On Oct. 31, at 12:00 p.m., students and faculty embarked on a long journey. It wasn’t quite unexpected in its manifestation, but it was certainly one that brought many together.
Published on Sept. 21, 1937, “The Hobbit” was J.R.R. Tolkien’s first book, a story of adventure that has managed to resonate with generations of readers. Millions have found joy in inspiration in this literary landmark. This literary classic was selected as the focus of the marathon reading event that took place on Halloween.
The event was organized by history professor Bill North and visiting English professor Tim Burbery. When asked why “The Hobbit” was chosen for this event, Burberry said, “Bill and I were trying to find a book that’s well known and would appeal to both the Carleton and Northfield communities. Since I was going to be teaching a course on Tolkien and Frank Herbert, something by Tolkien made sense, and I believe Bill suggested “The Hobbit” early on.”
North talked about his connection to “The Hobbit,” as well as its continuing relevance in modern times: “The character and behavior of Bilbo in such circumstances (giving up his share to secure the greater peace) becomes an interesting reflection of a way forward.”
In preparation for the event, a Google Sheet was made available for people to sign up for 20 minute reading slots ranging from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. This was the predicted duration for the marathon based on the length of the audiobook. In the days leading up to the event, the schedule quickly filled with people across Carleton College.
The marathon reading took place in Upper Sayles (above Sayles Cafe). A microphone was put in place so that everyone in the surrounding area could enjoy the reading.
“I was a little nervous about that. But everyone there while I was reading – who were mostly supportive friends and professors – were all very encouraging, which I especially appreciated when I realized that my reading portion included a song that I ended up sing-rap-speaking,” said Zoe Roettger ’27, one of the students who participated.
In regards to the length of the read, Roettger said that 20 minutes was “a good length in that each reader could comfortably cover about a scene or more while still allowing over two dozen people to participate.”
According to North, the event had a natural flow as “all the readers were so good about being ready for their turn, making the transitions happen momentarily,” North said. Before these transitions occurred, each reader signed their name in the copy of the book used during the event.
Throughout the marathon, more than 20 readers got the chance to read different parts of “The Hobbit.” Each reader presented their own distinct narration of the book, which proved to be a great source of enjoyment.
“For me this is one of the pleasures of marathon readings: one has the opportunity to hear different people bring their own personality, voice, and imagination to a given section of a work that they appreciate,” North said.
In between, patrons of the event had the chance to indulge in other pleasantries. From 5:00-5:40 p.m., a costume contest took place, along with the chance to indulge in pizza and various baked goods.
Gradually, the pages grew thinner and thinner. By the time the clock struck 9:30 p.m., the team was already approaching “The Battle of The Five Armies.”
“We had anticipated that our reading would roughly correspond to the length of the audio book (11 hours) but our reading came in around ten hours,” North said.
Around 10:15 p.m., English professor Peter Balaam narrated the final pages of “The Hobbit.” A crowd started form around the venue as they realized that Bilbo’s journey was coming to an end.
“It was great fun and a big surprise to find myself ‘batting clean-up,’ getting to read the final chapter, at the ‘Hobbit’ marathon reading. Those closing scenes have an awesome quietness to them as events slow and Bilbo Baggins arrives home again after far too many adventures,” Balaam said. “Reading really good material aloud is a great joy to a ham like me, and Tolkien’s masterful. But it focuses the mind absolutely to read (without rehearsal!) sentences that some in the audience have loved since they were little kids, have read over and over again, and know by heart. I really didn’t want to mess up the ending!”
And as Balaam finished reading the final lines of “The Hobbit,” the crowd fell to applause. A group photo was taken to commemorate the marathon.
Looking back at the experience, North reflected, “I think that everyone was pleased by the way the reading of Tolkien unfolded and the variety of people involved. Tolkien’s ‘The Hobbit’ has truly become a touchstone for multiple generations and it seems clear that people have their favorite moments.”