The Hobbit, or, There and Back Again by J. R. R. Tolkien

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The Hobbit, or, There and Back Again

by J. R. R. Tolkien

Series: The Lord of the Rings (Prequel)

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▾Recommendations

Member recommendations

Justin-brown recommends Bible: New International Version by Zondervan
Georgedoyle223 recommends Luthiel's Song: Dreams of the Ringed Vale by Robert Marston Fanney, "Readers who love elves, fantasy, adventure, and strange creatures will enjoy both Luthiel's Song and The Hobbit."
DavidGoldsteen recommends Monkey by Wu Cheng'en, "If you like a quest story, here's the real deal. A Chinese classic first that first appeared as a novel over 500 years ago. Monkey is a lively, funny, (see more) exciting story."
benmartin79 recommends Beowulf by Anonymous
fleela recommends The Annotated Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

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▾Member reviews

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love this book, every now and them I re-read it and I never tire of it! A classic (

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trinibaby9 | Nov 24, 2009 |

Read in 9th grade and naturally led to reading LOTR. What a find! (

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woodge | Nov 20, 2009 |

The adventure begins when Gandalf, the wizard, tricks Bilbo Baggins into helping a band of dwarfs steal their treasure back from the dragon Smaug. In this quest, Bilbo and his companions battle against goblins, dragons, and evil wolves. Deep within a mountain, he finds a mysterious ring with magical powers. It is the very ring that becomes the heart of Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy.

When The Hobbit was first published in 1938, a New York Times reviewer, Anne Eaton, called it '...one of the most freshly original and delightfully imaginative books for children that have appeared in many a long day. . . . a glorious account of a magnificent adventure, filled with suspense and seasoned with a quiet humor that is irresistible.' More than 70 years later,The Hobbit still thrills and charms readers (grade 6 and up), even if they have seen the movies based on Tolkien's books. (

)

YAbookfest | Nov 19, 2009 |

Different than the Lord of the Rings, but no less fantastic. This novel was my best friend over Christmas vacation when I was in seventh grade. I wished only that I had read it sooner. It has the brilliant writing of Lord of the Rings with twice the heart. (

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SendersName | Nov 11, 2009 |

My grade 6 teacher, Mr Glenn, read us The Hobbit and forever filled me with the love of Tolkien. Thank you! (

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mamathiessen | Oct 30, 2009 |

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▾Published reviews

1 review

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This is one of the most freshly original and delightfully imaginative books for children that have appeared in many a long day. . . . a glorious account of a magnificent adventure, filled with suspense and seasoned with a quiet humor that is irresistible.

added by Shortride | editThe New York Times Book Review, Anne T. Eaton (Mar 13, 1938)

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Series (with order)

The Lord of the Rings (0|Prequel)

Canonical Title

The Hobbit, or, There and Back Again

Original publication date

1937

People/Characters

Important places

Important events

Dwarf's party at Bag End

Bilbo finds the One Ring

Battle of Five Armies

The death of Smaug

Awards and honors

New York Herald Tribune's Children's Spring Book Festival Award (1938)

Waterstones Books of the Century (1997, No 19)

Waterstones The Nation's Favourite Children's Books (1997, No 5)

BBC's Big Read (Best loved novel, 2003, No 25)

New York Times bestseller (Fiction, 1977)

(show all 11 items)

Epigraph

Dedication

First words

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.

Quotations

"Never laugh at live dragons, Bilbo you fool!"

Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away ere break of day
To seek the pale enchanted gold.

This thing all things devours:
Birds, beasts, trees, flowers;
Gnaws iron, bites steel;
Grinds hard stones to meal;
Slays king, ruins town,
And beats high mountain down.

It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him. Dragons may not have much real use for all their wealth, but they know it to an ounce as a rule, especially after long possession; and Smaug was no exception.

There is more in you of good than you know, child of the kindly West. Some courage and some wisdom, blended in measure. If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world. But sad or merry, I must leave it now. Farewell!

(show all 10 items)

Last words

(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

Disambiguation notice

Publisher's editors

Blurbers

Auden, W. H.

▾References

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English (13)

Bibliography of J. R. R. Tolkien

Common Raven

Cultural depictions of ravens

English-language editions of The Hobbit

Template:ME-ref/TH/doc

The Hobbit

Translations of The Hobbit

Translations of The Lord of the Rings

Wolfgang Krege

▾LibraryThing members' description

Book description

The Hobbit is set in a time "Between the Dawn of Færie and the Dominion of Men", and follows the quest of home-loving Bilbo Baggins (the titular "Hobbit") to win his share of the treasure guarded by the dragon, Smaug. His journey takes him from light-hearted, rural surroundings into darker, deeper territory, meeting diverse denizens of the Wilderland along the way. By accepting the disreputable, romantic, fey and adventurous side of his nature (the "Tookish" side) and applying his wits and common sense, Bilbo develops a new level of maturity, competence and wisdom.

▾Book descriptions

Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0618260307, Paperback)

Written for J.R.R. Tolkien's own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when first published more than sixty years ago. Now recognized as a timeless classic with sales of more than 40 million copies worldwide, this introduction to Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf the Wizard, and the spectacular world of Middle-earth tells of the adventures of a reluctant hero, a powerful and dangerous ring, and the cruel dragon Smaug the Magnificent.

(retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:58:19 -0400)

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