The Hobbit

an illustrated edition of the fantasy classic

by J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Dixon, Chuck Dixon

Paperback, 133 pages

English language

Published July 10, 2001 by Ballantine Books.

ISBN:: 978-0-345-44560-5

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(10 reviews)

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 children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when published.

131 editions

Parenthesis_Enjoyer reviewed The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Review of 'The Hobbit' on 'Goodreads'

No rating

I was a child

zeerooth@ramblingreaders.org reviewed The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

The timeless classic of the fantasy genre

5 stars

The Hobbit is the first of Tolkien's stories set in the Middle Earth... Actually this book needs no introduction as majority of people are probably aware of its existance and know how Tolkien pioneered the modern fantasy genre. However, it still holds strongly to this day. This epic story of a hobbit embarking on an unexpected journey with a team of dwarves and a wizard just really hooks you in and the world around is built with passion and full of surprises. I love it and now I understand why it's so praised by many.

jonn reviewed The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Immersive adventures in the childhood

5 stars

When I was a kid, it was hard to read, but interesting at the same time. I think, it's a good book to help children learn that patience reaps rewards. Of a cool story in this particular case.

Soh Kam Yung reviewed The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

A wonderful tale about a Hobbit.

5 stars

(Note: this review is about one of my many numerous re-reads of the book.)

"In a hole in the ground there lived ...", well, you probably know who.

A story that started out scribbled on the back of a piece of paper being marked by J.R.R. Tolkien has grown in the telling and now supports a whole mythology set out in the books "The Silmarillion" and "The Lord of the Rings" as well as a multi-billion dollar entertainment industry.

The story of Bilbo Baggins and how he got involved in a quest involving dwarves, a Wizard, elves, men, goblins, wargs (wolves) and, of course, a dragon, is set out in this tale that has been read multiple times by me.

The most important event in the book, almost trivial in its treatment (which it was, at the time) was the discovery of a seemingly innocuous magic ring by Bilbo deep …

(Note: this review is about one of my many numerous re-reads of the book.)

"In a hole in the ground there lived ...", well, you probably know who.

The most important event in the book, almost trivial in its treatment (which it was, at the time) was the discovery of a seemingly innocuous magic ring by Bilbo deep in the mountains which was to have an impact well after the telling of this tale.

Light-hearted in tone, the story skips gaily from Bilbo's home at Bag End to Rivendell, from the Misty Mountains to Mirkwood, from the Elven King's halls to its final destination; the Lonely Mountain far to the east. It is there that things turn grim as Bilbo finally performs the tasks he was hired to do; to be a burglar.

A good tale and best considered as a stand-alone tale, rather than a 'prequel' to Tolkien's major work, "The Lord of the Rings".

If you want to know more, also consider reading "The Annotated Hobbit" by Douglas A. Anderson and the two volume "The History of The Hobbit" by John D. Rateliff.