The Hobbit

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I'll be honest. The primary reason for me reading this book was because I'm eagerly awaiting the Peter Jackson feature film adaptation releasing this December. That and of course I was curious about the prequel setting to one of my most adored stories of all time, The Lord of the Rings. Granted that I have only seen the movie and not read the books, but I still find the fantasy world woven by J.R.R Tolkien absolutely magnificent and spell-binding.

So how would I rate this epic tale of how it all started? Firstly, you must realize that comparing The Hobbit with The Lord Of The Rings is nothing short of stupid. The Hobbit was written and conceived before the LOTR series. As such the narrative isn't as expansive or layered as the latter. The Hobbit is a simple story that doesn't require multiple perspectives or parallel timelines to be explained. It is the story of the simple Hobbit Bilbo Baggins' journey with a dozen dwarves (and the wizard Gandalf) on a quest to find and retrieve a collosal amount of treasure stolen and guarded by the infamous dragon, Smaug. The book essentially chronicles this journey from start till end and details the various people, creatures and adventures the group (and Bilbo in particular) encounter.

It's a pretty simple read and flows without any major hiccups or deviations. What stands out is the language used by Tolkien, which adds a flair of mild humor even in situations that deal with life and death. The words paint a very vivid picture of the landscapes the fellowship traverses and bring the story to life in a manner that stands out. Although I did find the battle sequences slightly underplayed. But then, that could be quite intentional considering that the book is aimed at young readers in particular.

I will say this, the section which deals with Gollum will strike a tad extra appealing if you have read (or in my case seen) the Lord Of The Rings, since readers will grin and smirk at the scenes that pan out at that point. But like I mentioned before, don't keep LOTR as the benchmark for content and narrative when reading this book. You'll be disappointed.

As an independent read, this is truly a great book. Simple read with minimal complications in terms of story plot and narrative. Plenty of adventures and perils to keep your interest piqued at various points throughout the story. And a rather feel good ending. A definite must read for anyone who enjoys the genre.



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The King Of All Meals!

Breakfast is undeniably the most important meal of the day. The name says it all! "Break-Fast", cause you're breaking the all-night fast (induced by the night long sleeping activity dummy!). The stomach and body are starved for some fuel to get recharged and get set for the new day.

Science says that breakfast should never be skipped for this very reason. Depriving your body of vital nourishment after a long break is nothing short of folly! Eating a nutrient packed and filling breakfast is the key to a good day ahead.

The debate then arises how rich should this king of all meals be? You're probably wondering, Eh? Well being a Bombay boy (a SoBo one at that) breakfast for me (and most of my pals) has ranged from a simple glass of milk (flavored with Bournvita) and toast to Kellogg's cereals to eggs made to order. Sufficient no? Well apparently not! Most of my friends and relatives from different parts of India beg to differ.

My relatives (well most of them) live in the state of Gujarat, viz. in Vadodara and Ahemdabad. I remember watching my uncles wolf down an entire meal for breakfast. When I say meal, I'm talking about chappati, dal, vegetables, farsaan et al. Mind you, this is the exact same thing I'd probably eat for lunch, so I was kinda surprised when I saw them eat this for breakfast. In their defence, this was probably their crude attempt at brunch since most of them would avoid heavy lunches and opt for a light snack at aorun 1-2 pm.

Up north, breakfast is incomplete without some piping hot paranthas laden with real makkhan (cause the packaged kind just doesn't cut it for them!). And this is usually accompanied with either chole or a similar item. What you have to understand in that the parantha is question is so darn heavy, that one is enough to set you back by around a few hundred calories. Again, in their defence, the weather possibly mandates a breakfast of this clorific stature.

Most people tend to have a different opinion deciding the richness of breakfast. Personally, a heavy breakfast, like those savored by my relatives and friends up north doesn't suit my system. After a heavy meal like that, early in the morning,  I'd probably feel laethargic or worse, nauseous! For brunch, most deifnitley, but for breakfast, ummmm, I'll pass.

In conclusion, breakfast is indeed the king of all meals. However the extent of it's royalty is very much a personal choice.