'The Hobbit' and Virtue
by Joseph Pearce
At its deepest level of meaning, The Hobbit is a pilgrimage of grace in which its protagonist, Bilbo Baggins, becomes grown-up in the most important sense.
Since its initial publication almost 60 years ago, it is estimated to have registered sales in excess of 150 million copies.
In a poll organized jointly by Waterstones and BBC Channel 4 in 1996, The Lord of the Rings topped the poll in 104 of the 105 branches of the British bookstore, receiving 20% more votes than George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, its nearest rival. Perhaps its ultimate triumph in the age of the Internet was its being voted best book of the millennium by Amazon.com customers, signaling its conquest of the final frontier of cyberspace.
In the wake of the book's phenomenal success, Peter Jackson's movie adaptation of The Lord of the Rings trilogy became one of the most successful films of all time.
Few would predict anything other than another huge success for Jackson and his team with the Dec. 14 release of the first part of the long-awaited three-part adaptation of The Hobbit.
At its deepest level of meaning, The Hobbit is a pilgrimage of grace in which its protagonist, Bilbo Baggins, becomes grown-up in the most important sense. Throughout the course of his adventure, the hobbit develops the habit of virtue and grows in sanctity, illustrating the priceless truth that we only become wise men (homo sapiens) when we realize that we are pilgrims on a purposeful journey through life (homo viator).
Since its initial publication almost 60 years ago, it is estimated to have registered sales in excess of 150 million copies.
In a poll organized jointly by Waterstones and BBC Channel 4 in 1996, The Lord of the Rings topped the poll in 104 of the 105 branches of the British bookstore, receiving 20% more votes than George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, its nearest rival. Perhaps its ultimate triumph in the age of the Internet was its being voted best book of the millennium by Amazon.com customers, signaling its conquest of the final frontier of cyberspace.
In the wake of the book's phenomenal success, Peter Jackson's movie adaptation of The Lord of the Rings trilogy became one of the most successful films of all time.
Few would predict anything other than another huge success for Jackson and his team with the Dec. 14 release of the first part of the long-awaited three-part adaptation of The Hobbit.
At its deepest level of meaning, The Hobbit is a pilgrimage of grace in which its protagonist, Bilbo Baggins, becomes grown-up in the most important sense. Throughout the course of his adventure, the hobbit develops the habit of virtue and grows in sanctity, illustrating the priceless truth that we only become wise men (homo sapiens) when we realize that we are pilgrims on a purposeful journey through life (homo viator).
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