Hobbit Lessons, A Map for Life's Unexpected Journeys by Devin Brown (29.01.14 by Pieter Collier) - Comments

Tolkien-scholar Devin Brown's latest book Hobbit Lessons, A Map for Life's Unexpected Journeys was released nationwide in October 2013. It presents timeless lessons and tangible bites of wisdom that are moving, fun, and help navigate life’s journey.

Brown teases out the wisdom that Tolkien has woven into his timeless story in a way that becomes a story in itself. We learn what it means to join together with friends on a mutual quest, not to be overly fond of certain things even as we learn to see the priceless value of others, and to recognize our own place in the wide world and where it is that we truly belong.

For those new to The Hobbit or long-time fans, Hobbit Lessons will bring the book alive in a new way and provide life lessons about loyalty, selflessness, friendship, and dedication—lessons as precious as a golden ring.

We best know Devin Brown from his previous Tolkien book The Christian World of the Hobbit, a book-length examination of the faith elements in J.R.R. tolkien's enchanting prelude to The Lord of the Rings. We are happy to see he now wrote yet another book, this time tackling The Hobbit. The new book, Hobbit Lessons, is less focused on literary analysis and offers tangible take-aways and profound life lessons on joy, friendship, dedication, sacrifice, and more.

Millions of fans worldwide have been attracted to The Hobbit for its unique combination of high adventure and profound truths. Tapping the excitement around the highly-anticipated second installment of the Hobbit movie trilogy (in theaters since December 2013), Tolkien-scholar, Devin Brown, presents a fast-paced and easy-to-follow presentation of timeless spiritual messages to help navigate your spiritual journey. Peppered with illustrations throughout, Hobbit Lessons offers troll-sized portions of relevance and regular nuggets of good Hobbit sense.

The result is a collection of tangible bites of wisdom that are not only deeply moving but also great fun. These lessons on joy, friendship, dedication, sacrifice, and more will appeal to Hobbit fans, parents, teachers, librarians, youth pastors, graduates—and anyone looking for a creative way to explore timeless life lessons and important values of faith.

Chapter titles include:
• When Adventure Comes Knocking, Let It In (Despite the Fact It May Make You Late for Dinner)
• Live Courageously (Even if—Especially if—Part of You Says Not To)
• Be Fond of Waistcoats, Second Breakfasts, Pocket Handkerchiefs, and Four O'Clock Tea (But Don't Let Them Become Too Precious)
• Have your Friends' Backs (Someone Has Yours)
• Beware—Not All That Glitters Is Gold (And Even Gold Is Not the Treasure You Think)
• Remember—Not All That Is Gold Glitters (In Fact, Life's Real Treasures Are Quite Ordinary Looking)
• Recognize You Are Only a Little Fellow in a Wide World (But Still an Important Part of a Larger Story)
• Find the Enchantment All Around You (Even if You Are Not a Wizard)


About the author Devin Brown

Brown Devin is a Lilly Scholar and a Professor of English at Asbury University where he teaches a class on Lewis and Tolkien. He has spoken at Lewis and Tolkien conferences in the UK and the U.S. Devin earned a PhD at the University of South Carolina and currently lives in Lexington, Kentucky.

Brown has published numerous essays and scholarly articles on Lewis and Tolkien, who were not only contemporaries, but friends. His Lewis books include Inside Narnia: A Guide to Exploring The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), Inside Prince Caspian: A Guide to Exploring the Return to Narnia (2008) and Inside the Voyage of the Dawn Treader: A Guide to Exploring the Journey beyond Narnia (2010).

His latest book on Tolkien was The Christian World of The Hobbit about which we released an interview.

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