The Hobbit Read-A-Long: Week Three

As a participant in the "The Hobbit" Read-a-Long instigated by Unputdownables, this week we read chapter six.  We must have only been assigned one chapter because of the holiday, but I was halfway through chapter seven before I realized.  I'll keep my comments to what happens in chapter 6.

I have been enjoying the characterization of Gandalf this week, who seems far more quirky that he is portrayed in the films.  (I apologize that I keep comparing him to the film version, but this is my only point of reference for Tolkien.)

He is a little full of himself, actually:
"The wizard, to tell the truth, never minded explaining his cleverness more than once...."

Bilbo is still being reprimanded for his love of food, including this gem:
"...We must just tighten our belts and trudge on - or we shall be made into supper, and that will be much worse than having none ourselves."

Listening to the audio is dangerous!  I was laughing so hard at the description of the dwarves climbing the trees to get away from the wolves.  I wonder if they'll manage that scene in the movie, because I would love to see it.  

I'm enjoying this Read-A-Long.  It isn't just the other bloggers who are doing the same schedule.  Everyone is coming out of the wood-work to engage in conversation about this book that is well-loved by many of my friends.  Some have started re-reading it because they couldn't stand it, once I started talking about.  To those friends - thank you and hello!

I mentioned when I introduced this project that I was sad not to have read this book as a child, because I feel like it would have been a seminal part of my childhood reading experience.  I e-mailed my Dad to ask him about it, and like I thought I vaguely remembered, he said he owns the book, as well as an ivory-cover three-book set of Lord of the Rings.  He read them as a youth, and I got the feeling he may go dig them up and read them again.