Product Description

This is a new paperback edition of JRR Tolkien's fantasy masterpiece, "The Hobbit". "The Hobbit" is a tale of high adventure, undertaken by a company of dwarves in search of dragon-guarded gold. A reluctant partner in this perilous quest is Bilbo Baggins, a comfort-loving unambitious hobbit, who surprises even himself by his resourcefulness and skill as a burglar. Encounters with trolls, goblins, dwarves, elves and giant spiders, conversations with the dragon, Smaug, and a rather unwilling presence at the Battle of Five Armies are just some of the adventures that befall Bilbo. Bilbo Baggins has taken his place among the ranks of the immortals of children's fiction. Written by Professor Tolkien for his own children, "The Hobbit" met with instant critical acclaim when published.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #735 in Books
• Published on: 1993-03-19
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Poor Bilbo Baggins! An unassuming and rather plump hobbit (as most of these small, furry-footed people tend to be ), Baggins finds himself unwittingly drawn into adventure by a wizard named Gandalf and 13 dwarves bound for the Lonely Mountain, where a dragon named Smaug hordes a stolen treasure. Before he knows what is happening, Baggins finds himself on the road to danger. Wizards, dwarves and dragons may seem the stuff of children's fairy tales, but The Hobbit is in a class of its own--light-hearted enough for younger readers, yet with a dark edge guaranteed to intrigue an older audience. In the best tradition of the archetypal hero's quest, Bilbo Baggins sets out on his fateful journey a callow, untested soul and returns--tempered by hardship, danger and loss--a better man--er, hobbit.

This book is the predecessor to Tolkien's masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings, and though that trilogy can be thoroughly enjoyed without first reading The Hobbit, much that happens in the later novels is foreshadowed here. A word of caution, however: as Bilbo discovers early on, travel and adventure are addictive things; embark on this journey to the Lonely Mountain with Tolkien's reluctant hero, and you might not be able to stop there. And the road taken to the distant mountains of Mordor in the ensuing trilogy is an even more perilous one.

Review
'One of the most influential books of our generation! A flawless masterpiece' The Times 'The English-speaking world is divided into those who have read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings and those who are going to read them.' Sunday Times

One of the 20th century's most popular and influential books, Tolkien's masterpiece tells the saga of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins who is taken away from his quiet life on a magical adventure by the wizard Gandalf. A wonderful concoction of goblins, elves and trolls. (Kirkus UK)

About the Author
J.R.R.Tolkien (1892-1973) was a distinguished academic, though he is best known for writing The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, plus other stories and essays. His books have been translated into over 30 languages and have sold many millions of copies worldwide.

Customer Reviews

60 years before LOTR................
Well, i picked this book up and i couldent put it down. Thats how good this bok is. Like i said it is set 60 years before the Lord of the rings trilogy. It follows a young (ish) hobbit called Bilbo Baggins on an adventure with a Wizard called Gandalf and 12 Dwarves. They have assigned Bilbo Baggins as burgular (sorry for the spelling) and they have to go to the cave where Smaug lives, a fire-breathing dragon, and steal the treasures which he guards. I am not going to give any more away but i would reccomend this book to anyone. As J.R.R Tolkien wrote this as a passage for his Grandchildren, it isnt as hard to read as people say. Im 11 and i just truthely couldent put this book down. Saying that, it is no way a childrens book as i may have accidently put across. If you love fantasy then this is the all time book of fantasy. Also, bear in mind that when J.R.R Tolkien wrote this, there were no such things as elves and dwarves ect.... so he invented them all. Just bear that in mind as you read this book.

this is a good book but it is for kids
jrr Tolkien wrote this book for his children. if you are expecting more lord of the rings just be mindfull that this is a kids book it does tell you alot about bilbo and how he found the ring. i like it and i am going to read it to my children. you cant give this book one star because it was not what YOU expected

Read it to your children or just before you start the Lord of the Rings
This book was a very ancient candidate on my "to read list" and I always planned to read it just before the Lord of the Rings. So far, things have worked out and I have started Lord of the Rings the same afternoon I finished the Hobbit.

I don't think I would enjoy Lord of the Rings as much as I do, had I not read the Hobbit just beforehand. The Hobbit really provides the reader with a lot of background information, which is an advantage when you get started with the trilogy.

Nevertheless, I still feel that, as a stand - alone story, the Hobbit is a book aimed at children. Tolkien's fluid writing style and the way in which he addresses his readers, often gave me the impression that the author was right next to me, lecturing about hobbits in a style suitable for primary school children. The Hobbit is thus the perfect book to read to your children before bedtime or even one of the first novels they might read themselves.

When evaluating the Hobbit as a prelude to Lord of the Rings, things look a little bit different. Currently reading Lord of the Rings, I am thankful to have followed the chronological path, as the Hobbit prepares the setting for Lord of the Rings, in which Tolkien has adapted his very scholarly writing style to an audience of grown ups.

Apart from the obvious highlights of the story, i.e. Bilbo's encounter with Gollum, The Hobbit, even though the plot was neat and perfectly paced, sometimes felt dragging as the story meanders from one perilous situation to another. However, the aspect I enjoyed most was the author's typically English humour, which often shines through when Bilbo interacts with the other characters.