It dominated the fantasy genre, though it was written as a children's book. The Hobbit also changed Western literature and the study of linguistics in the 20th Century.
The book has endured through generations of spell-bound children and parents and eventually spawned a multi-billion dollar franchise. But at its heart lies a comfortable hobbit-hole and an even more comfortable hobbit - Bilbo Baggins.
Author: J.R.R. Tolkien (1892 - 1973) Year of Publication: 1937 Description: A high adventure undertaken by a company of dwarves in search of gold guarded by a dragon. The story centers on reluctant Bilbo Baggins a 'comfort-loving' hobbit who is unashamedly unambitious. Along the way, Bilbo encounters trolls, goblins, elves, giant spiders and Smaug the Magnificent, a dragon.
The Hobbit is both an adventure and a tale of warm fellowship and hearty laughter. It stands complete on its own but also forms a prelude to The Lord of the RIngs.
Author J.R.R. Tolkien recounts that he began work on The Hobbit one day in the 1930s as he was marking school papers for his secondary school students. He found a blank page in one of them and wrote the words "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit." Two years later he finished the story. But nothing came of it until a few years later, the ten-year-old son of a publisher read and loved the book. It was published the next year and was became a much-loved book, enjoyed by children of all ages.
Memorable Quote:
“There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.”
Comments from my readers:
"Probably the first fantasy novel I ever read and have loved since my 7th grade homeroom/Spanish teacher read it to our homeroom." - Michelle DeLeon
"It was the first fantasy novel I read and remains the standard for all others. And I loved this book long before they made it into movies. I hoped for a long time they would never do this and I refused to look at them for years." - Mick Dubois
Amazon Link: Kindle, Audiobook, Hardcover, Paperback Best Seller Ranking: #1, NY Times Best Seller List Critical acclaim: “Put down what you’re reading, pick up The Hobbit, and read it with your loved ones: you’ll instantly find yourself whisked away on an unexpected journey that you’ll never be able to forget..” Gabriela Kustner
Most memorable character: Bilbo Baggins
Number of reviews on Goodreads: 45,609 (Average rating: 4.27)
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