The Hobbit by C.S. Lewis as a Contemporary Fiction Classic
The Hobbit by C.S. Lewis as a Contemporary Fiction Classic
The Hobbit, written by C.S. Lewis, has to be considered one of the best literary works of contemporary times. The book gives the reader a wholesome dose of every emotion. You may experience joy, sadness, and laughter all in one chapter. The author’s brilliant diction brings to life the characters and their surroundings as well as any book does. The book’s 310 pages are full of great, imaginative writing that will keep you flipping pages until the end.
The story is based on the adventures of the middle-aged hobbit, Bilbo Baggins. Hobbits are creatures with characteristics much like those of people. Most of them enjoy lavish comforts and five meals daily. They rarely leave their hobbit holes for anything other than a free meal and a party. Bilbo was a hobbit in every sense of the word. He minded his own business and other hobbits rarely bothered him. Bilbo liked it this way. He was in no way desiring or searching for the adventures soon coming his way.
Bilbo’s secluded, unwavering lifestyle is drastically changed when the powerful wizard, Gandalf chooses him to be included in an expedition to retrieve a long, lost treasure protected by the evil dragon, Smaug. Bilbo declines the invitation, but the next morning he is bombarded by his comrades for the trek and realizes that he is going on an adventure, whether he likes it or not. The wild happenings and excursions of Bilbo’s travels lead him to realize his full potential as a leader and expeditionist.
Of all the interesting, inventive parts of the novel, the characters are likely the most original. They all have such dramatic personalities, and they grow as the book progresses the way you would expect any non-fictional character to do. Bilbo’s attitude changes more drastically than any of the others’. He opens the story as a hobbit without a cause, other than his own, and by the end is every bit as capable as any of his partners.
The book is a great read for anyone from the ages of 11 to 80. The writer’s storytelling brings to life one of the greatest tales of all time. It is fun to read and to discuss with other readers. If you read The...