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Title: Easily Tolkien's most readable novel: outstanding tale, even if less lustrous than LoTR
Review: The Hobbit is a fantastic novel. The pages practically turn themselves in this tale of Bilbo and the Ring. Bilbo's journey is epic. Our humble hobbit faces up to great dangers, is morally and physically challenged. In the end Bilbo is transformed by the journey: he becomes more courageous, more generous, and more a complete living being. I read this as a twelve year old and absolutely relished every page: it's readability is outstanding. The far more imaginative Lord of the Rings trilogy is often badly written and overdrawn. The later work has obviously lit the fires of fifty million dreams, but this first book is the more taut. While many readers will dislike the trilogy and recoil from its complexities, nearly everyone can enjoy this wonderful story.
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