Paperback

English language

Published Aug. 15, 2002 by Houghton Mifflin.

ISBN:
978-0-345-36858-4
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5 stars (2 reviews)

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort. Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when it was first published in 1937. Now recognized as a timeless classic, this introduction to the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the wizard Gandalf, Gollum, and the spectacular world of Middle-earth recounts of the adventures of a reluctant hero, a powerful and dangerous ring, and the cruel dragon Smaug the Magnificent. The text in this 372-page paperback edition is based on that first published in Great Britain by Collins Modern Classics (1998), and includes a note on the text by Douglas A. Anderson (2001).

1 edition

reviewed The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (The Lord of the Rings)

Review of 'The Hobbit' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

This is definitely a classic. I think it was my first real fantasy book when I was a child, but I had not read it again since then, while I have read Lord of the Rings multiple times. It's definitely written for a much younger audience, but very entertaining.

What surprised me is how many hints of the bigger Tolkien world are already in there. As I read the Silmarillion just recently, I was pleased to find that Glamdring and Orcrist are swords from Gondolin. Also, several hints at Moria and such. I really enjoyed those parts the most, to find out how the Hobbit fits into the larger picture.

I highly recommend reading this book first before you move on to Lord of the Rings, it will make it more enjoyable.

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rated it

5 stars

Subjects

  • Classics
  • Fantasy - General
  • Literature - Classics / Criticism
  • Fantastic fiction
  • Fiction