Tolkien’s trolls speak in working-class dialect and defeat themselves through argumentative bickering—showing how evil lacks socialist cooperation.

The Hobbit begins in Tolkien’s unconscious socialist vision—Bilbo lives comfortably without employment or employers, free from government coercion. Gandalf organises a volunteer collective to restore stolen dwarf property. It’s perfectly democratic: equal opportunity quests with no compulsion to participate. This egalitarian environment brings out people’s best qualities, showing how freedom and choice enable personal growth and solidarity.

Tolkien unconsciously embedded socialist values in his work. He’s one of the twentieth century’s most socialist writers, despite his conservative beliefs.

How I Read The Hobbit as a Socialist Story (And Completely Missed the Point)
As a child, I saw Tolkien’s world as gloriously secular—no churches, no God, just folklore creatures the Church opposed. Bilbo’s anarchic society without government or hierarchy seemed like progressive utopia. Only later did I discover Tolkien was a conservative Christian medievalist — oh well.

Despite improvements in writing and longer story segments, this series struggles to overcome its inherited plot issues. While not as bad as feared, it remains slow and unengaging. Poor lighting in dark scenes further detracts from the experience. Overall, it’s hardly compelling, but curiosity may keep some viewers watching.

Amazon’s Tolkien series initially looked dreadful in trailers, but won me over with stunning visuals, excellent dialogue, and first-rate acting. The epic dwarf mines and elvish scenes felt authentically Middle-earth. While the diverse casting works well, the Harfoots (hobbits) feel out of place and annoying. Early promise exists, but success depends on maintaining quality and delivering a satisfying conclusion.