Isaac
The Hobbit is definitely better. The Frodo and Sam stuff is great, everything else is kind of mediocre. I feel the same about the movie, but there's much more Frodo and Sam in the movie. But, there is enough in here for me to enjoy most of it. I'm kind of scared to read Two Towers, because I expect there to be even less Frodo.
For being nearly a decade old, The Hobbit has aged very well, it's probably one of the biggest inspirations for the hero's journey. I'm very familiar with the Lord of the Rings movies, but that's it. I also listened to Andy Serkis's narration which, honestly is THE way to read this. He's not just a narrator, he's a voice actor, and every single character in this novel has their own unique voice. This was a fun novel, and I can't wait to read the Lord of the Rings books.
Good, enjoyable book. I didn't expect much, but the first quarter or so of this book is pretty rough. The problem with memoirs, sometimes, is specifically celebrities, just think anything about their lives is more interesting than anyone else. That's not automatically true. Tina struggling with awkward friend relationships between gay guys, and basically anything in this book before she got into the comedy business, just isn't interesting. My favorite autobiographies, Bob Cranstons and Malcolm X's, both understand that they aren't going to be interesting just because of who they are. Their lives have to be interesting. And Tina Fey's caterer is interesting, so does her personal life during her career, but you gotta kind of choose what is interesting about your life and what isn't. I think this book is too much of a diary, than memoir at times. But, Tina Fey is funny. And even though I'm an avid SNL hater (but 30 Rock fan), the SNL stuff is very interesting. And when she dives into motherhood and sexism in the last part of the book, it has very little to do with her career, and manages to be interesting.
I wasn't expecting too much going into this book, I was really hoping it would be just as good as the movie or not a complete copy of the movie, but if it was I wouldn't be upset. But, fortunately this was much more than that. It adds so much to each character, Tarantino also does a fantastic job at keeping the same atmosphere as the film. Characters like Charles Manson, which only had once scene in the film, had a lot more to do in this novel. And “pussycat” became a much darker character than I thought she was from the movie, even though I knew she's a part of the Manson family. And, the biggest depth is definitely to Cliff Booth. They add so much to his character that he feels like a brand new character even though all of it makes complete sense. I would love this novel, everything that is in it, to be adapted into a mini series. But, this novel definitely isn't going to appeal to everyone. If you thought the film was good but didn't like it until the final 30 minutes, this novel won't do much for you, other than the insight it puts on Cliff Booth and the Manson family, which doesn't take up nearly as much as the entire novel. Also, if you don't have love for cinema, like really, really love this novel also won't be for you. There are many chapters where the characters just go on tangents about different actors, films, or directors that doesn't really relate to the story of the novel. But I personally loved that stuff. So, if you loved the atmosphere, the entire film from beginning to end, loved the characters or were interested by them, and love cinema, this novel is definitely for you. I am excited for what Tarantino decides to write next.
9/10
