The Hobbit – Chapter XVII – The Clouds Burst
Gene GlotzerHere we have the Battle of Five Armies. If you're keeping track, it's the dwarves, the men, the elves, the goblins and the eagles. That is unless it is the…
The Hobbit – Chapter XVI – A Thief In The Night
A Thief In The Night is a short, but crucial, chapter. The action is really straightforward. Bilbo, you may remember from Chapter XIII - Not At Home, is in possession…
The Hobbit – Chapter XV – The Gathering Of The Clouds
We're back to the story with this chapter, so that's a relief. We're back with Bilbo and the dwarves. This is really a transitional chapter, so there isn't a lot…
The Hobbit – Chapter XIII – Not At Home
The title of this chapter pretty much covers it. Smaug is not at home. This is a lucky break for the company. They are trapped in the tunnel by the…
The Hobbit – Chapter XII – Inside Information
We had to get through eleven chapters and almost two-hundred pages, but we finally get to meet the dragon, Smaug. It's totally worth the wait. There is a lot to…
The Hobbit – Chapter IX – Barrels Out Of Bond
Way back in my first entry in this series, I commented that I like the fact that Tolkien apparently doesn't care about spoilers. The title of this chapter proves it…
The Hobbit – Chapter VIII – Flies and Spiders
From the very first time I read The Hobbit, Flies and Spiders has fascinated me. It's hard for me to put my finger on exactly why, but I can always…
The Hobbit – Chapter VII – Queer Lodgings
The title of this chapter betrays the age of The Hobbit (First published in 1937). People just don't use the word queer in this way anymore. I suppose if it…
The Hobbit – Chapter VI – Out Of The Frying-Pan Into The Fire
Chapter VI has always felt to me like the end of the beginning. Up until now, Tolkien has been setting the stage, establishing the characters and putting the plot in…
The Hobbit – Chapter IV – Over Hill and Under Hill
This is another short chapter, but it has a lot of action in it. It starts with the thirteen dwarves, Bilbo and Gandalf climbing the Misty Mountains. It is slow…