The Hobbit

published	August 15th 2002 by Houghton Mifflin
first published	1937
binding	Paperback
isbn	0618260307 (isbn13: 9780618260300)
pages	320
description	"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." ...more [close] "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." The hobbit-hole in question belongs to one Bilbo Baggins, an upstanding member of a "little people, about half our height, and smaller than the bearded dwarves." He is, like most of his kind, well off, well fed, and best pleased when sitting by his own fire with a pipe, a glass of good beer, and a meal to look forward to. Certainly this particular hobbit is the last person one would expect to see set off on a hazardous journey; indeed, when Gandalf the Grey stops by one morning, "looking for someone to share in an adventure," Baggins fervently wishes the wizard elsewhere. No such luck, however; soon 13 fortune-seeking dwarves have arrived on the hobbit's doorstep in search of a burglar, and before he can even grab his hat or an umbrella, Bilbo Baggins is swept out his door and into a dangerous adventure. The dwarves' goal is to return to their ancestral home in the Lonely Mountains and reclaim a stolen fortune from the dragon Smaug. Along the way, they and their reluctant companion meet giant spiders, hostile elves, ravening wolves--and, most perilous of all, a subterranean creature named Gollum from whom Bilbo wins a magical ring in a riddling contest. It is from this life-or-death game in the dark that J.R.R. Tolkien's masterwork, The Lord of the Rings, would eventually spring. Though The Hobbit is lighter in tone than the trilogy that follows, it has, like Bilbo Baggins himself, unexpected iron at its core. Don't be fooled by its fairy-tale demeanor; this is very much a story for adults, though older children will enjoy it, too. By the time Bilbo returns to his comfortable hobbit-hole, he is a different person altogether, well primed for the bigger adventures to come--and so is the reader. --Alix Wilber [close]
date added	12-07-06 edit book

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Best Books of the Decade: 1930's

21 books | 10 voters

other reviews (showing 1-20 of 66850)

Scott rated it:

05/28/07

bookshelves: halcyondaysofmyyouth, multiplereads, post-college

Read in January, 2008

There are some days when I actually think that the humble Hobbit is superior to it's bohemoth brother, The Lord of the Rings. It's a much tighter story, and Bilbo is a much more appeal character than is Frodo. I also just love this poem, from The Hobbit

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.

The dwarves of yore made mighty spells,
While hammers fell like ringing bells
In p...more

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3 comments

Ed rated it:

05/12/08

Read in May, 2008

J.R.R. Tolkien
The Hobbit
New York:Houghton Mifflin Company,1997
272 pp. $12.00
0-618-00221-9

Want an epic adventure that has Dragons, Elves, Dwarfs, Wizards and shapeshifters? Featuring Bilbo Baggins, a Hobbit, and his adventure 50 years before the Lord of the Rings, this marveously written tale shows why J.R.R.Tolkien is the greatest fantasy writer ever. A hobbit is a person who are just like a normal man or woman except that they are smaller than a normal man by around 2 feet and i...more J.R.R. Tolkien
The Hobbit
New York:Houghton Mifflin Company,1997
272 pp. $12.00
0-618-00221-9

Want an epic adventure that has Dragons, Elves, Dwarfs, Wizards and shapeshifters? Featuring Bilbo Baggins, a Hobbit, and his adventure 50 years before the Lord of the Rings, this marveously written tale shows why J.R.R.Tolkien is the greatest fantasy writer ever. A hobbit is a person who are just like a normal man or woman except that they are smaller than a normal man by around 2 feet and in general like peace and quiet much before excitement and adventure.
"The Hobbit" is an adventure following Bilbo, Gandalf, a powerful wizard; and 13 Dwarfs on a journey for one thing that would make any normal person consider risking life or limb: Money. These untold riches,enough to buy a country, lure in Bilbo as they would any other man, a hobbit who has never left his homland of the Shire, to travel to faraway places unlike any his kind (hobbits) have ever seen before.
Thanks to Tolkien's unique style of writing, a mix of active narration and first person narrative from Bilbo's point of view, a vivid picture of Middle-Earth is shown. From the flowing waterfalls of Rivendell, the endless sea of trees in Mirkwood, and the dwarf halls of the Lonely Mountain create a sense that one is in this world of Middle-Earth, walking along side Bilbo and his dwarf companions. Bilbo's mix of enthusiasm to move farther along in his trek, fear of the unknown and going forward, and logical way of seeing things as the are make him act in the same manner that any normal person would act if they were on his journey,gradually getting braver and braver in the face of danger, while still wishing that he could just get this over with and head home to his hobbit hole, sitting by the fire.
Shorly after Gandalf appears at Bilbo's hobbit-hole, 13 Dwarfs appear and sweep Bilbo into an adventure to reclaim the ancient Dwarf treasure from the Lonely Mountain, having to face the dragon, Smaug the Magnifcent that took the gold from the dwarfs in the first place. Along the way, Bilbo picks up a glowing sword, a mythril vest and a ring that later becomes something much more than it seems. But that is for another adventure.
Tolkien made the best move one could possibly make in the Hobbit, create a character that anyone could relate to. Bilbo Baggins is not a hero, traveller, or jedi, but a man that can surprise everyone,(including himself), as he marches on his famous, grand adventure, leading up to the events that occur in the "Lord of the Rings".

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Yahya rated it:

03/27/08

Read in March, 2008

این داستان توصیفات جغرافیایی زیاد و خسته کننده ای داشت. نویسنده لازم نیست هرچه را به مخیله اش می رسد روی کاغذ بیاورد. از طرف دیگر، قهرمانان نقش چندانی در داستان نداشتند و ارتباط چندانی میان شخصیت پردازی آنها و داستان وجود نداشت. خیلی جاها مشکلات با کمک امدادهای غیبی حل می شد (ع�...more این داستان توصیفات جغرافیایی زیاد و خسته کننده ای داشت. نویسنده لازم نیست هرچه را به مخیله اش می رسد روی کاغذ بیاورد. از طرف دیگر، قهرمانان نقش چندانی در داستان نداشتند و ارتباط چندانی میان شخصیت پردازی آنها و داستان وجود نداشت. خیلی جاها مشکلات با کمک امدادهای غیبی حل می شد (عقابها و بیورن و بعضا گاندالف، از ناکجا آباد سر می رسیدند). به نظر من، این نوعی ایراد است، چراکه شخصیت های داستان را تبدیل به عناصری اضافی و بی خاصیت می کند. حتی گاهی هم که شخصیت های داستان، تلاش می کردند که کاری بکنند، نقشه های آنان در نهایت بی خاصیت می شد. البته شاید نویسنده عمدا این وضعیت را پیش آورده؛ "البته! چرا نباید درست از آب در می آمد؟ تو که به پیشگویی ها بی اعتقاد نیستی، چون خودت در وقوع آنها نقش داشته ای؟ مبادا فکر می کنی که تمام ماجراجویی ها و نجات یافتن هابیت ناشی از شانس بوده است. تو شخص شریفی هستی آقای بگینز و من خیلی به تو علاقه دارم؛ اما در این دنیای بزرگ، تو فقط یک موجود کوچک هستی". در ضمن فکر می کنم شخصت بیورن هم در داستان اضافه بود. شخصتهایی مثل بیورن، به دلیل آنکه خیلی قابل تأمل هستند، بهتر است در داستانها نیایند. چراکه تمرکز بر داستان اصلی را کم می کنند. نه نقشی در پیشروی داستان دارند و نه بدون آنها به داستان لطمه وارد می شود. اما از انصاف هم نباید گذشت. این کتاب، ردپای ارزشمندی بود از یک انسان شریف که دغدغه های عمیقی درباره بشریت داشت. شخصا، عاشق بیلبو بگینز هستم و قصد دارم یک پرتره درست و حسابی از او بکشم و بزنم روی دیوار اتاقم.ا...less

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Bryon rated it:

12/21/07

Read in February, 2007

recommends it for: Anyone who can comprehend it.

This book took me on a great adventure, one that took me through a great range of emotions, and I have to say, it must be the cutest adventure I've ever been on. How can you not adore Bilbo and his hobbit friends with thier furry feet and quaint past-times?
Of course, by the same Tolkien (pun intended), how can you not be afraid for Bilbo as he faces trolls, gobblins, men, and numerous other dangers? I for one don't know how you couldn't, not with J.R.R.'s gift f...more

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Holly rated it:

04/25/08

bookshelves: young-adult

recommended to Holly by: My Father

"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."
The hobbit-hole in question belongs to one Bilbo Baggins, an upstanding member of a "little people, about half our height, and smaller than the bearded dwarves." He is, like most of his kind, well off, well fed, and best pleased...more

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Joel rated it:

05/12/08

bookshelves: fiction, young-adult

Read in May, 2008

There are not many books that I have read twice. The first time I read The Hobbit, I liked it a lot. But I hadn't read The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and still haven't (so i guess I didn't like The Hobbit enough). But it brought a smile to my face when I saw it on our shelf this past summer and I decided that I would read it aloud to my 10 year old daughter. In reading it aloud, a few things happened. First, it took a very long time to read the whole book (8 months, in fact). Some of this ...more

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Chris rated it:

(review of isbn 0261103288)

07/21/08

Read in July, 2008

Personally I think that Tolkien is somewhat of a genius. I mean anyone who went through enough trouble to write an entire volume of history for a three book trilogy, the length of which is as long as any of the books in the installment, has got to be operating on a different mental tear. I mean the guy created entire languages for races of ancient people that he had made up the day before. I mean literally, if there ever was a father and founder of modern fantasy as we know it, weather it be ...more

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Rohan rated it:

03/08/08

bookshelves: jrrtolkien

Read in February, 2008

recommended to Rohan by: For novel study by Mr. Patton
recommends it for: fantasy lovers

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

I gave this book two ratings one was two stars and the other was five stars.

It started fine as the author explained everything and every thing was smooth until 50 pages. The book started losing the plot and was no longer amusing infact it was boring as the dwarves and hobbit started travelling and nothing eventful was happening. The author was taking everything for granted and the story was lacking content. I was just reading it to finish which seemed a long way with the small writing and 30...more

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Adam rated it:

09/14/07

Read in January, 1982

My parents had a BBC version of this on vinyl when I was about 3-4 years old, and they taped it for me onto four or five analog tapes that I listened to every morning. I'd spend hours and hours at the beginning of each day listening to the British actor read these words, taking them to heart and memorizing them until they became rote. By the time I was five, you could start me at any point in the book and I could continue on, word for word spilling out of my young mouth. I remember gathering ...more

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Ijul rated it:

(review of isbn 0261103288)

04/10/08

Has a copy to sell/swap — Read in March, 2008

recommends it for: anyone who likes the idea of dwarf, orc and dragon!

When The Times already dubbed this book "A flawless masterpiece... One of the most influential books of our generation.", what more can I say?

Smaug certainly looked fast asleep, when Bilbo peeped once more from the entrance. He was just about to step out on to the floor when he caught a sudden thin ray of red from under the drooping lid of Smaug's left eye. He was only pretending to be asleep! He was watching the tunnel entrance...

Whisked away from his comf...more

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Josh rated it:

04/28/08

recommends it for: Anyone who likes light reads

Despite claims to the contrary, I think this is an excellent childrens read. I have no idea why some people think that the style Tolkien employs is inappropriate to the plot.

This book makes for a very good bedtime read - the chapters are substantial but not too long and encompass an element of danger which is resolved by the end of the chapter. In effect each chapter is a self contained adventure

Often The Hobbit is cited as a prequel to The Lord of the Rings. Well it is and...more

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Beth rated it:

11/03/07

Has a copy to sell/swap — Read in October, 2007

It was high time to read this one again! I'd forgotten most of the details, so I really enjoyed knowing the end results but getting to guess at the ways and means all over again. How will Bilbo and his cute, grumbling dwarf friends escape from the trolls? From the goblins? From the spiders? From the elves? From the dragon? The desire to find out kept me turning the pages, but this time I did a much better job taking the time to enjoy the many songs, as well as Tolkien's lovely description...more

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Andy rated it:

05/18/08

bookshelves: fantasy

Read in May, 2008
recommends it for: Anyone

[May 18, 2008]
Finished reading it awhile ago just haven't had much time to work up a new review. The 4/5 star rating is going to stick. Being 17 I think this book is at it's height in my imagination. It was fun to read and I will read it again in a couple of years.

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This was a good one, but I will have to re-read it as I was a bit young.

4/22/08[edit]: I am going through and re-reading Tolkien's masterpiece work. I have had ...more

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Shark rated it:

03/09/08

Read in March, 2008
recommends it for: anyone

I hadn't read this book since 4th grade. Back then I wouldn't normally have been attracted to such a wordy book, but we were required to do a certain number of book reports and I guess my teacher thought my reading level was too high to be basing mine on Hardy Boys novels, so she gave me a list of books that she approved of and for one reason or another I ended up with "The Hobbit."

I loved it back then, but I honestly remember losing track of what was going on. A lot of Tolkien's...more

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Nischom added it

09/23/07

Read in January, 2000

This book has a special place in my life perspective history. I read it later than all my friends had - I recall hearing surprise when I said I hadn't read it - either for school, or on my own.

Truth is, at the time, I thought it a waste of time (for me, not really concerned about the preferences of others) for me to read a fantasy book. I thought, what good is that? I mean I dabbled here and there, but as far as allocating time in my life, that area was at the bottom of the list. Some so...more

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Tim rated it:

12/17/07

Read in November, 1988
recommends it for: Everyone aged 16 or under, most people aged over 16

I read this when I was 6 years old, then didn't read a single thing that wasn't forced upon me by schoolteachers for the next 8 years, barring the backs of microwaveable food packaging and the odd film subtitle.

It's very good. It's very, very, very good - I didn't read again because I had no need to, I'd known the best story in the world and hey, what the hell does any sensible person care about the fantastic five, the Hardy boys or anything at all by Enid Blyton or concerning some upstar...more

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Nathaniel rated it:

01/24/08

bookshelves: in-my-library

Read in June, 1987
recommends it for: Everyone

The juvenile warm-up to the splendor of the Lord of the Rings. Wholly engrossing, The Hobbit becomes more than merely a novel, it becomes a portal through which audiences are welcomed to the wonderful world of Arda. Grab a nicely packed pipe, some marvelously baked black bread, a tall stein of stout, lose yourself into a comfortable chair and begin a journey that should remain the cornerstone of children's entry into literature. This book should be read to children, by children, and for those...more

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John rated it:

04/21/08

Read in April, 2008
recommends it for: Parents and kids of 8 +

I remember starting The Hobbit when I was a boy and never being able to finish it. I now have an eight year old, and we read some every night as bedtime stories and it was impossible to put down and get to bed at a decent time! Fabulous story--and we started The Lord Of The Rings last night. Last year, The Hobbit might have been too scary (in some parts) to read to a 6-7 year old and might have prompted nightmares, but there were no nightmares, and many wonderful dreams inspired by the book. (Fo...more

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Chris rated it:

07/09/08

Read in April, 1981
recommended to Chris by: My Mother
recommends it for: Everyone, but especially pre-teens.

This book started it all for me. I was in the 4th or 5th grade and, until then, it had been all books with pictures. Then my Mom read my the first chapter of The Hobbit. She said I could read ahead and she would just continue from where I left off. Of course, I took the book and ran head first into Middle Earth. By the time I looked up, Smaug was dead and Bilbo was back in Hobbiton, with a really cool magic ring in his possession.

I've read this several times since, and for me, it still ...more