The Hobbit is a fantasy novel written in 1937. It was originally written for a juvenile audience, but it has become one of the best selling books of all time, selling over 100 million copies, and read by all ages of readers.
The story is told by Bilbo Baggins, an account of an adventure he took from Hobbiton in the Shire to the Lonely Mountain, across the wilds, the mountains, and the forests to dungeons under a mountain inhabited by a dragon. We are introduced to dwarves, wizards, trolls, goblins (orcs), wargs (wolves), giant spiders, elves, eagles, and a fearsome dragon. Bilbo is an unlikely hero, but through fate, good luck, and a brave heart, he survives many perils, and he plays an important part in the great events of those days in Middle Earth. It is a story beloved by many and has since been made into several feature movies. It is a precursor to the Lord of the Rings (1954), three volumes written for adults and one of the most read books of modern times.
“We are plain folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner! I can’t think what anybody sees in them.”
I first read Lord of the Rings in 1966, an eclectic choice, picking a book from the shelves in High School. I was soon captured by the story and read it to the end. The Hobbit followed later that year. Since that time I have reread the books quite a few times. My mother reread the series many times too. Our children and grandchildren are also fans. Tolkien’s other books (The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, and others) are worth reading too, but only once, although we have looked up sections in some of the books a few times.
The Hobbit is added as a featured book now because I reread it again, this time as an audiobook, and it as great as ever. Always recommended – 5.0 out of 5.0 stars