The Hobbit Bookclub Chapter 1: An Unexpected Party

[Starpaul20]

Hi, I've decided to repost my Hobbit Bookclubs here.

Ands what is a Hobbit?

Hobbits are little people, about half the size of Humans, with thick hair on their feet, round bellies, and a love of good food, comfort and security.


Chapter 1: An Unexpected Party

The chapter (and the book) starts out with an description of Hobbits-holes. Hobbits-holes are what Hobbits live in. It has a
round door, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass doorknob. The inside of a hobbit-hole was a tunnel with pegs for hats and coats. It was one story, with alot pantries and wardrobes.
There is one of these hobbit-holes in a the side of a hill, called The Hill. It was home to a hobbit called Bilbo Baggins.
Bilbo Baggins was a very well-to-do hobbit. People considered the Bagginses very respectable, not just because they were rich, but because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected. Now Bilbo's mother, Belladonna Took, was from the Took clan, a family of Hobbits who's members are known for going on adventures and never coming back. Bungo Baggins, Bilbo's father, married Belladonna Took and had Bilbo, there only son. Despite the Took blood, Blibo prefers to stay at home and live a quiet life.

One day, Bilbo is enjoying a pipe outside his front door when an old man with a long grey cloak, a pointed hat and a staff comes by. The old man is Gandalf, a wizard who creates great fireworks displays on holidays in Hobbiton. When Gandalf asks Bilbo if he would be intersted in going on an adventure, Bilbo declines and quickly excuses himself. He invites Gandalf over for tea sometime so he doesn't appear rude even though he wants nothing to do with Gandalf or his adventure.

The next day, the doorbell rings. Bilbo assumes it's Gandalf. But, to his surprise, it's a dwarf named Dwalin who sits right down and starts eating. The bell rings again, this time its another dwarf named Balin, who also sits down and starts to eat with Dwalin (They were Brothers). Two more dwarves come, Kili and Fili. Then five more: Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin, and Gloin. After they sit down, Bilbo hears a loud knoke. Four more dwarfs: Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, and Thorin plus Gandalf was with them. The dwarves and the wizared nearly clean out Bilbo's pantry before they settle down to talk business.

Gandalf has volunteered Bilbo to be a "burglar" for the dwarves adventure. Both Bilbo and the dwarves protest, but Gandalf tells the dwarves that there more to Bilbo than meets the eye. Gandalf gets out an old map of a great mountain. He points to a secret door, one that Thorin holds the key to. Bilbo demands clarification about the point of this adventure, so Thorin explains. Thorin's grandfather, Thror, mined the mountain and found a wealth of gold and jewels. Then Thror became the King under the Mountain, but the tresure drew unwanted attention. It drew the attention of Smaug, a dragon, who came and killed or scattered Thror's people. The dragon has been guarding the tresure ever since. Thorin and the dwarves are out to reclaim the tresure, even though they don't know what do do about Smaug. Blibo suspects they wan him to help slay the dragon. Bilbo reluctantly agrees to go.

The chapter ends with the company leaving and Bilbo going to sleep and having bad dreams. I've found this chapter to be a great start to a great book.