The Hobbit

The Hobbit features holistic characterization and development of Bilbo Baggins and Thorin Oakenshield in terms of their context, motives, and conflicts (internal and external) which push the narrative forward. Other characters whose developments come across as worthy of note include Beorn the skin-changer and Smaug - by now made famous (or infamous) via the the films. 

Then there is Tolkien's language: stylishly and skillfully used to say the least with non-canonical clause structures being utilized and the inclusion of poetry to express his characters' thoughts and feelings. 

Middle Earth, moreover, is a place of natural, magical beauty, a sort of European haven with dark, enchanted stops. Majestic mountains, rivers, lakes, and landscapes pepper Tolkien's fantasy world. 

Tying up loose ends and major narrative gaps very thoroughly, Tolkien writes a pretty believable denouement towards the end of the book, though some story elements remain unexplained since they are part of the historical background of this fictional mythology. 

Overall, the narrative speaks of Englishness and home; of courage, of divine intervention, and of greed and money and its limitations; of friendship and cultural differences. 

An enchanting, child-friendlier part of Tolkien's mythopoeia, one's imagination easily latches on to The Hobbit . 

Nevertheless, all this being said, the movement of narrative-time - the plot-movement - is a tad too slow because Tolkien, like other deft English writers, take as much time and as many ideas as they feel necessary to introduce their readers to the various stages of a plot and even settings.