the hobbit

anurag-inias · Jan 8, 2025 · 3b8da18 · 3b8da18
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diff --git a/docs/blog/books/the-hobbit.jpg b/docs/blog/books/the-hobbit.jpg
diff --git a/docs/blog/books/the-hobbit.md b/docs/blog/books/the-hobbit.md
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+# The Hobbit
+
+| ![](/blog/books/the-hobbit.jpg){width=140px}                                                     |
+| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
+| Finished :material-star: :material-star: :material-star: :material-star: :material-star-outline: |
+
+## Hardcover
+
+I got the [Hardcover set with illustrations by Alan Lee](https://a.co/d/3GIX3BR). Quality is excellent, pages nice and crisp with no bleed-through. Fonts easy on the eyes. The illustrations, of course, were really nice touch.
+
+## Review
+
+It was great, nothing to criticize here. This was the first time I'm reading Tolkien, and it was not what I expected. From online discourse I had expected it to be really a short story, a children's book.
+
+The content is very much children's fairy tail, but it's quite meaty and lot going on in it. Whimsical with even the life and death scenarios not present in a serious manner. So it's great read for kids too.
+
+Pacing-wise I felt invested only in the second half / third of the book, though that's because I had already seen the movies few years back.
+
+All in all a great read, though I didn't feel like doing a re-read. I might change my mind completely after completing the LoTR books however.
+
+## Comparison vs the movies
+
+I had seen the Hobbit movies many years ago, back when they came out and didn't really enjoy anything. My brain has hard time appreciating the CGI slop background. It's like trying to parse lard.
+
+...But, the events that were adapted from the books were a lot more faithful than I expected. I also don't think a single movie would've been enough for the adaptation.
+
+### Bilbo
+
+This felt like a 1:1 match. Book Bilbo was a lot more sassy though and a lot more confident. Even in the very beginning.
+
+### Dwarves
+
+Dwarves didn't feel like fleshed out, distinct characters in the Book, except for Thorin. They were even vaguer than Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
+
+They didn't do a whole lot throughout the whole book, and were very much "get-down-to-business" people with little heroic quality. In fact, Lake Towners were way way better folks than our Dwarves.
+
+Before Mirkwood it was Gandalf who kept rescuing them and after Mirkwood they kept throwing Bilbo at the problem. They didn't even stand up to Thorin when he was loosing his mind.
+
+Also, they didn't fight the dragon at all. Not so much as threw a rock. Again, the movie just stole Lake folk's thunder to show the dwarves in a better light.
+
+### Gandalf
+
+The whole time I pictured Ian McKellen.
+
+### Elves
+
+It felt like movie did some disservice to Mirkwood Elves. There is no Legolas in the books. Thranduil was a lot more greedy, meaner, and up his own ass in the movies. In the books all he does seems justified.
+
+...Also, there is no Elves-Dwarf subplot in the book, obviously.
+
+### Lake Town
+
+The movie did these people dirty. The whole town, and even the Master is really nice to the dwarves in the book. They really help them out when the dwarves needed it the most and pay for it.
+
+### Goblins
+
+There is Goblin King in the tunnels and that's it. There is no jacked Goblin leader out personally hunting Thorin. This seems like Bodyguard of Bolg turned main villain for some reason.
+
+### The Necromancer
+
+The book has very little mention of the Necromancer. Once in the beginning when Gandalf talks about how he came across the key the secret door. And once at the end of the book when Gandalf talk about where he was during the Mirkwood adventure.
+
+### Battle of the Five Armies
+
+When I watched the movie I legit thought this was an invention of Peter Jackson or the studio. But no, this really happened. We actually had:
+
+- Thorin's company in the Mountain halls + Dain's reinforcements.
+- Mirkwood Elves
+- Lake Town folks
+- Goblins and Wargs
+- The Eagles
+
+(and also Beorn) throwing hands at the end.
diff --git a/mkdocs.yml b/mkdocs.yml
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ nav:
           - Ghost Radio: "blog/books/ghost-radio.md"
           - The Institute: "blog/books/the-institute.md"
           - The Reaping: "blog/books/the-reaping.md"
+          - The Hobbit: "blog/books/the-hobbit.md"
   - Maths:
       - Algebra:
           - Numbers: "maths/numbers.md"

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