Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

The Hobbit and Other Stories

Rate this book
Set of three paperback books in cardboard slipcase. (vol. 1)The Hobbit; (vol. 2) Farmer Giles of Ham and the Adventures of Tom Bombadil; (vol. 3) Tree and Leaf, Smith of Wootton Major, and The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth

Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Loading...
Loading...

About the author

J.R.R. Tolkien

785 books79k followers
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien: writer, artist, scholar, linguist. Known to millions around the world as the author of The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien spent most of his life teaching at the University of Oxford where he was a distinguished academic in the fields of Old and Middle English and Old Norse. His creativity, confined to his spare time, found its outlet in fantasy works, stories for children, poetry, illustration and invented languages and alphabets.

Tolkien’s most popular works, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are set in Middle-earth, an imagined world with strangely familiar settings inhabited by ancient and extraordinary peoples. Through this secondary world Tolkien writes perceptively of universal human concerns – love and loss, courage and betrayal, humility and pride – giving his books a wide and enduring appeal.

Tolkien was an accomplished amateur artist who painted for pleasure and relaxation. He excelled at landscapes and often drew inspiration from his own stories. He illustrated many scenes from The Silmarillion, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, sometimes drawing or painting as he was writing in order to visualize the imagined scene more clearly.

Tolkien was a professor at the Universities of Leeds and Oxford for almost forty years, teaching Old and Middle English, as well as Old Norse and Gothic. His illuminating lectures on works such as the Old English epic poem, Beowulf, illustrate his deep knowledge of ancient languages and at the same time provide new insights into peoples and legends from a remote past.

Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa, in 1892 to English parents. He came to England aged three and was brought up in and around Birmingham. He graduated from the University of Oxford in 1915 and saw active service in France during the First World War before being invalided home. After the war he pursued an academic career teaching Old and Middle English. Alongside his professional work, he invented his own languages and began to create what he called a mythology for England; it was this ‘legendarium’ that he would work on throughout his life. But his literary work did not start and end with Middle-earth, he also wrote poetry, children’s stories and fairy tales for adults. He died in 1973 and is buried in Oxford where he spent most of his adult life.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
89 (57%)
4 stars
41 (26%)
3 stars
20 (12%)
2 stars
2 (1%)
1 star
2 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Profile Image for Snufkin.
564 reviews7 followers
April 14, 2012
As of yesterday I am a proud owner of this boxed set! Thank you local charity shop.
It is a wonderful collection of his shorter, lighter tales. Whilst still having lots of depth. Tree and leaf is particularly wonderful.
Profile Image for V S.
170 reviews1 follower
May 30, 2024
The stories are so slow, so that it turned out to be rather boring for me.
Profile Image for Nina.
301 reviews28 followers
October 17, 2015
--------
VOLUME 1
--------

THE HOBBIT
I fear I can't review The Hobbit. I've read it several times in different languages and still my imagination runs wild. Most likely too wild for most of you, as I've made up my own version inside my head.
If you haven't read the book: Skip the movie & kick your butt to the bookstore or library! NOW! :D


--------
VOLUME 2
--------

FARMER GILES OF HAM
Quite an entertaining story about how an ordinary farmer turns - with a lot of luck, into a hero by chasing away a giant. The news spread fast, reaches the King's ears & Giles is ordered to go into battle with the dragon, Chrysophylax.

THE ADVENTURES OF TOM BOMBADIL
A nice selection of songs, rhymes and poems from The Red Book.


--------
VOLUME 3
--------

ON FAIRY-STORIES
One of the best essays I've ever read!

LEAF BY NIGGLE
Just like any of us, Niggle was occupied with all sorta things throughout his
life - mostly helping others out, that he didn't have time to do what he really
wanted to do: finish his painting; and prepare what's awaiting us all: 'the great
trip'.
When he catches a chill helping his neighbour once again, his time has come sooner
than he expected and ended up in some kind of institution where 'voices' decide
about the continuation of his journey.
Because of his selflessness, he gets 'a little gentle treatment' and gets sent to
a new country: the true realization of his painting. He gets reunited with his old
neighbour and side by side they complete his work.
Finally, Niggle journeys farther and deeper into the Forest, and beyond into the
great mountains that he only faintly glimpsed in his painting, leaving Niggle's Parish
behind...

Life, death, purgatory and paradise.
A truly wonderful story!


SMITH OF WOOTTON MAJOR.
Every twenty-four years in the village of Wootton Major a special edition of the The Feast of Good Children was held. This was a very special occasion and to celebrate it a Great Cake was prepared, to feed the twenty-four children who were invited. The cake was very sweet and rich and entirely covered in sugar icing. But inside there were some very strange ingredients and whoever swallowed one of them would gain the gift of entry into the Land of Faery...

A great story about all what's good and bad in one's heart.


THE HOMECOMING OF BEORHTNOTH
A short historical story inspired on the poem 'Battle of Maldon'.
Consists of 3 parts:
- The death of Beorhtnoth ~ essay concerning the battle.
- The homecoming ~ the actual work
- Ofermod ~ another essay discussing the old English word

Profile Image for Eric.
186 reviews4 followers
October 16, 2013
Let’s just make this simple – Tolkien is an absolute genius. It has been quite a while since I had read The Hobbit… and it still conjures up so many vivid imaginative pictures in my mind. The storyline is fun, the characters interesting, and well… he is the grandfather of fantasy worlds. Simply amazing. I still loved the book the third time around, which is telling how good the book really is.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews