1. Have you read The Hobbit before? If so how many times have you read it? Have you read Lord of the Rings or The Silmarillion?
I don't know how many times I've read "The Hobbit". I've read LOTR two and a half times and am partway through my first read-through of the Silmarillion.
2. Do you like Tolkien's writing style?
Oh, my, yes!!
3.Tolkien intended The Hobbit to be read by both children and adults. Do you think that it's suited for one age group more than another? What do you think appeals to each group?
I think it's equally suited for both groups. It has the ease of reading for the younger audience and the hidden bits of humour for the older readers. And ifsomeone read it as a kid, I don't think they could ever truly grow out of it.
4. There are lots of songs in the book. Do you skip over them, just read them, or try to sing them in your head?
I sing the Misty Mountain song, but the others I just read. I'm not a huge fan of the Peter Jackson version of the What-Bilbo-Baggins-Hates song. Sorry.
5. Why do you think that Gandalf picked Bilbo to go on the quest with the dwarves? He lies and tells them that Bilbo is a burglar, but adds that hobbits can often go unnoticed. Why include a hobbit at all since they hate adventure?
I think he might have been missing the fun of sending hobbits on adventures (the book quite clearly states that he used to, and implies that he hadn't done so in a while) and, since he had known some of Bilbo's family, figured that Bilbo was as good a choice as any. He might have wanted to stir up the Shire a little, too; it seems like the sort of thing he'd do just for the fun of it. And there probably was a bit of the logical hobbits-are-quiet-and-small-and-Smaug-isn't-familar-with-their-scent in Gandalf's mind too, but I somewhat doubt that it was the main reason.Statistics: Posted by hobbit_of_narnia — Mon Mar 07, 2016 4:43 am
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