[Calan]

I find I must second the catching up to keep up, here - this is the one I wanted to see, at any rate! I first read The Hobbit in perhaps fifth grade, and didn't think much of it at the time other than 'fun story'. On rereading the book a year or two later though, I was well and hooked; not to mention going back to it time and again as I read the trilogy proper. For reference, my copy is the black-covered Ballantine paperback.

As to the first chapter here, I'll agree that it's one of the more humorous in the book, both in reading and in practice - I've suckered more than one person into the 'good morning' exchange.

Dwarf-songs - Over the Misty Mountains is undoubtedly the song I remember the most from the book on the whole. It's a clean way to give a good deal of backstory to what's going on, and beautiful besides - the version in the BBC radio adaptation strikes meas very much like it 'really' would have sounded like.

Gandalf - I found (and find) no trouble in seeing Gandalf as a wizard, despite the most 'magical' thing he does in this chapter being the tricks with smoke-rings. Most of the time (and in the Trilogy proper as well), his 'magic' is in making things work out!

I find I must second most of what's already been quoted, particularly the last presented by Estelyn and Bethberry. A few more than I find good, though...

With that the hobbit turned and scuttled inside his round green door, and shut it as quickly as he dared, not to seem rude. Wizards after all are wizards.

Good advice.

"We like the dark," said the dwarves. "Dark for dark business! There are many hours before dawn."

I've been in that frame of mind many times.

And finally: intended it may be, but I don't believe that TH comes off as purely a children's story. There are subtleties to be found as we've already begun to do, and certainly the vocabulary is past what I would call childish. It's certainly -light- reading in comparison to the rest of the milieu , but that's not a bad thing.