I haven’t read The
Hobbit since I was in middle school, so reading Bilbo’s Journey: Discovering the Hidden Meaning of The Hobbit has been a great way of slipping back into
the fascinating world of J. R. R. Tolkien.
It’s also made me quite intrigued and excited about reading The
Lord of the Rings trilogy from beginning to end. Yes, I must admit, there are many amazing books
out there, some very important literary works, I haven’t yet read from cover to
cover.
Honestly, the most recent experience I’ve had becoming absorbed in Tolkien’s creations before reading this book was watching The Lord of the Rings Trilogy on DVD along with countless hours of behind-the-scenes footage. If you already appreciate this trilogy, then you will find it hard to contain your excitement when you hear and see all that went into the filming of it.
Being a bit removed from my first time reading The Hobbit and discussing it in a public school setting, I thoroughly enjoyed the in-depth look at the Christian meaning and significance of Tolkien’s epic adventure as well as his wildly popular trilogy which Joseph Pearce provides.
No one is completely immune to the “dragon sickness” of selfishness and pride, but those who respond to “luck” as it is called in The Hobbit are given all they need to overcome each encounter with it. Pearce’s close examination of the special set of circumstances required for Elrond to even be able to see the letters on the map shows that the mere “chance” of this
happening is highly improbable. To chalk so much up to chance would be
absurd. Providence and grace are at
work.
A “Divine Will” involved as a higher order is the only reasonable explanation for things coming together perfectly, literally down to the last second. The pitfalls of pride, the dangers of materialism, and the necessity of self-sacrifice in order to love and forge true friendships are seen more clearly through the eyes of this Tolkien scholar. The virtues and values that matter most don’t change. The pursuit of power, pleasure, and promoting lies leads to destruction, despair, and death for those in the human realm as well as those in fairy tales.
Bilbo’s Journey: Discovering the Hidden Meaning of The Hobbit is the perfect book to get your ready for the soon-to-be released movie The Hobbit likely coming to a theater near you this month. For more information about Bilbo’s Journey: Discovering the Hidden Meaning of The Hobbit or to get your own copy of the book, click here. I received a free copy of this book from Saint Benedict Press in order for writing an honest review of it.
