65 Books in a Year: Book #1 The Hobbit

Over Christmas Break, my friend Liz twisted my arm (OK, there wasn't really any twisting involved) and convinced me to watch The Hobbit (subtitle eludes me at the moment).

I love it...to know how much I love it you should really read this review on Goodreads. It not only talks about the book, but about how much this new movie R.O.C.K.S. and it saves me the trouble of going into much detail about the movie and it saves me having to talk about the book vs. the movie.

I only want to talk about the movie in relation to the fact that it made me read the book again because:

1] I wanted to know why there were so many people (there are people who think this, really!?) who didn't want Jackson to screw up their Hobbityness...he really doesn't screw up anything AT. ALL.

2] I wanted to see how many pages of the book were actually in the movie (80...yes, a 2 hour and 45 minute  movie is 80 pages of my version of The Hobbit)

3] I didn't want to spend the next movies experiencing strange flashback/amnesia wondering what parts were added/changed/deleted while simultaneously remembering...

4] And, I couldn't remember how many dwarves died and I definitely needed to know so I wouldn't be surprised...I hate being surprised

I don't know when I read the book the first time, before high school is all I know, and I remember thinking it was a hard read, I realize now that was due to the fact that there are 12 dwarf names, at least 6 place names, so many types of characters to keep track of like trolls, goblins, different types of elves and a couple of wizards, several flashbacks with more dwarf names and places, and several big words.

I love that the copy I own has the dwarves in barrels with cute little Bilbo on top as they rage down the river as that's one of my favorite parts.

I rated it 4-stars from my memory and, after re-reading am keeping it at four...I'm still confused about the big battle at the end...I mean why? who? but, I didn't mind all the death and the ending is beautiful and real and bittersweet. It makes me want to re-read the rest of the series. I can see how someone could become obsessed with the Tolkien universe.

Like I've always said, JK Rowling could take a lesson or two...