/r/TheHobbit/

7, 514 hobbits for one year!

I'm not shy about my ridiculous obsession with middle earth. I remember being a toddler and my father reading The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings to me before bed. If you google “Lord of the Reefs” you'll get a 15 minute video of my friends and me recreating Return of the King line for line, under the guise that we were teaching people about the great barrier reef. Here is a photo of my friends and me, I'm the one dressed up as Gimli. One of my most popular comments I've ever written on reddit was about my friends and me making a hobbit hole together. So naturally, I wanted to feature /r/TheHobbit so that others could revel in Tolkien's glory like I have all my life.

/r/TheHobbit is a great subreddit. With a pretty equal amount of movie updates as well as discussions of the novel. There are people in this sub that make my obsession seem almost sane. Almost.

The users are always very kind, always willing to answer any kind of question, even the most basic questions from people who have never read a single page of the book, to the most ridiculously specific minute details of the The Hobbit.

And now, there is a movie. Scratch that. There are THREE movies. I am as happy as a pig in poop because I, and so many others, have been waiting for this since 2003, when Return of the King first premiered. And with only a couple months to go until the An Unexpected Journey's release, I couldn't think of a better time to feature this subreddit.

1. What inspired you to create r/TheHobbit?

Alyeska2112: Like countless others around the world, Tolkien's works had a big impact on me, and Jackson's films only built on that. There aren't too many book or film series I can chat about at length without getting bored, but The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings definitely rank among them. When I saw that no one had yet created a subreddit specifically for The Hobbit, I knew it presented a great opportunity, especially with the new films set to premier.

2. What should people expect to find on your subreddit?

Alyeska2112: A real community, I think. We're not shy about geeking out, and some of our subscribers are such knowledgable, lifelong fans, it's really inspiring to go back over the book and see how much you know. It's great to chat with others about one of your favorite subjects, and see what other peoples' experiences with the book have been.

travelinghobbit: I like to think we're a big group of geeky fans. Doesn't matter if you've read the books a million times, only seen the Lord of the Rings movies or the old animated ones, or never even heard of it. /r/TheHobbit is a place we can all come, share and discover Tolkien.

3. Be honest. Can you name all of the dwarves from memory?

Alyeska2112: Okay, despite the temptation of the all-knowing Internet at my fingertips, I'm going to do this without cheating: Thorin Oakenshield, Kili, Fili, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Oin, Gloin, Dwalin, Balin, and...uh...crap. Now I feel like Rick Perry.

travelinghobbit: cracks knuckles Dori, Ori, Nori, Oin, Gloin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Fili, Kili, Dwalin, Balin, Thorin Oakenshield. I swear on my furry hobbit feet I did that from memory. ;)

4. What do you think of the decision to make The Hobbit into a three movie series?

Alyeska2112: Peter Jackson has spelled out pretty well his intentions for the separate films, without giving too much away. I think it's a great idea, because it'll not only allow him to take his time with the story portrayed in The Hobbit, but will also let him flesh out the ideas Tolkien refers to (the Necromancer, the White Council, Radagast, etc.). Besides, he could make a dozen of these, and as long as they're as brilliant as the LoTR trilogy, I'll happily keep seeing them.

travelinghobbit: I have complete faith in Peter Jackson and the others involved. I was miffed a bit at first when watching LotR at some of the changes, but if you do that with every screen adaptation, you are not enjoy any one. I like to enjoy the movies for the movies and the books for the books.

5. What's your favorite aspect of The Hobbit, the book?

Alyeska2112: The quiet nature of it. The films are beautiful and exciting and funny in their own way, but there's no denying the reserved, literary beauty of the book. Tolkien was a master with words, and used them like a world class chef - only the right ingredients, in only the right amounts. Tolkien was economical at times, expansive at others, but always used just the right words and lyrical descriptiveness for the moment. He didn't just usher in high fantasy, he was a peerless writer.

travelinghobbit: When I pick up my copy of The Hobbit, I remember the first time I read it. It was a Christmas present and was finished before the day was over. The sheer beauty of the words Tolkien used, the way he wrote enthralled me and still does. Also, the character of Bilbo is very relatable. Who hasn't felt like they've been thrown in the thick of it without knowing what to do? Seeing him grow and take leadership is wonderful and makes you think you can face your own hardships.

6. Do you guys ever discuss any of Tolkien's other works?

Alyeska2112: We definitely talk about Tolkien's other works, though usually as it pertains to The Hobbit. You'll read a lot about the history of Middle-earth, and events that don't strinctly appear in The Hobbit. In that sense, we're like /r/tolkienfans or /r/lotr. But we always tend to come back around to what Mr. Baggins and the Dwarves are up to.

7. Anything else you'd like to say? To your subscribers or people interested in joining your subreddit? The floor is yours.

Alyeska2112: Simply put, /r/TheHobbit is successful because of the moderators and subscribers who make it so. I'm just the guy who stumbled on an available subreddit. Mods like travelinghobbit and chimpwithalimp, in particular, have really created something special with it - which is appropriate, since they both live in New Zealand! Other excellent Hobbits like nitesmoke and skulburn have also contributed greatly. In other words, it's a truly worthwhile subreddit because of the hard work and creativity of others. Without them, it wouldn't be nearly as interesting.

travelinghobbit: I wish I could find some pithy quotation from the book for you, but instead I'll leave you to read it and find your own favourite. Come on an adventure with everyone who's read it before. Join the Company!

DAS END.