I don't know why I waited so long to read The Hobbit, but I finally felt interested to read it after visiting Oxford and hearing how Tolkien wrote it there. I enjoyed it tremendously. It wasn't dry, or dull, or old, it was charming, delightful and often hilarious. It reads lightly and magically, and is a wonderful tale that would suit young or old. It definitely helped to have watched the Lord of the Rings movies which contextualised some parts more. Now to consider whether to commit to the full Lord of the Rings books...