The Hobbit by J.R.R. TolkienMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was an incredibly adorable tale.
Directed for a very young audience, this had none of the epic, melancholic overtones of The Lord of the Rings, and makes for a lovely lighter read. As I read I could imagine myself reading this aloud to my children (whenever I have them).
Tolkien has a wonderful habit of injecting his own voice into the story with phrases like 'I never heard what happened to, but it is generally believed...' (I'm paraphrasing here) which, though it took me out of the story, made me smile nonetheless. It looks odd written on paper, but if the story is spoken, it adds an authenticity that is entirely enchanting and language is first and foremost spoken.
With adventures a-plenty and a humorous narrative, it's no small wonder that The Hobbit is one of the most beloved children's books of all time. I'm very sorry I waited this long to read it.
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Quixotism
Romantic or absurd notions or actions.
- William Grimshaw's Ladies' Lexicon and Parlour Companion, 1854
Quixotic principles, character, or practice; an instance of this - a quixotic action or idea. Quixotize, to act in a quixotic manner; to render quixotic. Quixotry, quixotism.
- Sir James Murray's New English Dictionary, 1909
Does anyone else get the feeling that Sir James Murray didn't actually know the meaning of the word?
4 comments:
... I hope I'm not distantly related to this Sir James Murray. I'm pretty sure he's just bluffing, and doing a terribly transparent job of it.
I would hope that you are! His dictionary is otherwise excellent. Though, doesn't this entry put you to mind of George Bush Jr.'s answer to the question about National Sovereignty?
I read The Hobbit in high school and I remember loving it! Of course, I love The Lord of the Rings series too, although I read those books a long time ago, too. These are on my must reread list... so many books...
It is by far the most adorable read I've had in a long time. I can't wait to have children so I can read it to them!
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