So my 2 week old daughter and I have finished chapter 1! Her review: The songs were soothing.
My review: reading this book aloud is so much better than reading it to myself. There is a cadence and melody to the prose that just flows so well off of the tongue. Paragraphs that are a slog to read were a delight out loud. And while there are many dwarves, only a few speak, and in the chapter it really is just gandalf, bilbo and Thorin who speak, which makes it easy to keep the voice count to a reasonable number.
There isn't a lot of exposition (i'm looking at you "introduction" of LOTR), which i appreciate, it has fun wordplay and i find it overall enjoyable to read a children's story.
@lopeck @dudeler @haphnepls

 

It's been so long since I've read the Hobbit that my last association with it were actually the movies, and I must say rereading this chapter was a delight sweeter than I'd expected.

To compare it it LOTR, I've always had to be in specific mood to read through Tolkien's style, but the Hobbit seems to have a quicker pace about it that I quite like, and it somehow feels more laid down than the LOTR -- I don't really know why, but the whole adventure premise is just more jollier than having hooded black riders after you.

I'm actually quite happy with the decision to read it in English for the first time since the chapter is full of little gems like this one: "Confusticate and bebother these dwarves!"

I must say I glossed over the songs, and the long monologue of Thorin about what had happened with the mountain and the dragon, but the rest was all good, and I have to say casting Martin Freeman as Bilbo is almost a perfect match.

From writing standpoint, it is kind of a long chapter, nearing 9k words, but to bring hobbits, dwarves, and a wizard to the same place, make an interesting premise, and fill it with valuable and meaningful worlbuilding is task hardly done is less words. Especially while keeping humour on such level as it kept for a whole chapter.

Also, I'm putting another bit out here as a winner of the chapter since I don't remember the last time I was insulted by the book: There is little or no magic about them, except the ordinary everyday sort which helps them to disappear quietly and quickly when large and stupid folk like you and me come blundering along, making noise like elephants which they can hear a mile off.

 

Sorry, I am a bit late to the party.

As I said in the other thread, it's an audiobook version for me, since my book list ist already to long and I can listen to an audiobook while cooking, falling asleep or whatever. I chose the version by Rob Inglis. It's pretty good, but I miss the songs and voice from the obscure German version my parents had that I fell asleep to countless times as a child.

My first thought was that I completely forgot how playful and beautiful the book is. Not to serious, sometimes downright funny. I enjoyed the description of bag end and Bilbos pantry. Actually, I like every description. From tha dwarves to the lampshade under which they read the maps. The dwarves arriving in one by one/in small groups is similar to how I remember them arriving at beorns House.

It's a far cry from the epic lotr. There are some references to things never fleshed out in the later works. The sign on Bilbos door is "the usual in the trade"? Lots of adventuring groups looking for master burglars in middle earth? Bullroarer tuck is often referenced. I wonder if there is a good fanfic that explores his exploits against the goblins further.

I found the song of the German version I was talking about on YouTube. It's so otherworldly and haunting, way better than the version in Rob Inglis audiobook or even the movies. Give it a try, even if you don't understand a word, I think it would still convey the feeling of hearing a strange song in the dark by the fireplace about longing for another world far away, full of strange magic and old glory.

 

Joining late but I'll catch up.

My main take away is just how fun the writing is. It's whimsical and light, and I think that might be one of the main differences between it and the movies (at least going by my memories). There's danger and some horrifying things discussed (the dragon's attack and the Necromancer), but here it takes a side seat to the playful tone of the narrative, and in the movies they leaned a lot more into making it like Lord of the Rings which is a much more serious story.