The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

For my final book review, I read The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.  This is a fictional book and is probably one of the best I've ever read.  This book is about a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins who gets himself wrapped up in an adventure he never imagined himself going on.  This book taught me that even the most insignificant person can do extraordinary things.

The story starts by introducing the main character, a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins.  Bilbo, along with most other hobbits, is a simple creature, not at all liking even the thought of adventures.  But one day, his life completely changes when Gandalf stops by.  Gandalf tells Bilbo he is looking for someone to take part in an adventure, and without even thinking about it, Bilbo denies his request.  However, Gandalf won't take no for an answer, so before leaving Bilbo's hobbit-hole, he engraves a strange symbol onto his front door.  Bilbo's troubles are far from over.

The next day, Bilbo hears a surprising ring of his door bell.  Thinking it's Gandalf, Bilbo hurries to the door and opens it up to let him in.  Bilbo is dumbfounded when he sees a dwarf standing there.  The dwarf introduces himself as Balin and walks in just like he'd been expected.  Before long, twelve other dwarves have come.  After grudgingly feeding them all, Bilbo listens as the leader of the company, Thorin Oakenshield, explains the reason for their gathering.  He explains to Bilbo that not long ago, the dwarves lived and prospered in the Lonely Mountain.  He tells Bilbo that the abundance of gold possessed by the dwarves attracted a dragon named Smaug, who drove the dwarves out of the Lonely Mountain and took it for his own.  He tells Bilbo that the dwarves are to set off on a journey to defeat the dragon and reclaim their homeland.

When Bilbo wakes up the next day, his hobbit-hole is empty.  After accepting the fact that he won't be going on an adventure, he settles down for a nice breakfast.  Moments later, Gandalf rushes in, tells Bilbo he's late, and practically drags him off to meet with the rest of the company.  Bilbo is now their official burglar.  Fighting trolls and spiders, discovering a magical ring, and riding on a barrel are just a few things that await him on this crazy adventure.

Like I've mentioned, this is probably one of the best books I have ever read.  It was exciting and thrilling, and every chapter brought something new.  I really enjoyed the characters and the way they all interacted with one another.  I know I've already said this, but I believe a prominent theme in this book is that ordinary people can do incredible things.  Throughout the book, Bilbo develops his character by repeatedly saving his friends and showing forth his bravery.  I believe this theme can apply to all of us when we face challenges in our lives.  Everyone of us, myself included, needs to believe in ourselves and not doubt in our abilities.  With this knowledge, we really can do amazing things, just like Bilbo did in the story.  We can come out better people after dealing with challenges.  All in all, not only was this book a good read, it taught me some valuable lessons.

In closing, everyone should read this book.  I guarantee you will enjoy it and that your thoughts on life will be changed for the better after you've read it.  This book was incredible.  A+