Here’s a fun way to spend a few minutes – the New York Times (free registration required) has made available the original reviews they ran of The Hobbit (1938) and the three books of the Lord of the Rings (1954,1955,1956). Of the Hobbit, for example, they say:

“The songs of the dwarves and elves are real poetry, and since the author is fortunate enough to be able to make his own drawings, the illustrations are a perfect accompaniment to the test. Boys and girls from 8 years on have already given “The Hobbit” an enthusiastic welcome, but this is a book with no age limits. All those, young or old, who love a fine adventurous tale, beautifully told, will take “The Hobbit” to their hearts.”

I can’t help but agree that these books by J.R.R.Tolkien are gems of literature. If you have nothing else to do for Christmas Eve, curling up with a good book is always a lovely way to spend some time…