The Hobbit

            One of the things I find the most interesting about The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings books, is how it effectively redefined a genre. Or maybe it’s better to say it defined a genre. If you look at just the elements that Tolkien presents in the Hobbit its massive in scope. We have Orcs, Goblins, Giant Spiders, Elves in the modern fantasy sense and not the Christmas elves, and big dark forces beyond that of which we truly understand. These elements may seem today like small time stuff, things that we’ve become accustomed to. Things that when Tolkien wrote these books was revolutionary for novels period.  Not just the genre. That’s part of what I think made reading this interesting. Putting the story into that scope really gives a new perspective about it. Especially for those, like me, who had already become accustomed to the story through that of the most recent movies. It really shows how monumental these books were. Just look at the detail of this world that Tolkien’s made. I know a lot of people who dislike The Hobbit for how slow its pace is, but I think part of the reason it moves slowly is because its treading such a vast territory and idea, but with such detail and precision. And this would go on to affect every single work of fantasy to come after. Through other books like Narnia, or games like The Elder Scrolls. Each work owes due to Tolkien’s work here.