The Fellowship of the Ring (the first 25%)

Wow! I am enjoying The Fellowship of the Ring SOOO much more than The Hobbit, but I do realize now the importance of reading the Hobbit beforehand; there are so many references to it that I would miss had I not read it first. As of right now, I have read the first 6 chapters, and even though Frodo and company are barely out of the Shire, I am completely engrossed in the book. I thought it would be pages and pages of the dullest part of the Hobbit, but there is so much more to this story and I think that is one of the things I really enjoy about it. I think today I read something like 60 pages!

I have recently seen all three movies for the first time, and the themes behind the story and especially behind the ring itself really reminded me of World War II, and realizing that the books were published in the midst of the war, I am even more convinced of this. Therefore, I have been searching for evidence of parallel events and such. However, the fact that the ring has so much power to corrupt men, and that the entirety of Middle Earth ends up fighting over power speaks to World War II quite a bit I feel. So far, though, there has not been much battle so the WWII parody remains to be seen.

The only thing that I am not liking about this book is the fact that when I finish I still have 2 more to go before I can check it off my list. On the bright side, these three combined are not as many pages as War and Peace, so there are still challenges ahead.

Next up: The Fellowship of the Ring

I have started reading The Fellowship of the Ring, but thus far I am only 9 pages in and therefore, I don't have a ton to say. However, I am anticipating this book being a little more exciting than The Hobbit (although I think the background was necessary) and easier for me to grasp since I have seen the first movie several times. So far they are preparing for Bilbo's "eleventy-first" birthday party and that's about it.

As much as I do want to read this book next, I also have some others that I would rather read first. I'm not sure if I'll do this simultaneously with another, since I think it's going to take me a while to get through. I guess I am so interested to find out what happens in all of them that I get distracted and can't decide. Luckily I bought 6 books at a time so I am going to make sure I finish those before choosing one that I don't have yet so that I don't spend too much money on books I haven't read or get slammed with library fines. But classes have ended for 5 weeks, and it's currently vacation, so I think now is as good a time as any to get the Lord of the Rings series over with now that I have a lot of time on my hands.

So, I guess this section of the blog will be consumed with LOTR 24-7. This is going to take a while...

The Hobbit: check

I FINALLY FINISHED THE HOBBIT!!
To be honest, the point I made in my last entry still stands. However, I was happy to see that Bilbo did not slay the dragon. Having the dragon die at the hands of someone else was slightly disappointing to the part of me that was very into the story, but it was exciting to the part of me that hates all things cliché.
So as much as I liked the Hobbit, I did not find it as interesting as I had anticipated, but I am excited to get to the Lord of the Rings books. I do enjoy Tolkien ‘s writing style, but I think I am slightly distracted at the current moment by the Madonna episode of Glee that is coming on in 1 hour and 20 minutes, which is hindering my ability to say anything intelligent.

Next up: The Fellowship of the Ring

What's SO Great About The Hobbit?

Let me start off this post by saying that I am in fact enjoying reading The Hobbit.

But here's the deal: I have read numerous books about people or creatures wandering through the woods and making a long journey for some epic purpose. Some books by Brian Jacques come to mind; I spent an entire summer reading him on summer during middle school. So, if this is the case and many characters from books have made epic journeys just like Bilbo and his band of 13 dwarves, why is this book so much better than the others? Tolkien created an entire world, but so did Jacques. The characters are just as memorable. Perhaps Tolkien's writing style is better, but from what I can tell, the story itself is at the heart of this matter. Why do people love the story of Bilbo more than that of any other wandering character from literature?

I know that the Lord of the Rings series is currently quite popular because of the movies that have come out within the last decade. However, I know that these books were also popular before that. I have come to realize that The Hobbit is a good book, I am just wondering how much better it actually is than others. Also, I know this is just an arbitrary list of books that I am reading. Thus, The Hobbit may not actually be one of the best out there (although I would bet money that it is on the best books ever written list) so my question in this entry may be null and void.

Perhaps the ending will answer this question.

Still reading the Hobbit....

My life has been rather hectic these past few weeks, so I haven't been as into my reading project as I would have like to have been. Bottom line: I am still reading the Hobbit, just at a snail's pace. Luckily, though, all my projects are now over (FINALLY!!!) and I can devote myself to this project again. (and the weather is getting nicer so I can be outside and fight paleness at the same time!) Plus, next week is spring break so I won't be doing ANYTHING all week, which will be fantastic because I can just read (and shop a little...as a reward for doing school stuff/working).

Tonight, though, I think will be Hobbit-reading night and the next thing I write will actually relate to me having read something instead of the opposite.

The Hobbit-Part 1

I'm up to chapter 7 in the Hobbit. So far Bilbo has set out a journey with the dwarfs but got separated from them in a cave and found Gollum's ring. Then he tricked Gollum into showing him the way out of the cave and back to the dwarfs.

I have tried to read this book at least once before and it ended probably before page 20. This time I got past the part where nothing happens for a while and on to something a little more exciting. I like it, so I ordered the whole series (along with a couple other books on the list) and they should be arriving soon!

So...that's all I have to say about the Hobbit so far...lame, right? I should have way more to say considering it's such an epic story, but oh well. School work and trying to find a summer job (let alone a real job) have taken all my energy.

Books I HAVE Read

I mentioned before that I had read 13 books on this list. I should probably list out what they are:

4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
76 The Inferno – Dante
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl

I'm debating rereading some of these...it has been a long time since I have read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Anne of Green Gables, Animal Farm, and Winnie the Pooh. Although I remember loving these books (not Animal Farm, though) I can't remember much about them besides what I can recall from movies and tv shows. So, to be fair, I may end up reading these again.

Also, I will probably, along with my friend, who is now embarking on this journey with me (so that when we get an apartment together we can have a lot of impressive books out) revise the list slightly, or at least take off a few of the books we will never read and substitute a couple that we will. Although I suppose I can report on that when it happens.

Favorite book so far: Anna Karenina, hands down. (I also really like Because of Winn Dixie, but that's not on the list. I guess it's the teacher in me.)