Why is the book a classic?
For my classic novel, I picked a a famous author who's books are known by all. J. R. R. Tolkien, the author of The Lord of the Rings series and The Hobbit. I read The Hobbit. This book is a classic because it has lasted the test of time with many new and ground breaking ideas when it comes to writing. The book, first published in 1937, is still celebrated and read today. A movie series depicting the novel just released its final movie in December of 2014, showing how people are still interested in this story.
What is in the book that is new?
Tolkien did many new things when it came to this book that hadn't really been done before, and if they had been done, Tolkien took the art to a new level and perfected it. Some major things Tolkien is known for doing different is putting a map at the beginning of his book to help readers really visualize his fantasy world. Also, he show cased many drawings he created. Before this, many authors didn't include drawings throughout their novels as it raised the price of the book. Most notably, however, Tolkien drew runes and created his very own functioning language to be included in the book. This had never been done before.
How did the world respond?
The book was initially met with very positive and rave reviews in both the UK and the US. In 1938, the book was nominated for the Carnegie Medal. It also won a prize for best juvenile fiction of the year. In recent years, many have recognized the important impact this novel had on many other novels in the 20th century. Also, as previously mentioned, in recent years the novel has been adapted into a movie series, continuing the book's legacy to this day.
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How does the classic capture the time period?
In the wake of World War I and on the cusp of World War II, a big part of this book is overcoming perils. Tolkien somewhat reflects the perils of war in this novel. Many see The Hobbit as Tolkien own journey during World War I, with an unlikely hero being plucked from his roots and thrown off into war in a far away land.
What is the author trying implicitly say?
There are several very clear things that Tolkien is trying to say by writing this book. A main point he makes is that life is about taking risks and trying to find yourself. He thinks that people should enjoy the journey of the world around them. Another huge moral of the story is trying to overcome greed and selfishness. The dwarfs, especially Thorin, can be seen as great symbols of greed. Throughout the whole novel, they are on a quest to find their ancestors lost gold. It is a wealth beyond measure, but they refuse to give any of it up. Also, of course, it can be surmised that The Hobbit warns against war and the tragedies there of it.
