both BBC productions of "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings", I've decided to write a quick review.

First off, "The Hobbit" is the classic story of Bilbo Baggins' adventure across Middle-earth to help recover the dwarves gold, and defeat the evil dragon Smaug.

If you live and breath hobbits, you can't go wrong with this audiobook. It comes in a green slipcase, containing a hardback (almost book-like) holder of five compact discs. A booklet containing all the characters, production cast, and track titles is included. Also in the set is a fold out map of Middle-earth.

The production itself, is a lot of fun to listen to. The English actors are great, the music is superb. Overall this is a great item for any Tolkien lover, sure to bring joy and put a smile of your face for a long time to come.

This is the best book i have ever read. The ultimat best characters. An unraveling plot. Unending suspence. The constant battle between good and evil. Dwarfs, Hobbits, Goblins, Eagles, Ravens, Trolls, and wizards make up the wide variety of characters in The Hobbit. Magic, strategy, witts, and will are all forces in the outcome of an infinatly long and strenuous adventure. This is a MUST read. Buy it, borrow it, just get it. It is in fact one of the greatest books.

This is a true fantasy classic-the beginning of THE fantasy classic of all time. If I were stranded on an island with only a few books, this would be one choice.

Pleasant but dull Bilbo Baggins is disturbed from his pleasant but dull life by the mysterious wizard Gandalf, who recruits him to go on a bizarre and adventure-filled mission: accompany thirteen dwarves on a trip "under the mountains in the moon" to reclaim the gold of the leader's grandfather from a greedy dragon.

Along the way, they are captured by the hideous goblins and waylaid by the feisty wood-elves. Slightly more terrifying is Bilbo's encounter with the huge, monstrous spiders, his near-death at the hands of Cockney-speaking trolls and his riddling duel with the deformed, withered creature Gollum.

Some minor differences between this and LOTR is the elves and the goblins. The goblins (later called orcs) are portrayed as completely evil, and less intelligent than later on. The elves do not have the majesty of the future stories, seeming fluffier and impressive. However, these rarely detract from the overall enjoyment of the book.

The main thread to the following trilogy is the Ring of Invisibility, a plain gold ring that Bilbo finds in Gollum's cave. This book is a must-see for Tolkien enthusiasts.

I recommend the Mind's Eye dramatization of this. At least Mind's Eye gets the pronunciation of names correct. GahLOOM for Gollum? All it takes is listening to Tolkien himself reading "Riddles in the Dark" (I recommend the Tolkien Audio Collection) to know that these producers didn't do their homework. Also, the split narrative is a bit distracting, and Bilbo's constant hemming and hawing makes him sound like he has a mental condition. The voice casting leaves MUCH to be desired as well. Gandalf (or GawnDAWLF as they mispronounce it) sounds awful! This actor would be interesting as Wormtongue in LOTR, but as Gandalf - PTOOIE! The script is not badly written, although they emphasize some WEIRD things in the plot, like an overlong description of Elrond.

Exquisite! The voice actors were some of the best British actors of their time and don't disappoint. The background music is fabulous - very original. Listen with an open mind a few times - it always takes a little while to get used to something new. Then it is sure to become a favorite in the car or living room, etc. I LOVE these CD's and recommend them to children and those of us who are children at heart :) Enjoy!

Having never read a fantasy book before, I found myself engrossed in The Hobbit's Middle Earth. Mr. Tolkein takes the reader on a journey that challenges any mind that ever thought the body carrying it was unfit for life's journey to broaden it's horizon of possibilities. Bilbo Baggins is anyman that ever became a hero out of sheer necessity. Our wordsmith, Tolkein, creates a world full of fantastic delights and magic. Suggested reading for just about any age.

This book is simply wonderful. An aquaintance of mine said she hated it. She must have some sort of a problem. This book is GREAT! I read and finished this book in the second grade and that was just the 1st time! The only book I consider better than this is Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell.LUV the part when Bilbo meets Golem. Golem Luvvers rule! Go Golem! You Rock, Golem! And go Bilbo, too. Ah well. And I like the elves, too. Get the picture? Read it now.

Hobbit is translated to Turkish late - in 1998- as usual. I was very impressed with the realistic structure although the novel is about very small creatures which in fact are not found in the nature. But the reality was lying under the personalities of them. Then the great Lord of The Rings serial was the next to read naturally.

JRR Tolkien is the (in my mind) undisputed guru of fantasy and this book kicks it all off. This is one of the greatest books (along with the Lord of the Rings trilogy) in print. Buy it.