One of the things I loved about The Hobbit was the descriptions about characters' homes. From Baggend to Beorn's house, it felt like you were there and comforting.
I love Lord of the rings, but I think the hobbit is better because it has more character more culture or magic more magical creatures like the dragon i’m aware it’s a little silly, but I still love it
The Hobbit will always hold a special place in my heart. I first read it 43 years ago when I was 11. I remember when I discovered The Lord of the Rings, I was a bit put off when Bilbo wasn't the main character. I quickly came around though. Now almost 55 years old, and having read Tolkien's works over the years (many times), and having viewed the films on multiple occasions, I love Middle Earth more so now than ever!
I actually first read the Hobbit many, many, MANY years before I ever read the Lord of the Rings. It was my minimum once a year read for quite a long time. Then I actually delved into LoTR - and became utterly enamored by Tolkien's entire world. I have now since read The Silmarillion at least three times, much of the entire Legendarium, and own physical copies of the entire Legendarium. To me, I honestly have to say, when you dive in deep enough within Tolkien's works, you feel that they are well and truly the one grand tale of his world he wanted to be bundled into a single work. For instance, I would have said Bilbo was my favorite character throughout the entire saga of both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. However, with the context of the Silmarillion, Galadriel is by far my favorite character within Arda, throughout all of the ages. Her growth as a character over the thousands of years of her life, and the massive, MASSIVE significance of her gift of three hairs to Gimli, is all so lost without The Silmarillion. She is a mysterious and enigmatic figure of great power and grace without it, and with it, she is well and truly one of the wisest beings in all of Arda. From Valinor, having lived under the light of the Two Trees, being exiled along with the Kinslayers because she chose to leave to find land to rule over for herself, being prideful and power-hungry, to then growing as a person to be able to deny a free and willing offering of the One Ring. Her story makes her out to be one of the most interesting and wonderful characters in fiction to me. If anyone actually reads this, holy crap, thank you. I typed for WAY longer than I realized - I could go on about Tolkien's work for hours - especially Galadriel. Keep up the wonderful work on your videos, by the way, if you do happen to see this, let alone read my rambling essay!
I read everything you wrote and you're right. On the surface several characters, like Bilbo, catch your attention, but without delving deeper, you don't get the fullness of other characters like Galadriel.
@@paullajackson4482 Exactly! And you get to be in the know when the little tidbits of lore are shared all throughout the entire series. Like when the Silmarils are mentioned off hand, and in passing by Sam, when he and Frodo were traveling along on their journey, is nearly entirely lost without their context, and the immense impact on the history of their world!
I first read The Hobbit and LOTR over 25 years ago. Being young and also having ADHD, I preferred The Hobbit for its simplicity and non stop excitement. I recently listened to them both again on audiobook and I fell in love with LOTR. I definitely couldn’t appreciate its beauty and complexity until I was much older.
I think what you said about the difference between a YT short and a full video was perfect. I read The Hobbit in high school and I still have my copy, but reading LoTR is just icing on the cake. Some people like the icing, some people like the cake.
I love both tales, but with the Hobbit (the first story I read) it feels a little simpler and homey. It is really easy to feel like Bilbo with everyday adventures, unlike with Frodo with his "the destiny of the whole world" kind of adventure
Well, the Hobbit didn't stray from the book anywhere near as much as LOTR did. It suffered, of course, from Jackson's appalling predilection to excess, but its good moments were very good. The Dwarves were well realised and their song in Bilbo's home was very good. It couldn't have been an easy job to mature up little children's story to the LOTR, but then Tolkien managed it didn't he ?
I didn't read the hobbit until about 8th grade. I grew up watching the Rankin Bass version hobbit endlessly in our day care. I read LOTR as and adult and it's completely captivating. I'm reading the hobbit to my kids, now
I have NEVER EVER been immersed in a fantasy book like I was when I read The Hobbit. I read it during the rainy season with an oil lamp in the countryside. I pity those who never experienced that feeling.
Wow, that sounds like there was a real authenticity in experiencing The Hobbit in that fashion. I just read it in my apartment, now I feel a bit sad. The book was still fantastic, mind you.
The Hobbit has something so very magical. I realized that the previous time I read it. A self contained story so homely so cosy so very light hearted. Like Christmas night vs The Crucifixion.
I first read the Hobbit when I was 9 yrs old. I believe I re-read it several times before my parents supplied me with the Trilogy. After having read all four books (or 7 if you consider each of the Trilogies is split into two books numbered 1-6) they always seemed as a sequential flowing story with the Hobbit being necessary as the first story to lay the foundation. I reread the four books at least twice a year until I was old enough and had my own money for book shopping, then I bought The Silmarillion and Lost Tales and they are always read as books 5 & 6 in my re-reads since. The Silmarillion has since become my favorite of all the avail Tolkien. It's kind of unfortunate that people that hadn't discovered the books first and saw the movies only have a confused sense of order.
The hobbit was the first book I read, so it has a special place in my heart, I go back to it every year or 2, but LOTR is obviously more for adult's so I can see why people would say LOTR but I love them all
The Hobbit... It was MY introduction to Middle Earth. The year was 1978, a teacher seeing how out of place I felt, gave me her copy of "The Hobbit". That same year I saw the Rankin/Bass version on TV. I was hooked for life. Today I am a Fantasy Adventure novelist and my first novel has been compare to "The Hobbit" by literary professionals and common fans alike.
Mine was that year also... I remember my hippy aunt telling us the story of the Hobbit and it captivated me. Not long after I caught the RankinBass version on TV, and proceeded immediately to read The Hobbit for the first time (at 8 or 9 years old). I think I re-read it the next year and then delved into LotR for the first time. I'm sure I vastly underappreciated it, but still loved it. Later after several re-reads of both I read the Silmarillion for the first time around a sophomore in H.S. I've been a lifelong fan, and LOVE the entire legendarium. However The Hobbit (both the book and RB animated movie) will always hold a special place in my heart. (I've also found that there are some pretty good fan edits of the Jackson Hobbit movies that make them really good - what they should have been)
The Lord of the Rings has a lot more going for it, but I prefer the Hobbit because I have always found it more enjoyable to read due to it's simplicity and tone. In fact, a few months ago, I actually re-read the Hobbit for the first time in a decade and what I found so endearing about reading this book as an adult was that I felt this child like wonder. The tone of the book made me feel like I was on an adventure, it vaguely brought me back to the simpler and more innocent days of my childhood in the 2000s. The Hobbit is a much more small scaled story with less stakes and scope than the Lord of the Rings. What also made it such an enjoyable read is that a lot happened during the events of the book, but the book for the most part, focuses on the Quest of Erebor from Bilbo Baggins' perspective. There are other major events that happened, namely Gandalf’s side quest. Gandalf and the rest of the White Council go to Dol Guldur to expel the Necromancer, who we later know as Sauron. Re-reading the Hobbit after already reading and watching the Lord of the Rings and knowing what happens in the Lord of the Rings, gave me more of a clear sense of how small scale the Quest of Erebor was. There was a large world around Bilbo, the Dwarves and their Quest and you do get a sense of how large Middle Earth is, but we don't see it and can only imagine. The Quest of Erebor was just one of the things that were taking place during this time and the story mainly focuses on that Quest. What I also want to mention is that while reading the book, I really could not help but feel the culture and atmosphere of the time the book was written in. The Hobbit was written and published in Britain back in the late 1930s, and I found it so relieving and comforting. It felt like a breath of fresh air from the current culture that we’re in. I mean, it goes without saying world has changed a lot since then, for better or worse.
My preference has always been the hobbit. My father read it to me as a child and i still love it. Even the movies, for all of their faults, still captured the atmosphere and spirit of the book as well as the established world of middle earth really well.
And now I’m going to have to read through the entire series, Silmarillion to Return of The King. I love how threads from each wind their way through them all. Such a wonderful and epic fantasy series.
I first read THE HOBBIT when I was 9 and LOTR probably when I was 12 or 13 (both long before the movies were even contemplated). For me, THE HOBBIT is a nearly perfect kids adventure that adults can thoroughly enjoy as well. I've read it over 20 times at this point and still absolutely love it. LOTR, on the other hand, feels that it could have used an editor and a start to finish "polish" before it was published. The beginning for FELLOWSHIP tends to meander and it feels like Tolkien didn't quite know where it was going when he had to turn it in to the publishers (Tom Bombadil, The Barrows-Wights, inconsistencies with the Ring and its power, etc). I love many of these elements, but I've seen them bog down my teen-agers when they have attempted to read the book. That is not to say that I don't absolutely LOVE LOTR! It is a monumental achievement in literature that took fantasy and brought it to the mainstream like nothing else before it. I think you could argue that it paved the way for everything from HARRY POTTER to GAME OF THRONES more than any other book (THE HOBBIT) included. SOOO, I think that THE HOBBIT may be a slightly better written book and will always hold a very special place in my heart. But if I could only take on to the proverbial Desert Island, it would have to be THE LORD OF THE RINGS. The movies on the other hand... sigh.
I have definitely been bogged down by the seeming "meandering" that Tolkien does, as well as by the characters of Tom Bombadil and the Barrow-Wights who seem a bit out of place and irrelevant to the story. But I think that the more you read the books the more those idiosyncrasies rightly become features not bugs. Tolkien himself didn't know where the idea of Tom Bombadil came from, but felt that it was necessary to include him. I think that's what makes the LOTR so incredible. The stories are simply a part of a larger world of morality, ancient mythology, and lore. So although Tom Bombadil doesn't seem to contribute to the main story, he does fit in that larger story that the books themselves are only a small part of.
The Hobbit would be My Favorite.... simply for the reason that I read that 1st.... Not Only did The Hobbit open Middle earth to Me but also Fantasy as a whole I've explored so many Worlds due to My opening The Hobbit the 1st time I'll always be indebted to J.R.R.Tolkien ❤❤❤
My first experience with Tolkien was watching the 1970s The Hobbit cartoon while sitting next to my dad as little more than a toddler. My next was reading The Hobbit in 6th grade(which was in 91-92) and realizing the link. I knew nothing about the rest until the Fellowship Of The Ring movie. After realizing the link I read the entirety of the Lord of the Rings before the rest of the trilogy came out. And i started to really delve into the world
I read the Hobbit first... At 12/13 years old... And the Lord of the Rings second... I didn't read the whole book... Because I was working my way to Eagle Scout... My favorite story is the Hobbit... Because it was Easy for me to visualize the whole story with out getting lost in the vision... I my heart Middle Earth is just one demention away from this Mother Earth of our's... Wether it is true or not, it makes me feel Good in side... Just thinking about it... 13:49
I first encountered The Hobbit on Jackanory with Bernard Cribbins as Bilbo, and Jan Francis (I think) as narrator... I then got it from the school book club, and 40+ years later I still have it... I'm not sure I could pick a favourite book between the two
I liked the battle in the battle of five armies over any LOTR battles. Lotr made the Galadhrim look absolutely weak with the swords, getting manhandled and wilhelm screaming off walls in the battle of helms deep. But the battle of 5 armies truly showed how great the elves actually are. That is one huge thing i appreciate more about the hobbit. But lord of the rings is still my favorite tho.
I always enjoyed The Hobbit despite some annoying flaws(mainly the love triangle). After the Rings Of Power series, i had a newfound respect for The Hobbit Trilogy 🤣
The first movie is great. The second movie has some flaws I would get rid of, but smaug makes up for it being awesome, but the third movie.... the regular one is garbage. The extended version actually makes it a good movie👌
The movies aren't close to the book. I don't know why they didn't just stick to the source material when they had 3 movies to do so. The book is soooooooo much better
I've been thinking about this recently, and I think the pure adventure of 'The Hobbit' is closer to my heart than LotR. But Tolkien's world is what underlies it all. The majesty of the entire setting dwarfs (no pun in tended) The Hobbit and LotR. So, 'The Hobbit' was the Gateway and LotR was a wonderful stop along the way, but as such--in the middle for me.
🎩Hi. The Hobbit in book form is by far the best. It is so captivating. I first read it 45 years ago and still love it. On a cold rainy day with your burner roaring away and a glass of wine you can’t beat it. Especially with a nice pipe of tobacco.
Whichever comes first is always gonna come out on top, but I don't see The Hobbit movies miles behind LOTR. In fact, The Desolation of Smaug has quite special place in me because it was the only one of the six which eman saw in the movie theathres 🤗 Hobbit trilogy is certainly more comfy to watch in a rainy November evening (I'd imagine)
I have that wierd opinion.. that I like the hobbit more.. but truly I do love and appreciate both*. This meaning the movies. I haven't read the books. Yet. They are waiting patiently for me on my bookshelf.
"This is no 'There and Back Again' tale. I fly from deadly peril into deadly peril." As usual, Tolkien is Master at summing things up, and I can't think of a better way to put the differences into perspective.
I do kind of prefer reading the Hobbit because it is more digestible, and I tend to revisit LOTR mainly through the movies, only rereading the books every few years - I do prefer the LOTR story, but there is an argument to be made
I grew up with the Hobbit, first with the animated TV 📺 movie, later with the book 📙 in school 🚸 Later in my late teens did I see the Lord of the Rings movies 🎥
I'm on my 59th reading of The Lord of the Rings and I've read The Hobbit 60 times. I always dread starting a reread of The Hobbit but always enjoy it. The Lord of the Rings i always look forward to but I never enjoy Frodo and Sam's journey once they enter Mordor. I read every page regardless. To not do so would be sacrilegious and I can't abide cheating. I'm currently two pages from finishing The Black Gate Opens and the last 3 chapters in Mordor. The Hobbit is fun and exciting. A bit of a joyride really. However The Lord of the Rings can move me to tears. Tears mainly of joy but occasionally of great sadness. Interestingly, the only other piece of art which moves me in similar fashion (especially tears) is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Make of that what you will.
The PJ LotR movies? No, no they weren't... (although probably closer than the Hobbit 'trilogy', and overall, I'm satisfied with the spirit of them. Plus, they were definitely a great watch)
I'm partial to the hobbit as far as reading goes. But I enjoy them both together equally. One isn't the same without the other. (Less so for The Hobbit). I'd love to go into detail but way to much to type whilst in the middle of cooking supper and dinner for a party of 7. And I like to be a good host 😉.
I was aware of the Lord of the Rings film trilogy since 2002 (thanks to the Two Towers TV spots). But it was An Unexpected Journey's first teaser trailer that really piqued my interest in Middle-Earth. In early 2012, I saw the LOTR trilogy on HBO and loved it. A month before AUJ premiered, I got myself a copy of The Hobbit. I fell in love with the story and the whimsy and connected with Bilbo Baggins as a protagonist. I got copies of LOTR's three volumes soon afterwards. I struggled with the pacing (and, sadly, I still do), but I MUCH preferred the lore and characters (and the embedded Catholicism) of the novel over the films! I have since discovered the 1981 BBC Radio Drama, and I'm glad to have found an even more faithful adaptation that takes less time to consume. Ian Holm is my favorite Frodo (and I've also seen the Rankin/Bass and Bakshi films). I've picked up the Silmarillion and LOVED Ainulindale and Valaquenta, but my reading of it has been on hiatus for years (the Noldor are STILL crossing the Helcaraxe). To this day The Hobbit remains my FAVORITE Tolkien book, it just hits all the right notes for me. And while I have plenty of reasons to admire Frodo and the rest of the Fellowship, I still find myself very much attached to Bilbo and his more lighthearted "There and Back Again" journey.
I love the Hobbit. I read it when I was 13, and I loved it so much immediately. It lead me to the Lord of the Rings and countless other books in the genre that it pioneered. But the Hobbit has my heart because it introduced me to everything that followed.
I started with The Hobbit as a reading assignment in elementary school. I thought it OK, until I came to the passage with Elrond examining the swords found in the troll cave. He mentioned the hidden city of Gondolin and, as a bit of a history buff, I was hooked. I read LOTR because in the title of the Hobbit it said it was the prelude to LOTR. I liked LOTR but I LOVED the appendices so I guess I put LOTR first. Of course, the Silmarillion gets my vote for the best of all.
The Hobbit was given to me as a birthday gift when I was 14 and I loved it. I must have read it 4 or 5 times before I ever read LOTR at 18. I found LOTR hard to read, so I’ve always favored the Hobbit. I’ve attempted The Silmarillion several times, but have never finished it.
I love the Hobbit more as the dwarves had main role instead in lotr there was no main dwarf other than gimli. The only thing I don't like was the death of thorin
The hobbit was the only book my grandmother read to me while I was a small child and gave me an appreciation for fantasy and imagination that u still have to this day
For me, it isn't about which is better, both are incredible, but I am all for more screen time for the Elves ;) Both trilogies have small shortcomings, but overall are great movies. Especially looking at the quality of today's movies...
Hobbit is a better read and for some reason i watch the hobbit more than lord of the rings. Even though i prefer the lord of the rings film the hobbit is something i can stop midway thorugh and come bakc to without feeling like i should restart it.
The Hobbit will forever be my favorite book, it's fun like watching Back to the Future, LOTR is like The Godfather it's a masterpiece but on another category despite being a "prequel". The hobbit movies though... meh
Honestly that's a Tough question, they both are great lol but one thing i have thought from the beginning..frodo got shafted lmao..bilbo did his adventuring while frodo basically got shivved lol
I still like the Rankin Bass Hobbit, it is part of my childhood (despite being far older than I am) and will continue to be the official prequel to Peter Jackson's LOTR for me. The only thing PJ's Hobbit did was the casting of Bilbo, Thorin, and the rendition of Far Under the Misty Mountains cold + the Gollum scene.
google and acquire some fan edits of PJ's Hobbit... they make them actually good (and along the lines of what it should have been) by cutting out all the cr@p mostly...
If we're talking about the books, I think I prefer The Hobbit slightly over The Lord of the Rings trilogy. But if we're talking about the films, LotR wins hands down. I really do think Peter Jackson didn't do The Hobbit any justice by turning it into a trilogy and adding a bunch of fluff that wasn't part of the original story.
there are some great fan-edits of The Hobbit PJ movies that have been made that cut out all the cruft and make them what they should have been... Google them up if you're interested... :D
I read the hobbit first around 15 years old but followed by lotr and liked it more but you can’t have one without the other! Never read the Silmarillion but on my to read list.
i was a little put off by what Peter Jackson did with the hobbit movie, not so much the main story but he got into some ad libs that are not found in any of the middle earth lore, but as a story it was ok, on film i have to choose LOTR, in book form I have always read them as a set. and that usually once a year.
I Love both but the Hobbit is my favorite fictional book of all time. I first read it in 5th grade and it paved the way for all the middle earth content I Love including this channel. I have read the Hobbit 9 times plus the graphic novel. It's comfort and inspires us to be more than what society or parents or naysayers say we should be.
I read both when I was 8 and I loved both, but I loved Lord of the Rings more. I loved the detail and the history in The Lord of the Rings Appendices at the end of the Return of the King. It just felt more complete and informative than the Hobbit did.
I prefer fellowship, because I watched a lot of TV as a kid. When I saw the trailer for it I went and asked my what lord of the rings is, she gave me a funny look and told me it was a book then asked me why I wanted to know. I said oh, it's a movie I just saw a commercial for on TV. That was the first time I saw my mom interested in a movie, she dragged me and my brother to see it, she brought her book with to compare scenes to the book, I think we saw it like 3 times on theater (same with the two towers and return of the king).
Don't make me choose *..* I'll have to defer to The Hobbit...the Grande Finale' in LOR we ass/presume the outcome. Butt,, the return to The Shire and the Housecleaning Bilbo & Crew faced was oh'so fine...dummy me or not, didn't see it coming. Speak Friend and Enter ~..~
I was there till you compared Hobbit with TikTok of all things. You could have used so many graceful comparisons. Other than this love the content. Keep up the good work for the fans.
Honestly I love both for different reasons. I feel like the hobbit was more about the adventure, combined with action. LOTR was more like an action drama. Both told an excellent story, but the hobbit had a little more freedom to tweak the story.
The Hobbit is just an extremely good 1st look at the world, the "the first one startet to build it all" story. And its really nice that you can read it at a very young age, so for many people it might be. (Hook'em while they're young baby) That the lotr trilogy is a vastly deeper, richer, darker and way longer story, just makes it that much better when you get older.(There is more? Uhh gimme) But still a more intimidating read if you want to introduce someone to the world.
I've always liked The Hobbit more. Not necessarily the Jackson movies, but the story. I like the whimsical and smaller-scale story rather than the gargantuan lore of LoTR rooted in the Silmarilion.
As an insomniac I prefer listening to the Hobbit audiobook trying to fall asleep, it's easy and simple, it gives me a "I'm going on an adventure" feeling - much like LotR up to Moria.. I wouldn't call it a _better_ read but it's better for _me_ . Also I love the way Rob Inglis reads the audiobook - he does an amazing job with all voices and has the best overall sound/feeling...
Just for the record, some of my favorite books to read as an adult are "children's books." The Wind in the Willows, Winnie the Pooh, Little Women, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the Secret Garden, the Moomintrolls, Anne of Green Gables... To say nothing of the Hobbit. So I reject utterly any notion that a children's book can only entertain children and can't connect with adults. Keeping in mind that "better" is subjective, it depends on what the reader wants out of a book. The Hobbit is a "better" whimsical adventure. LOTR is a "better" epic. As far as the movies, I don't really admire either of them. I'm not a big movie fan to start with. I think the Hobbit's characterizations were more accurate to the book. But neither one was particularly good at handling the story, IMO.
Personally, i prefer the lord of the rings and the reason is simple. It really captures your mind, it makes you wonder what would you do... In a way, it shows how our society is. There is evil, but few people who still have hope and pure hurt are keeping our world together. But still, i keep the hobbit near to my heart, because it was my first ever introduction to this magical world of Tolkien!
I have been trying to read lord of the rings to my son. The hobbit was fun and easy to read. Lord of the Rings has constant references to places we never see and peoole we never meet. Tons of them have really hard to pronounce names. Does anyone have any advice on how to make this easier to read out loud and to understand what is going on?
Read him the Silmarillion and the LotR appendices on pronunciation first! j/k :D Honestly the first 2/3 or so of the Fellowship can be quite the slog to get through (although I still love it), but it picks up after that.
Never read the books, only seen and love all the movies and watch alot of youtube content about background lore. I go back and forth on which trilogy I like most. I do like The Hobbit for the adventure and characters, but it is a little drawn out in the movies, though I actually like some of the cut scenes like the extra stuff with Beorn, so hard for me to say what I'd cut out. And the CGI really stood out at times, wish they could go back and maybe fix some of that if possible. Stand out bad stuff for me is always the barrel riding segment and Legolas and the collapsing stonework. I'm sure there's more, but those 2 things are so bad.
I think in terms of setting up a world for endless speculation and exploration, the LOTR is in a class of its own. In terms of a story, The Hobbit has a clear ending. The Hobbit's story is self-contained. LOTR has a lot of appendecies. Structurally, I think this benefits The Hobbit, but the very thing that makes Tolkien's world so explorable also makes a clear-cut ending nearly impossible to write. I think enjoy them both is the best answer.
I've always found it difficult to start reading Lord of the Rings because of the large threshold of entry and the somewhat sluggish nature of the first part of the FoTR, which constantly jumps from one exposition to another without realizing which elements are worth paying attention to and which aren't. And Tom Bombadil serves as a quintessential example of this. Although in The Hobbit, Tolkien was no stranger to describing a fairy-tale aerial world with talking horses, animals, dragons, and elves singing songs, the character of Bombadil is too much of a fairy tale entity, a childish character. It makes the whole story seem vague as if Tolkien was trying to write a children's book first, Hobbit style, but with 4 main characters (Merry, Pippin, Frodo, and Sam, with Frodo taking a more central role) with elves on their way, Bilbo's birthday party and evil spirits of riders along the way, and Tom Bombadil and his wife. But it's only after the narrative shifts to Bree, Tolkien begins to write the very Lord of the Rings we all know. Due to this difference in narrative, 'The Hobbit' was always much more engaging for me to read and reread. The entire story flows seamlessly, and I find the character of Bilbo, in my opinion, to be much more interesting than Frodo or Sam.
The one thing that the Hobbit movie did better than the book was the White Council scenes and the battle against the Necromancer which was only vaguely mentioned in the Hobbit book.
If the question is, "Is the Hobbit better than having forks jammed into your eyeballs", then yes, The Hobbit was better than that...but not much better.
The Hobbit personally it feels more magical to me at any rate while the LOTR only feels like a magical world during the fellowship the rest feels more akin to Medieval adventure than fantasy
I think The Hobbit the better of the two in terms of character relationships and in time will be seen as the better. As close to genuine love there could be between Bilbo, Thorin and the dwarves.
I honestly respect that you did a video on this topic, however I am not sure that you can compare the two. Although both are written by the same author, they way I read the narrative parts they are essentially the same story. The major difference is that The Hobbit is more condensed where the Lord of the Rings is more expanded. So naturally, The Lord of The Rings seems to relate deeper with existential and moral themes, which are present in the Hobbit they simply are played out that thoroughly. I think the reason which some may prefer the Hobbit is in being shorter you get right into the story and go to the ending. The Lord of the Rings gives a lot of background that it could have dropped. The story in The Hobbit takes in the course of a year, from the fall to the fall. While the main adventure narrative when the hobbits leave the Shire also takes place in the course of a year, from the Spring to the Spring.
I enjoyed reading the hobbit three times as much as I enjoyed reading lotr. However, im a sucker for the movies and it can be hard to live up to the pj trilogy
I fail to why anyone would have to choose which was better. It's like asking which is better: your head or your feet? It's all ONE STORY! That the focus moves from Bilbo to Frodo is irrelevant. It's all one and the same.
Short answer: No. Movies or books LOTR is better. Long Answer: If we're talking books, i'd say you may have a point based on the overall tone of each work. The Hobbit is definitely more whimsical and child-like. Considering my first intro to it was as a teenager, this obviously affects my view of The Hobbit. The LOTR on the other hand is definitely a much darker, more thought provoking piece of work. Generally this seems to resonate better with teenage and adult audiences as we're all sort of going on our Hero's Journey in individual ways. When it comes to the movies, i think a lot of us simply prefer the LOTR trilogy because it so closely mirrored the books and was one of the best examples of old school movie magic. The costuming, the miniatures, the score, and dont even get me started on the acting, absolutely top notch. The Hobbit definitely did it's best with 1 on 1 character moments between characters such as Gandalf and Bilbo, Bard and the Dwarves, Bilbo and Thorin etc. Overall though, the largely paint by numbers story and overuse of childish jokes really does cheapen the overall trilogy, but thats okay for what is ostensibly a kids movie. Just my 2 cents though.
I grew up watching, the animated movie, and being read to... The Hobbit. But, between the two live action movies, I would have to say The Lord of the Rings trilogy is my favorite. Although, I feel The Hobbit is essential in setting up and provides context to The Lord of the Rings.
Ooooh tough call. I tend to leave this one alone. I am impressed you took this one on. Ok so if I had to give you an answer it would be… anything with Peter Jackson on it is always the best!
i’m new to the whole lord of the rings scene lol .. but i stay watching one of the six movies .. i consider each one an equal able to stand alone as a film / piece of art i couldn’t really read the books tho ..
I love BOTH!! For exactly what you stated in this video. The Hobbit is more simple and straight forward and is an adventure!! Where as LOTR is an epic hero’s journey to save the world and way more complex and darker. Both are amazing and I can’t even imagine our world without them in it to read!!! To get lost in another world and taken on an adventure or an amazing epic journey!!
How many people felt just that little bit triggered by the title of this video? 😂😂
Well played 😂
Hehehe you got me 😜
To be fair, my first impression was “Wha??”
I wondered if you meant the books or the movies.
@@CarolinaPinethat’s where my head went to.
One of the things I loved about The Hobbit was the descriptions about characters' homes. From Baggend to Beorn's house, it felt like you were there and comforting.
I love Lord of the rings, but I think the hobbit is better because it has more character more culture or magic more magical creatures like the dragon i’m aware it’s a little silly, but I still love it
The Hobbit will always hold a special place in my heart. I first read it 43 years ago when I was 11. I remember when I discovered The Lord of the Rings, I was a bit put off when Bilbo wasn't the main character. I quickly came around though. Now almost 55 years old, and having read Tolkien's works over the years (many times), and having viewed the films on multiple occasions, I love Middle Earth more so now than ever!
I remember having that same feeling when I first read LOTR! 30 years ago for me.
I actually first read the Hobbit many, many, MANY years before I ever read the Lord of the Rings. It was my minimum once a year read for quite a long time. Then I actually delved into LoTR - and became utterly enamored by Tolkien's entire world. I have now since read The Silmarillion at least three times, much of the entire Legendarium, and own physical copies of the entire Legendarium. To me, I honestly have to say, when you dive in deep enough within Tolkien's works, you feel that they are well and truly the one grand tale of his world he wanted to be bundled into a single work. For instance, I would have said Bilbo was my favorite character throughout the entire saga of both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. However, with the context of the Silmarillion, Galadriel is by far my favorite character within Arda, throughout all of the ages. Her growth as a character over the thousands of years of her life, and the massive, MASSIVE significance of her gift of three hairs to Gimli, is all so lost without The Silmarillion. She is a mysterious and enigmatic figure of great power and grace without it, and with it, she is well and truly one of the wisest beings in all of Arda. From Valinor, having lived under the light of the Two Trees, being exiled along with the Kinslayers because she chose to leave to find land to rule over for herself, being prideful and power-hungry, to then growing as a person to be able to deny a free and willing offering of the One Ring. Her story makes her out to be one of the most interesting and wonderful characters in fiction to me.
If anyone actually reads this, holy crap, thank you. I typed for WAY longer than I realized - I could go on about Tolkien's work for hours - especially Galadriel.
Keep up the wonderful work on your videos, by the way, if you do happen to see this, let alone read my rambling essay!
I read everything you wrote and you're right. On the surface several characters, like Bilbo, catch your attention, but without delving deeper, you don't get the fullness of other characters like Galadriel.
@@paullajackson4482 Exactly! And you get to be in the know when the little tidbits of lore are shared all throughout the entire series. Like when the Silmarils are mentioned off hand, and in passing by Sam, when he and Frodo were traveling along on their journey, is nearly entirely lost without their context, and the immense impact on the history of their world!
Fatty Arbuckle was a mean mean man. You understand.
I read every of your words and I’m glad I did because your expressed what I feel for Galadriel 🧝♀️
Then Amazon came in and ruined her. Also, great rant, make a video with film/books references. And use that knowledge, that's a rare gift.
I first read The Hobbit and LOTR over 25 years ago. Being young and also having ADHD, I preferred The Hobbit for its simplicity and non stop excitement. I recently listened to them both again on audiobook and I fell in love with LOTR. I definitely couldn’t appreciate its beauty and complexity until I was much older.
Facts
I think what you said about the difference between a YT short and a full video was perfect. I read The Hobbit in high school and I still have my copy, but reading LoTR is just icing on the cake. Some people like the icing, some people like the cake.
I love both tales, but with the Hobbit (the first story I read) it feels a little simpler and homey.
It is really easy to feel like Bilbo with everyday adventures, unlike with Frodo with his "the destiny of the whole world" kind of adventure
Well, the Hobbit didn't stray from the book anywhere near as much as LOTR did. It suffered, of course, from Jackson's appalling predilection to excess, but its good moments were very good. The Dwarves were well realised and their song in Bilbo's home was very good. It couldn't have been an easy job to mature up little children's story to the LOTR, but then Tolkien managed it didn't he ?
You’re right, maybe Hobbit had more changes, but overall they weren’t as harmful as Lotr movies' ones
I didn't read the hobbit until about 8th grade. I grew up watching the Rankin Bass version hobbit endlessly in our day care. I read LOTR as and adult and it's completely captivating. I'm reading the hobbit to my kids, now
I have NEVER EVER been immersed in a fantasy book like I was when I read The Hobbit. I read it during the rainy season with an oil lamp in the countryside. I pity those who never experienced that feeling.
Wow, that sounds like there was a real authenticity in experiencing The Hobbit in that fashion. I just read it in my apartment, now I feel a bit sad. The book was still fantastic, mind you.
The Hobbit has something so very magical. I realized that the previous time I read it. A self contained story so homely so cosy so very light hearted. Like Christmas night vs The Crucifixion.
I first read the Hobbit when I was 9 yrs old. I believe I re-read it several times before my parents supplied me with the Trilogy. After having read all four books (or 7 if you consider each of the Trilogies is split into two books numbered 1-6) they always seemed as a sequential flowing story with the Hobbit being necessary as the first story to lay the foundation. I reread the four books at least twice a year until I was old enough and had my own money for book shopping, then I bought The Silmarillion and Lost Tales and they are always read as books 5 & 6 in my re-reads since. The Silmarillion has since become my favorite of all the avail Tolkien. It's kind of unfortunate that people that hadn't discovered the books first and saw the movies only have a confused sense of order.
The hobbit was the first book I read, so it has a special place in my heart, I go back to it every year or 2, but LOTR is obviously more for adult's so I can see why people would say LOTR but I love them all
Full honesty. I still love the old school Hobbit animated movie. Made me originally fall in love with Tolkien 😂
The Hobbit... It was MY introduction to Middle Earth. The year was 1978, a teacher seeing how out of place I felt, gave me her copy of "The Hobbit". That same year I saw the Rankin/Bass version on TV. I was hooked for life. Today I am a Fantasy Adventure novelist and my first novel has been compare to "The Hobbit" by literary professionals and common fans alike.
Mine was that year also... I remember my hippy aunt telling us the story of the Hobbit and it captivated me. Not long after I caught the RankinBass version on TV, and proceeded immediately to read The Hobbit for the first time (at 8 or 9 years old). I think I re-read it the next year and then delved into LotR for the first time. I'm sure I vastly underappreciated it, but still loved it. Later after several re-reads of both I read the Silmarillion for the first time around a sophomore in H.S. I've been a lifelong fan, and LOVE the entire legendarium. However The Hobbit (both the book and RB animated movie) will always hold a special place in my heart. (I've also found that there are some pretty good fan edits of the Jackson Hobbit movies that make them really good - what they should have been)
What's the title? I might give it a read.
The Lord of the Rings has a lot more going for it, but I prefer the Hobbit because I have always found it more enjoyable to read due to it's simplicity and tone.
In fact, a few months ago, I actually re-read the Hobbit for the first time in a decade and what I found so endearing about reading this book as an adult was that I felt this child like wonder. The tone of the book made me feel like I was on an adventure, it vaguely brought me back to the simpler and more innocent days of my childhood in the 2000s. The Hobbit is a much more small scaled story with less stakes and scope than the Lord of the Rings.
What also made it such an enjoyable read is that a lot happened during the events of the book, but the book for the most part, focuses on the Quest of Erebor from Bilbo Baggins' perspective. There are other major events that happened, namely Gandalf’s side quest. Gandalf and the rest of the White Council go to Dol Guldur to expel the Necromancer, who we later know as Sauron. Re-reading the Hobbit after already reading and watching the Lord of the Rings and knowing what happens in the Lord of the Rings, gave me more of a clear sense of how small scale the Quest of Erebor was. There was a large world around Bilbo, the Dwarves and their Quest and you do get a sense of how large Middle Earth is, but we don't see it and can only imagine. The Quest of Erebor was just one of the things that were taking place during this time and the story mainly focuses on that Quest.
What I also want to mention is that while reading the book, I really could not help but feel the culture and atmosphere of the time the book was written in. The Hobbit was written and published in Britain back in the late 1930s, and I found it so relieving and comforting. It felt like a breath of fresh air from the current culture that we’re in. I mean, it goes without saying world has changed a lot since then, for better or worse.
"...child like wonder..." Exactly!
My preference has always been the hobbit. My father read it to me as a child and i still love it. Even the movies, for all of their faults, still captured the atmosphere and spirit of the book as well as the established world of middle earth really well.
And now I’m going to have to read through the entire series, Silmarillion to Return of The King. I love how threads from each wind their way through them all. Such a wonderful and epic fantasy series.
I first read THE HOBBIT when I was 9 and LOTR probably when I was 12 or 13 (both long before the movies were even contemplated).
For me, THE HOBBIT is a nearly perfect kids adventure that adults can thoroughly enjoy as well. I've read it over 20 times at this point and still absolutely love it. LOTR, on the other hand, feels that it could have used an editor and a start to finish "polish" before it was published. The beginning for FELLOWSHIP tends to meander and it feels like Tolkien didn't quite know where it was going when he had to turn it in to the publishers (Tom Bombadil, The Barrows-Wights, inconsistencies with the Ring and its power, etc). I love many of these elements, but I've seen them bog down my teen-agers when they have attempted to read the book.
That is not to say that I don't absolutely LOVE LOTR! It is a monumental achievement in literature that took fantasy and brought it to the mainstream like nothing else before it. I think you could argue that it paved the way for everything from HARRY POTTER to GAME OF THRONES more than any other book (THE HOBBIT) included.
SOOO, I think that THE HOBBIT may be a slightly better written book and will always hold a very special place in my heart. But if I could only take on to the proverbial Desert Island, it would have to be THE LORD OF THE RINGS.
The movies on the other hand... sigh.
I have definitely been bogged down by the seeming "meandering" that Tolkien does, as well as by the characters of Tom Bombadil and the Barrow-Wights who seem a bit out of place and irrelevant to the story. But I think that the more you read the books the more those idiosyncrasies rightly become features not bugs. Tolkien himself didn't know where the idea of Tom Bombadil came from, but felt that it was necessary to include him. I think that's what makes the LOTR so incredible. The stories are simply a part of a larger world of morality, ancient mythology, and lore. So although Tom Bombadil doesn't seem to contribute to the main story, he does fit in that larger story that the books themselves are only a small part of.
Lord of the rings is dificult and breaks with the narrative conventions we expect from commercial fiction, but that in itself isnt an issue.
The Hobbit would be My Favorite.... simply for the reason that I read that 1st.... Not Only did The Hobbit open Middle earth to Me but also Fantasy as a whole I've explored so many Worlds due to My opening The Hobbit the 1st time I'll always be indebted to J.R.R.Tolkien ❤❤❤
My first experience with Tolkien was watching the 1970s The Hobbit cartoon while sitting next to my dad as little more than a toddler. My next was reading The Hobbit in 6th grade(which was in 91-92) and realizing the link. I knew nothing about the rest until the Fellowship Of The Ring movie. After realizing the link I read the entirety of the Lord of the Rings before the rest of the trilogy came out. And i started to really delve into the world
I read the Hobbit first... At 12/13 years old... And the Lord of the Rings second... I didn't read the whole book... Because I was working my way to Eagle Scout... My favorite story is the Hobbit... Because it was Easy for me to visualize the whole story with out getting lost in the vision... I my heart Middle Earth is just one demention away from this Mother Earth of our's... Wether it is true or not, it makes me feel Good in side... Just thinking about it... 13:49
I first encountered The Hobbit on Jackanory with Bernard Cribbins as Bilbo, and Jan Francis (I think) as narrator... I then got it from the school book club, and 40+ years later I still have it... I'm not sure I could pick a favourite book between the two
I liked the battle in the battle of five armies over any LOTR battles. Lotr made the Galadhrim look absolutely weak with the swords, getting manhandled and wilhelm screaming off walls in the battle of helms deep. But the battle of 5 armies truly showed how great the elves actually are. That is one huge thing i appreciate more about the hobbit. But lord of the rings is still my favorite tho.
Books: Hobbit > LotR
Movies: Lotr > Hobbit
I always enjoyed The Hobbit despite some annoying flaws(mainly the love triangle). After the Rings Of Power series, i had a newfound respect for The Hobbit Trilogy 🤣
You mean a thing that didn’t exist in the book? lol
The first movie is great. The second movie has some flaws I would get rid of, but smaug makes up for it being awesome, but the third movie.... the regular one is garbage. The extended version actually makes it a good movie👌
The movies aren't close to the book. I don't know why they didn't just stick to the source material when they had 3 movies to do so. The book is soooooooo much better
Is The Hobbit Actually BETTER Than The Lord of the Rings?
No, but I love them both, precious.
I've been thinking about this recently, and I think the pure adventure of 'The Hobbit' is closer to my heart than LotR.
But Tolkien's world is what underlies it all. The majesty of the entire setting dwarfs (no pun in tended) The Hobbit and LotR.
So, 'The Hobbit' was the Gateway and LotR was a wonderful stop along the way, but as such--in the middle for me.
🎩Hi. The Hobbit in book form is by far the best. It is so captivating. I first read it 45 years ago and still love it. On a cold rainy day with your burner roaring away and a glass of wine you can’t beat it. Especially with a nice pipe of tobacco.
Lotr was a bit torn between the childlike storytelling and the battle story but the hobbit is harmonious
I binged the hobbit series In 24 hours. It was really good.
My first thought was "oh, good Lord!" I think I'll stick with that.
One BEST-STORY to rule them all.
Hobbit Book > LOTR Books > Hobbit Movies
Whichever comes first is always gonna come out on top, but I don't see The Hobbit movies miles behind LOTR. In fact, The Desolation of Smaug has quite special place in me because it was the only one of the six which eman saw in the movie theathres 🤗 Hobbit trilogy is certainly more comfy to watch in a rainy November evening (I'd imagine)
I have that wierd opinion.. that I like the hobbit more.. but truly I do love and appreciate both*. This meaning the movies. I haven't read the books. Yet. They are waiting patiently for me on my bookshelf.
I can't choose one story over the other. Bilbo ran towards unknown adventure, so that Frodo could walk into absolute peril.
"This is no 'There and Back Again' tale. I fly from deadly peril into deadly peril."
As usual, Tolkien is Master at summing things up, and I can't think of a better way to put the differences into perspective.
I do kind of prefer reading the Hobbit because it is more digestible, and I tend to revisit LOTR mainly through the movies, only rereading the books every few years - I do prefer the LOTR story, but there is an argument to be made
I grew up with the Hobbit, first with the animated TV 📺 movie, later with the book 📙 in school 🚸
Later in my late teens did I see the Lord of the Rings movies 🎥
I'm on my 59th reading of The Lord of the Rings and I've read The Hobbit 60 times. I always dread starting a reread of The Hobbit but always enjoy it. The Lord of the Rings i always look forward to but I never enjoy Frodo and Sam's journey once they enter Mordor. I read every page regardless. To not do so would be sacrilegious and I can't abide cheating. I'm currently two pages from finishing The Black Gate Opens and the last 3 chapters in Mordor.
The Hobbit is fun and exciting. A bit of a joyride really.
However The Lord of the Rings can move me to tears. Tears mainly of joy but occasionally of great sadness.
Interestingly, the only other piece of art which moves me in similar fashion (especially tears) is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
Make of that what you will.
The apple and the orange is that LOTR was actually true to the book.
The PJ LotR movies? No, no they weren't... (although probably closer than the Hobbit 'trilogy', and overall, I'm satisfied with the spirit of them. Plus, they were definitely a great watch)
The hobbit was more true to the book being the book was very short and everything was included in the movie so what ??
I'm partial to the hobbit as far as reading goes. But I enjoy them both together equally. One isn't the same without the other. (Less so for The Hobbit). I'd love to go into detail but way to much to type whilst in the middle of cooking supper and dinner for a party of 7. And I like to be a good host 😉.
I was aware of the Lord of the Rings film trilogy since 2002 (thanks to the Two Towers TV spots). But it was An Unexpected Journey's first teaser trailer that really piqued my interest in Middle-Earth. In early 2012, I saw the LOTR trilogy on HBO and loved it.
A month before AUJ premiered, I got myself a copy of The Hobbit. I fell in love with the story and the whimsy and connected with Bilbo Baggins as a protagonist. I got copies of LOTR's three volumes soon afterwards. I struggled with the pacing (and, sadly, I still do), but I MUCH preferred the lore and characters (and the embedded Catholicism) of the novel over the films! I have since discovered the 1981 BBC Radio Drama, and I'm glad to have found an even more faithful adaptation that takes less time to consume. Ian Holm is my favorite Frodo (and I've also seen the Rankin/Bass and Bakshi films).
I've picked up the Silmarillion and LOVED Ainulindale and Valaquenta, but my reading of it has been on hiatus for years (the Noldor are STILL crossing the Helcaraxe). To this day The Hobbit remains my FAVORITE Tolkien book, it just hits all the right notes for me. And while I have plenty of reasons to admire Frodo and the rest of the Fellowship, I still find myself very much attached to Bilbo and his more lighthearted "There and Back Again" journey.
Both are great, I think the Hobbit is written better, although Lord of the Rings does have a deeper plot.
I love the Hobbit. I read it when I was 13, and I loved it so much immediately. It lead me to the Lord of the Rings and countless other books in the genre that it pioneered. But the Hobbit has my heart because it introduced me to everything that followed.
I started with The Hobbit as a reading assignment in elementary school. I thought it OK, until I came to the passage with Elrond examining the swords found in the troll cave. He mentioned the hidden city of Gondolin and, as a bit of a history buff, I was hooked. I read LOTR because in the title of the Hobbit it said it was the prelude to LOTR. I liked LOTR but I LOVED the appendices so I guess I put LOTR first. Of course, the Silmarillion gets my vote for the best of all.
You can't compare books The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, because The Hobbit was written for children.
The Hobbit was given to me as a birthday gift when I was 14 and I loved it. I must have read it 4 or 5 times before I ever read LOTR at 18. I found LOTR hard to read, so I’ve always favored the Hobbit. I’ve attempted The Silmarillion several times, but have never finished it.
I love the Hobbit more as the dwarves had main role instead in lotr there was no main dwarf other than gimli. The only thing I don't like was the death of thorin
The hobbit was the only book my grandmother read to me while I was a small child and gave me an appreciation for fantasy and imagination that u still have to this day
For me, it isn't about which is better, both are incredible, but I am all for more screen time for the Elves ;) Both trilogies have small shortcomings, but overall are great movies. Especially looking at the quality of today's movies...
Hobbit is a better read and for some reason i watch the hobbit more than lord of the rings. Even though i prefer the lord of the rings film the hobbit is something i can stop midway thorugh and come bakc to without feeling like i should restart it.
I like both The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings the same
The Hobbit will forever be my favorite book, it's fun like watching Back to the Future, LOTR is like The Godfather it's a masterpiece but on another category despite being a "prequel". The hobbit movies though... meh
Comparing diamonds with diamonds, such a good description...
Honestly that's a Tough question, they both are great lol but one thing i have thought from the beginning..frodo got shafted lmao..bilbo did his adventuring while frodo basically got shivved lol
I still like the Rankin Bass Hobbit, it is part of my childhood (despite being far older than I am) and will continue to be the official prequel to Peter Jackson's LOTR for me. The only thing PJ's Hobbit did was the casting of Bilbo, Thorin, and the rendition of Far Under the Misty Mountains cold + the Gollum scene.
google and acquire some fan edits of PJ's Hobbit... they make them actually good (and along the lines of what it should have been) by cutting out all the cr@p mostly...
The chandelier !!! amazing, i always loved this growing up and then when the hobbit released!
Oh yeah came straight to the comments based on title. My opinion is LOTR is better but both are beloved can't live without either in my library
The hobbit book is better than it's THE GREAT BLOUT. Version. Cash grab ... Great video.. keep it up I was triggered lol 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
If we're talking about the books, I think I prefer The Hobbit slightly over The Lord of the Rings trilogy. But if we're talking about the films, LotR wins hands down. I really do think Peter Jackson didn't do The Hobbit any justice by turning it into a trilogy and adding a bunch of fluff that wasn't part of the original story.
there are some great fan-edits of The Hobbit PJ movies that have been made that cut out all the cruft and make them what they should have been... Google them up if you're interested... :D
No way! Read Lord of the Rings in a week (couldn't put it down) took me over 30 years on and off to finish the Hobbit!
I read the hobbit first around 15 years old but followed by lotr and liked it more but you can’t have one without the other! Never read the Silmarillion but on my to read list.
i was a little put off by what Peter Jackson did with the hobbit movie, not so much the main story but he got into some ad libs that are not found in any of the middle earth lore, but as a story it was ok, on film i have to choose LOTR, in book form I have always read them as a set. and that usually once a year.
I Love both but the Hobbit is my favorite fictional book of all time. I first read it in 5th grade and it paved the way for all the middle earth content I Love including this channel. I have read the Hobbit 9 times plus the graphic novel. It's comfort and inspires us to be more than what society or parents or naysayers say we should be.
I read both when I was 8 and I loved both, but I loved Lord of the Rings more. I loved the detail and the history in The Lord of the Rings Appendices at the end of the Return of the King. It just felt more complete and informative than the Hobbit did.
I prefer fellowship, because I watched a lot of TV as a kid. When I saw the trailer for it I went and asked my what lord of the rings is, she gave me a funny look and told me it was a book then asked me why I wanted to know. I said oh, it's a movie I just saw a commercial for on TV. That was the first time I saw my mom interested in a movie, she dragged me and my brother to see it, she brought her book with to compare scenes to the book, I think we saw it like 3 times on theater (same with the two towers and return of the king).
Don't make me choose *..* I'll have to defer to The Hobbit...the Grande Finale' in LOR we ass/presume the outcome. Butt,, the return to The Shire and the Housecleaning Bilbo & Crew faced was oh'so fine...dummy me or not, didn't see it coming. Speak Friend and Enter ~..~
The book, yes.
I was there till you compared Hobbit with TikTok of all things. You could have used so many graceful comparisons.
Other than this love the content. Keep up the good work for the fans.
The Hobbit as it was the first of the Trilogy I read!
When I read the other two books I found them to be kind of like Tolstoy!
Honestly I love both for different reasons. I feel like the hobbit was more about the adventure, combined with action. LOTR was more like an action drama. Both told an excellent story, but the hobbit had a little more freedom to tweak the story.
The Hobbit is just an extremely good 1st look at the world, the "the first one startet to build it all" story.
And its really nice that you can read it at a very young age, so for many people it might be. (Hook'em while they're young baby)
That the lotr trilogy is a vastly deeper, richer, darker and way longer story, just makes it that much better when you get older.(There is more? Uhh gimme)
But still a more intimidating read if you want to introduce someone to the world.
I've always liked The Hobbit more. Not necessarily the Jackson movies, but the story. I like the whimsical and smaller-scale story rather than the gargantuan lore of LoTR rooted in the Silmarilion.
As an insomniac I prefer listening to the Hobbit audiobook trying to fall asleep, it's easy and simple, it gives me a "I'm going on an adventure" feeling - much like LotR up to Moria.. I wouldn't call it a _better_ read but it's better for _me_ . Also I love the way Rob Inglis reads the audiobook - he does an amazing job with all voices and has the best overall sound/feeling...
Yes, it is.
Just for the record, some of my favorite books to read as an adult are "children's books." The Wind in the Willows, Winnie the Pooh, Little Women, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the Secret Garden, the Moomintrolls, Anne of Green Gables... To say nothing of the Hobbit. So I reject utterly any notion that a children's book can only entertain children and can't connect with adults.
Keeping in mind that "better" is subjective, it depends on what the reader wants out of a book. The Hobbit is a "better" whimsical adventure. LOTR is a "better" epic.
As far as the movies, I don't really admire either of them. I'm not a big movie fan to start with. I think the Hobbit's characterizations were more accurate to the book. But neither one was particularly good at handling the story, IMO.
Kenneth Grahame’s work is great, so atmospheric. Liked re-reading it, except for the chapter the book got its name from lol.
Personally, i prefer the lord of the rings and the reason is simple. It really captures your mind, it makes you wonder what would you do... In a way, it shows how our society is. There is evil, but few people who still have hope and pure hurt are keeping our world together. But still, i keep the hobbit near to my heart, because it was my first ever introduction to this magical world of Tolkien!
Well, my favorite book is the Hobbit.
My favorite Movies are The Lord of the Rings.
I have been trying to read lord of the rings to my son. The hobbit was fun and easy to read. Lord of the Rings has constant references to places we never see and peoole we never meet. Tons of them have really hard to pronounce names. Does anyone have any advice on how to make this easier to read out loud and to understand what is going on?
Read him the Silmarillion and the LotR appendices on pronunciation first! j/k :D Honestly the first 2/3 or so of the Fellowship can be quite the slog to get through (although I still love it), but it picks up after that.
Never read the books, only seen and love all the movies and watch alot of youtube content about background lore.
I go back and forth on which trilogy I like most. I do like The Hobbit for the adventure and characters, but it is a little drawn out in the movies, though I actually like some of the cut scenes like the extra stuff with Beorn, so hard for me to say what I'd cut out.
And the CGI really stood out at times, wish they could go back and maybe fix some of that if possible. Stand out bad stuff for me is always the barrel riding segment and Legolas and the collapsing stonework. I'm sure there's more, but those 2 things are so bad.
I think in terms of setting up a world for endless speculation and exploration, the LOTR is in a class of its own. In terms of a story, The Hobbit has a clear ending. The Hobbit's story is self-contained. LOTR has a lot of appendecies. Structurally, I think this benefits The Hobbit, but the very thing that makes Tolkien's world so explorable also makes a clear-cut ending nearly impossible to write. I think enjoy them both is the best answer.
I've always found it difficult to start reading Lord of the Rings because of the large threshold of entry and the somewhat sluggish nature of the first part of the FoTR, which constantly jumps from one exposition to another without realizing which elements are worth paying attention to and which aren't. And Tom Bombadil serves as a quintessential example of this. Although in The Hobbit, Tolkien was no stranger to describing a fairy-tale aerial world with talking horses, animals, dragons, and elves singing songs, the character of Bombadil is too much of a fairy tale entity, a childish character. It makes the whole story seem vague as if Tolkien was trying to write a children's book first, Hobbit style, but with 4 main characters (Merry, Pippin, Frodo, and Sam, with Frodo taking a more central role) with elves on their way, Bilbo's birthday party and evil spirits of riders along the way, and Tom Bombadil and his wife.
But it's only after the narrative shifts to Bree, Tolkien begins to write the very Lord of the Rings we all know.
Due to this difference in narrative, 'The Hobbit' was always much more engaging for me to read and reread. The entire story flows seamlessly, and I find the character of Bilbo, in my opinion, to be much more interesting than Frodo or Sam.
The one thing that the Hobbit movie did better than the book was the White Council scenes and the battle against the Necromancer which was only vaguely mentioned in the Hobbit book.
I love the Hobbit trilogy above LOTR for the more continuous story.
If the question is, "Is the Hobbit better than having forks jammed into your eyeballs", then yes, The Hobbit was better than that...but not much better.
The Hobbit personally it feels more magical to me at any rate while the LOTR only feels like a magical world during the fellowship the rest feels more akin to Medieval adventure than fantasy
I think The Hobbit the better of the two in terms of character relationships and in time will be seen as the better. As close to genuine love there could be between Bilbo, Thorin and the dwarves.
I honestly respect that you did a video on this topic, however I am not sure that you can compare the two. Although both are written by the same author, they way I read the narrative parts they are essentially the same story. The major difference is that The Hobbit is more condensed where the Lord of the Rings is more expanded. So naturally, The Lord of The Rings seems to relate deeper with existential and moral themes, which are present in the Hobbit they simply are played out that thoroughly. I think the reason which some may prefer the Hobbit is in being shorter you get right into the story and go to the ending. The Lord of the Rings gives a lot of background that it could have dropped. The story in The Hobbit takes in the course of a year, from the fall to the fall. While the main adventure narrative when the hobbits leave the Shire also takes place in the course of a year, from the Spring to the Spring.
I enjoyed reading the hobbit three times as much as I enjoyed reading lotr. However, im a sucker for the movies and it can be hard to live up to the pj trilogy
I fail to why anyone would have to choose which was better. It's like asking which is better: your head or your feet? It's all ONE STORY! That the focus moves from Bilbo to Frodo is irrelevant. It's all one and the same.
I saw The Hobbit at the theatre, it was amazing ❤
I laughed and immediately thought "contentious subject hell yes"
For a good gateway to a world of adventure
Only if one is 7 years old.
Short answer: No. Movies or books LOTR is better.
Long Answer: If we're talking books, i'd say you may have a point based on the overall tone of each work. The Hobbit is definitely more whimsical and child-like. Considering my first intro to it was as a teenager, this obviously affects my view of The Hobbit. The LOTR on the other hand is definitely a much darker, more thought provoking piece of work. Generally this seems to resonate better with teenage and adult audiences as we're all sort of going on our Hero's Journey in individual ways. When it comes to the movies, i think a lot of us simply prefer the LOTR trilogy because it so closely mirrored the books and was one of the best examples of old school movie magic. The costuming, the miniatures, the score, and dont even get me started on the acting, absolutely top notch. The Hobbit definitely did it's best with 1 on 1 character moments between characters such as Gandalf and Bilbo, Bard and the Dwarves, Bilbo and Thorin etc. Overall though, the largely paint by numbers story and overuse of childish jokes really does cheapen the overall trilogy, but thats okay for what is ostensibly a kids movie.
Just my 2 cents though.
I grew up watching, the animated movie, and being read to... The Hobbit. But, between the two live action movies, I would have to say The Lord of the Rings trilogy is my favorite. Although, I feel The Hobbit is essential in setting up and provides context to The Lord of the Rings.
The Hobbit should have timeskipped with the battles of Sauron's forces vs Dale and Erebor....
Ooooh tough call. I tend to leave this one alone. I am impressed you took this one on. Ok so if I had to give you an answer it would be… anything with Peter Jackson on it is always the best!
i’m new to the whole lord of the rings scene lol .. but i stay watching one of the six movies .. i consider each one an equal able to stand alone as a film / piece of art i couldn’t really read the books tho ..
I love BOTH!! For exactly what you stated in this video. The Hobbit is more simple and straight forward and is an adventure!! Where as LOTR is an epic hero’s journey to save the world and way more complex and darker. Both are amazing and I can’t even imagine our world without them in it to read!!! To get lost in another world and taken on an adventure or an amazing epic journey!!