The Hobbit - Chapter 01 - An Unexpected Party

[Raynor]

Originally Posted by davem

The reason I wouldn't include it in the Legendarium is that it was not written to be part of it, it was written a an entertainment for his children first & foremost - that doesn't make a 'children's' story, it merely means it was written in what Tolkien thought was a style they would like.

I believe it is a children story which became part of the legendarium :

Originally Posted by Letter #25

My tale is not consciously based on any other book - save one, and that is unpublished: the 'Silmarillion', a history of the Elves, to which frequent allusion is made.

Originally Posted by Letter #163

The Hobbit was originally quite unconnected, though it inevitably got drawn in to the circumference of the greater construction; and in the event modified it. It was unhappily really meant, as far as I was conscious, as a 'children's story', and as I had not learned sense then, and my children were not quite old enough to correct me, it has some of the sillinesses of manner caught unthinkingly from the kind of stuff I had had served to me, as Chaucer may catch a minstrel tag.

[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.

[Child of the 7th Age]

Pio

Thanks a lot for the information and the links on porter. We will have to try out some ourselves to see if it is as excellent as suggested.

I have learned something interesting from the historical data you provided. We talk a lot about the "anachronisms" in the Shire. It appears that porter is actually an anachronism of sorts. It is not an "ancient" drink but was first brewed in 1722, according to the information on the website.

Again, thanks much.