The Hobbit - readings

[scalydemon]

How many times have you read The Hobbit?

I just picked up a spare copy at half price books for $1 (what do you get for $1 these days?) and am enjoying re-reading it.

If memory serves this is my 4th time reading it. First was when I was about 13 or 14

[geoffrey]

First of all, that is a beautiful image. Is that an actual book cover, or only an image?

I read The Hobbit 8 times before getting married, then I read it out-loud to my wife, making it 9. Since then I've read it several more times: at least 3 and probably about 5. I've thus read it at least 12 times and probably about 14 times. I find it one of the most re-readable of books. Lately I've been re-reading it each spring. I wonder if I associate The Hobbit with springtime since that is when the book begins.

(I've read The Lord of the Rings 9 times: 8 times before getting married and once thereafter to my wife. I haven't read it in over a decade!)

[Falconer]

Never occurred to me to count, but it’s got to be in the 10-19 range. My father read it aloud to us kids from when I was very young. I couldn’t even tell you how many times he did that, or when I first read it myself. I was probably 9 or 10. I read it every summer throughout my teen years, but now it’s only every few years. Especially since I sometimes read The History of The Hobbit instead.

[geoffrey]

Jun 13, 2014 22:38:16 GMT -6 Falconer said:

I couldn’t even tell you how many times he did that, or when I first read it myself. I was probably 9 or 10.

I was an 11-year-old 6th-grader. I still fondly remember hurrying home from school every day to lie on the couch and read a chapter (or part of a chapter for the longer ones). I was transfixed. I had seen The Hobbit cartoon on TV in 1977 when I was 7 years old, and thus had some uncertain memories of the overall storyline.

[scalydemon]

Here is a link to that edition in the pic. I may have to pick up a copy of it as it is quite striking. The art looks to be based directly on JRR T's own art piece of the birches

www.tolkien.co.uk/product/9780007487301/The+Hobbit

[jmccann]

Not quite sure, I am guessing twice on my own and once to the kids. I have read the LOTR more often.

[scottenkainen]

If I can only count complete readings, then only once ever. What I usually do is only go back and re-read a few chapters, rather than the whole thing again.

[havard]

Maybe like four times. I always enjoyed it, but I prefer the Lord of the Rings.

-Havard

[Finarvyn]

I'm not really sure how many times I've re-read the Hobbit. I first discovered it roughly the same time as I found D&D, so maybe mid-70's, and would guess that I re-read the Hobbit and LotR again every 3 or so years. I guess that puts me somewhere in the 10-19 range.

[Merctime]

Interestingly, I'm in the process of reading it again as we speak. I'm at the part currently where the Dwarfs have been wrapped up by the spiders in the wood, after the group had visited Beorn's home, and Bilbo is doing his best to keep from being spider-food. I should say that I can't remember how often I've read this, so I just voted for 3 to be close to honest about it. That may or may not reflect reality, for as Scottenkainen above has mentioned, many times I have read bits here and there and not necessarily the book in it's entirety. Not sure how this reading will turn out, but it's just as enjoyable as the first time!

[The Semi-Retired Gamer]

I picked 2 times because that is the number I am absolutely certain about. I remember going through my uncle's book collection as a kid - Tolkien, Eddings, Brackett, Brooks, etc. - so I have no doubt that I've most likely read it closer to 4 or 6 times.

[Porphyre]

At least three times, but I don't remember well because my first reading was a long time ago. I re-read the Lord of the Rings more (I gave up counting after the 7th time).

On the other side, I do often re-read the graphical novel drawn by D. Wenzel

[bea]

I've never read it. Hoping to do so some time, but I read all too seldom nowadays.

[Deleted]

Never counted. I do know it was assigned for 10th English. I'd read it a few times before that, so it was easy enough to skim it, if I didn't have the time to read it before class.

[kent]

The Hobbit - 4 times

compared to:

The Lord of the Rings - about 10 times
Unfinished Tales - about 5 times (usually just The Children of Hurin)
The Silmarillion - about 8 times

and the recently published,
The Children of Hurin - 3 times

[sulldawga]

Only read it once, when I was a kid, but looking forward to revisiting it with my kids in a few years!

[Koren n'Rhys]

I picked 6-9, but not sure exactly. I first read it in 6th grade, in 1980 and occasionally since then. I, too, have re-read LotR more. The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales - I think just the once each. I keep telling myself to go back and read those again, along with some of the newer Histories stuff.

[librarylass]

At least once a year since I was 12, so it must be at least 11 times...

[tkdco2]

At least twice, but not in a while.