The Hobbit is the prequel to The Lord of the Rings. Book lovers know this as one of the most famous fantasy series of all times. Movie lovers know it through Orlando Bloom and Ian McKellen. The first of three Hobbit movies came out in December 2012, and the second is soon to follow. This has led to an increased interest in reading the books. The real question is: “how accurate are the movies in relation to the books?” So far, fairly accurate.

In The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins leaves his comfortable life in the Hobbit-hole for the ever-dangerous and harsh journey ahead. Throughout the book, he helps a group of dwarves reclaim their mountainous homeland from the evil dragon Smaug. Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thrain, son of Thror, leads this heoric expedition against Smaug. His troop includes the twelve dwarves, Bilbo, and the Grey Wizard Gandalf. They travel through troll dens, warg hide-outs, elven kingdoms and haunting forests to eventually arrive in the land of the vicious dragon where they take back their treasure.

Tolkien wrote this book during World War I. He brought his experiences from the war and his understanding of Germanic folklore into this classic tale. He was a soldier in the British army, appointed Commander of the Order of the British Army by Elizabeth II, and was a close friend of C. S. Lewis (Alice in Wonderland, Narnia…). His writings have survived several generations as different genres and writing styles come into popularity.

While very descriptive, the book is a relatively easy read. There are magical creatures, beautiful lands, history, and, of course, the dragon Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch!). I’d definitely recommend it as a classic, a good read, and a good starter book for those looking to dive deep into fantasy.