I finished reading “The Hobbit – There and Back Again”. I had approached the reading of this text after the film, “The Hobbit – An Unexpected Journey” (2012) and “The Hobbit – The Desolation of Smaug” (2013). I must admit that I was disappointed.

The story begins with Gandalf, a wizard, who comes to visit Bilbo, a hobbit, and asks him to take part in an adventure as a “burglar”. At the end Bilbo accepts and with Gadalf and twelve dwarves embarks on the journey. The journey isn’t easy and without danger. In fact, in the way they bump into some trolls, who capture them, but with the help of Gandalf manage to escape.
Then the company reaches  Rivendell, Elrond’s home, an half elf: here, studying the route on the map of Thorin, the company’s leader of dwarves, they discover some moon runes, special symbols that can be read only by putting the map in the direction of the moon, when it is in a particular position.

They leave again in the direction of the Mountain lonely. On the way they are captured by goblins. During the escape, Bilbo, who was separated from the group, he knows Gollum, whom he manages to steal his magic ring that makes you invisible. Once out of the caves in which they were trapped, their way to a thick forest, where they are forced to climb trees to escape the Warg, allied with the goblins. They are helped by the eagles that beat them nearby to the territory of Beorn, a man who can turn into a bear. He shows himself available and helps them to cross the Mirkwood. Here, however, the journey becomes more difficult: they end stores and are likely to fall asleep. They are captured by the giant spiders, but Bilbo, thanks to the ring magic can’t save everyone. However, they are again imprisoned, with the exception of Bilbo, the Wood Elves. It will be the hobbit to save them again, placing them in some barrels and using them as boats in the river reach Lake-town.

Here they are greeted with large parties in the hope that they are able to hunt the dragon Smaug from the lonely mountain and give it supplies up to Erebor. They manage to get into the mountain and then they find themselves facing the dragon.

Obviously I’m not here to tell you how the story ends to avoid take away the pleasure of reading. Although the story is very imaginative and leads you into another world, the reading I wasn’t very involved. The text seems to be aimed more at a young audience that an adult and the story is interrupted too often by ballads. If I had to give it a vote, it would be a seven. In life you read worse things.