Monday, April 9, 2012

(The) Hobbit

As a writer, my A to Z challenge is going to be about books, characters, TV shows and movies that have impacted me somehow. Enjoy! Be sure to check out Lee’s blog to find more bloggers taking on this challenge!
The Hobbit

So hard to choose for H! (Harry Potter & Hatchet were my next two top picks!) 
The Hobbit was my first venture into the world of high fantasy. My parents gave me a beautiful boxed edition when I was in grade 5 or 6. I fell in love. Bilbo is a fantastic character and his journey (both internally and externally) is a lot of fun to follow. Tolkien's words and lyrical phrasing enthralled me. I've just finished reading this aloud to my class - in anticipation of the movie coming out this year. I love the trailer - looks like this movie is going to be just as good as Lord of the Rings - and that's saying something in my opinion!

Are you waiting impatiently for the movie version of The Hobbit?

58 comments:

Old Kitty said...

I cannot cannot cannot wait for the film!! I can't believe it's going to be until December before I get to see this film!! Oh the wait!! Painful! Yay!! Take care
x

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

The Hobbit was the first book that made me fall in love with reading and creating whole new worlds.

Beth said...

Nothing could be as good as the Lord of the Rings! But I'm eagerly anticipating the Hobbit and crossing my fingers that it will live up to the others.

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

Wonderful H post to read.

Yvonne,

Laura Pauling said...

The movie will be awesome! Can't wait!

Jemi Fraser said...

Old Kitty - that's exactly how I feel! December is a loooooong time away! :)

Lynda - it opened up the whole world of fantasy for me too!

Beth - I hope so! It's a different kind of story but I think it'll be great!

Yvonne - thanks! :)

Laura - it has to be!! :)

Natalie Aguirre said...

I loved The Hobbit. I can't wait for the movie. I've watched the Lord of the Rings ones many times.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Yes I am! And I was about the same age the first time I read The Hobbit.

T. Powell Coltrin said...

well you got me, I've never read The Hobbit. I need to find a copy and....

T

Jemi Fraser said...

Natalie - me too! I must watch them a few times a year! :)

Alex - I think when you develop a love of fantasy early, it doesn't let you go! :)

Teresa - with your love of fairy tales, I think you'd love it! :)

JeffO said...

I approached Lord of the Rings with caution - I loved it so much, the idea of a movie doing it justice was tough to wrap my head around - but they did such a great job with it that I can look forward to The Hobbit. I said this on someone else's blog recently, it's amazing how different LotR and The Hobbit are in overall tone and mood.

Nick Wilford said...

I read the Hobbit as a kid many times before ever reading LOTR, because I was intimidated by its length. Love it! A good standalone story, Gollum was so creepy on the first encounter. Look forward to the film.

A said...

Yes I so want to see the movie. I am sure it's going to be great. I love fantasy worlds :-)

Jemi Fraser said...

Jeff - they really are different. The Hobbit is a lot lighter. The trailer looks like it has a good mix of light and dark. I can't wait!

Nick - Love the riddle scene deep in the mountain with Gollum. I bet that's going to be my favourite scene in the movie! :)

Jemi Fraser said...

Anges (oope - cross posted) - me too! I don't remember being this excited about a movie!

DEZMOND said...

can't wait for the film, can't wait for the film :) I'm sad a bit that my dear Luke Evans won't be seen that much in the first film as Bard, leader of men :(

Jemi Fraser said...

Dezzy - that's so cool! Bard should have a big chunk - he's such a great character! I'll keep a special eye out for your friend :)

Shelley Sly said...

I haven't read The Hobbit (I know, how shameful that there are all these great books I haven't yet read), but I hear it's a must read. :)

Jemi Fraser said...

Shelley - as long as you like fantasy, it is. Tolkien has a very different style from fantasy of today. There's a lot of description in it and it's not a fast read - but I love it! :)

S. L. Hennessy said...

Yay for The Hobbit. One of my first loves as a child. Awesome awesome post.

Rosalind Adam said...

As you may have guessed I'm not a fantasy fan but my son adored The Hobbit.

Amy said...

I can't wait to see this one - it's going to be great! :)

Susan Fields said...

I love that you read this aloud to your class! I've read before that that's hard for teachers to do nowadays since kids' attention spans are shrinking.

Jemi Fraser said...

SL - the Hobbit is awesome!!! :)

Rosalind - I knew that! For anyone who does though, this is a fabulous book!

Amy - I agree - the trailer really whets my appetite!

Susan - I read every day - and always have. It's hard for some kids in September, but they all love it! :)

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

We read The Hobbit in one of my junior high English classes. I fell in love too. Can't wait for the movie.

Unknown said...

That movie is going to be big. Just as big as Hunger Games.

Lisa Gail Green said...

I am most definitely looking forward to this movie. I liked the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy better in book form, I admit it. But I anticipate loving the movie.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Loved the book when I was younger and can't wait for the movie.

Jemi Fraser said...

Susan - I'm not surprised you love it too! :)

Clarissa - I think so! I'm super excited about it!

Lisa - I rarely see movie forms - but this one I will!

Diane - it's such a great book!!!

Johanna Garth said...

My dad read The Hobbit to me three times when I was growing up! Three times!! Now that I'm reading to my kids I appreciate the magnitude of that.

DL Hammons said...

The Hobbit was my first exposure to high fantasy as well. What a wonderful introduction it was...in fact most of what followed (other works) paled in comparison. :)

Jemi Fraser said...

Johanna - wow! Your dad had great reading stamina! It's not a short book - and there's a lot of description in there too :)

DL - I agree. There aren't too many fantasies that live up to Tolkien's work (although I really didn't like the Silmarillon!)

jabblog said...

I enjoyed reading The Hobbit and later adapting it and adding music and songs for junior school children (7 - 11) to act. My daughter played Thorin and she enjoyed the bit where Thorin had to die!
(Visiting from A-Z)

Jean Oram said...

I never got into The Hobbit. Our teacher read it to us in grade 6--prime time for me to drift off into my own world for 15-20 minutes.

I used to love watching movies, but now can't seem to sit still for that long. I think I may have seen The Hobbit, but I'm really not sure... is that bad that I can't recall? Eep.

I did read The Giver (yesterday's book) a year or two ago and loved it. I liked the concept.

Jemi Fraser said...

Jabblong - that's awesome! You must have a very creative family! Thorin is such a great character with his lust for gold and change of heart at the end! She must have had fun!

Jean - the concept in the Giver is phenomenal. There are so many 'what'?' moments in there! I don't see movies very often - but I'm really looking forward to this one! :)

cleemckenzie said...

That trailer made me want to see the movie right now. What a perfect cast of characters.

Jemi Fraser said...

Lee - I know! I love all of them - it's going to be awesome! :)

Dihiwi said...

I'm not sure how you chose between The Hobbit and Harry. It would be a tough one, although The Hobbit did come first, but alphabetically, Harr...okay, I digress. Enjoyed reading your blog. www.dianeweidenbenner.com

Heather Kelly said...

Love your take on the A to Z Challenge! I loved reading the Hobbit as a kid, and can't wait for the movie. (In fact, I must be living under a rock, since I didn't know it was coming out...:)) I'm still trying to get to the Hunger Games movie. :)

Jemi Fraser said...

Diane - it was tough! But I've loved the Hobbit forever and Harry is a much more recent love... :)

Heather - me too! I actually haven't decided if I'll see HG. I worry so much when they make a movie of my favourite books. But it looks like they've done a good job with HG so I'll probably go... maybe. :)

Anonymous said...

I feel like I'm missing something. I haven't read Tolkien or watched the movies based on his books.

Jackie Jordan said...

I tried reading Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit in the '70's and they were a little out of my league. But, a movie version of The Hobbit would be fantastic...

Golden Eagle said...

Of course. Yet another reason the world cannot end this December--The Hobbit must be watched! LOL.

Jemi Fraser said...

Medeia - I'm surprised - you've read a huge amount of books! Tolkien's not for everyone - but if you like high fantasy and lyrical writing, you'd probably like it! :)

Jackie - they're definitely not books for everyone. Tolkien's style is so different from today's style - but I love it :)

Golden Eagle - Exactly! We'll have to let those folks know it's got to be postponed :)

Stina said...

I finally read the book as an adult, after watching The Lord of the Rings. I had the hardest time following it because of all the names. I am, though, looking forward to the movie. :D

Jemi Fraser said...

Stina - there are a lot of characters and place names to keep straight! It helps I've read it so many times :)

Anonymous said...

I STILL have this book (the print book) in my bookcase. For decades I have intended to read it. Now after your compelling post, I MUST!
Ann Best, Author of In the Mirror & Other Memoirs

Jemi Fraser said...

Ann - It's not a quick light read! But I adore it :)

Deniz Bevan said...

Love your choices for the past three days. I've got my own Tolkien post coming soon, of course :-) Can't wait to see what they've done with The Hobbit!

Jemi Fraser said...

Deniz - of course! :) I'm so excited about the Hobbit!

Patricia Stoltey said...

I'm looking forward to The Hobbit too. Then, of course, I'll have to go back and watch the Lord of the Rings trilogy again.

Jemi Fraser said...

Pat - exactly! I wonder if they'll re-release the LotR in theatres before the release - I'd like that! :)

RaShelle Workman said...

This film is going to be awesome!

Karen Jones Gowen said...

I just love The Hobbit. Love your theme, Jemi.

Leslie S. Rose said...

I'm cracking up. I was ping-ponging between Hobbit and Harry Potter as well. I ADORE this book. I do a "Hobbit" lunch time reading club with 5th and 6th graders every few years. They all fall in love. I am DYING for the movie to come out.

Jemi Fraser said...

RaShelle - It is!!! :)

Karen - thanks! The Hobbit is great :)

Leslie - great minds think alike!! I'm so excited about the movie!

Angela Ackerman said...

I'm flipping through your book choices...so many good ones! The Giver I read for the first time last year. I can't believe I waited so long to read it. And the Hobbit...I loved this book. One of my favorite ever. :)

Jemi Fraser said...

Angela - me too! it's just so beautifully written! And I'm glad you got to read The Giver - such a fabulous book! :)