Synopsis
Bilbo Baggins, a respectable, well-to-do hobbit, lives comfortably in his hobbit-hole until the day the wandering wizard Gandalf chooses him to take part in an adventure from which he may never return.
This 1937 fantasy is the prequel, or "prelude" to the classic epic trilogy THE LORD OF THE RINGS. Bilbo Baggins is the hobbit of the title: a short, round, and hairy-footed creature fond of small comforts and his rural home. What he doesn't like (or at least thinks he doesn't like) is adventure, but that's just what he gets when a wizard and several dwarves show up on his doorstep, eat him out of house and home, and induce him to join them on a perilous quest to steal a dragon's treasure. Along the way, he picks up a golden ring with the power to turn the wearer invisible; this ring will turn out to be central to the later volumes. While THE LORD OF THE RINGS is a serious epic about the nature of good and evil, written in highly formal language and intended for adults, this earlier work is considerably lighter in tone and clearly directed toward a younger audience, having sprung out of the stories that Tolkien used to tell his own children. However, that does not and has not prevented adults the world over from enjoying THE HOBBIT.
| Details | | Publication Date: | 1997-09-19 | | Illustrator: | Alan Lee | | Edition Description: | Illustrated |
| Size | | Length: | 288 pages | | Height: | 10.3 in | | Width: | 8.0 in | | Thickness: | 1.2 in | | Weight: | 40.8 oz |
Publisher's Note
"In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit." So begins one of the most beloved and delightful tales in the English language. Set in the imaginary world of Middle-earth, at once a classic myth and a modern fairy tale, The Hobbit is one of literature's most enduring and well-loved novels. This gift edition, with new watercolor paintings by the artist Alan Lee, celebrates the sixtieth anniversary of the first publication in 1937.
Set in the imaginary world of Middle-earth, at once a classic myth and a modern fairy tale, "The Hobbit" is one of literature's most enduring and well-loved novels. This gift edition, with new watercolor paintings by the artist Alan Lee, celebrates the 60th anniversary of the first publication in 1937.
Whisked away from his comfortable, unambitious life in his hobbit-hole in Bag End by Gandalf the wizard and a company of dwarves, Bilbo Baggins finds himself caught up in a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. Although quite reluctant to take part in this quest, Bilbo surprises even himself by his resourcefulness and his skill as a burglar! Written for J.R.R. Tolkien's own children, The Hobbit met with instant success when published in 1937. Now, in 1997, this special new edition, illustrated by Alan Lee, commemorates the sixtieth anniversary of a great classic.
Industry Reviews
"Seventeen years ago there appeared, without any fanfare, a book called "The Hobbit" which in my opinion, is one of the best children's stories of this century."
New York Times Book Review - W. H. Auden (10/31/1954)
"The English-speaking world is divided into those who have read 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of the Rings' and those who are going to read them."
Sunday Times (London)
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the hobbit a must for any lord of the rings fan
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