Bilbo: an unreliable narrator?

[Arvegil145]

Where does the idea that Bilbo is an unreliable narrator come from?

Because on the web, more often than not, you'll find people downplaying or outright dismissing many of the weirder scenes in The Hobbit.

Such as, for example:

1) the talking purse and the cockney Trolls (which are, funnily enough, still found in Tolkien's aborted 1960 rewrite of the story - the only substantial deletion in the '60 rewrite is the abandonment of the Narrator)

2) the Giants! Even though Gandalf himself mentions finding a 'more or less decent' Giant to help him close the Goblin trap-door

3) Sassy, singing Elves - again, even though in the LOTR you find both sassy and singing Elves

4) anthropomorphized 'animals' - such as those found in the house of Beorn; or Carc the raven...and, at the risk of repeating myself, you can find such 'animals' in both the LOTR and The Silmarillion (I'm putting the airquotes around the term animals because I don't think they were just ordinary animals to begin with)



With all these things said: is Bilbo an unreliable narrator? Judging by the chapter 'The Council of Elrond' in the Book II of the LOTR, I'd say no.


Here's a quote from that chapter:

"Very well," said Bilbo. "I will do as you bid. But I will now tell the true story, and if some here have heard me tell it otherwise" – he looked sidelong at Glóin – "I ask them to forget it and forgive me. I only wished to claim the treasure as my very own in those days, and to be rid of the name of thief that was put on me. But perhaps I understand things a little better now. Anyway, this is what happened."

To some there Bilbo's tale was wholly new, and they listened with amazement while the old hobbit, actually not at all displeased, recounted his adventure with Gollum, at full length. He did not omit a single riddle. He would have given also an account of his party and disappearance from the Shire, if he had been allowed; but Elrond raised his hand.

It seems to me that, other than the fable he told of his meeting with Gollum (influenced by the Ring), Bilbo seems to be a pretty reliable author.