The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien (1997, Hardcover)

This is simply one great book! Enjoy The Lord of the Rings? Well, hang on! Here's the original inspiration for those tales. Tolkein originally wrote The Hobbit for his grandchildren, but, upon publishing, it became so popular that he was simply bombarded with requests for more information on his addition to fanstasy fiction. Wizards and dwarves and elfs and dragons belong to the folklore of posterity, and are all represented here. But, the wondrous hobbit? That unassuming folk of Middle Earth is John Ronald Reuel (J.R.R.) Tolkien's addition, for which he will never be forgotten.

Long before Jackson's genius brought the tale to the screen I had read the entire book aloud to at least three adults--just to introduce them to the finest set of tales in our language. There's no 67 pages of preparing for a party here, as in the "Fellowship". The one jumps right in.
The tale is light and fast, but the plot simply pulls you in, with both complexity and lots of characters.

Following Bilbo and the dwarves through Rivendell and on to the Lonely Mountain is the only way to get the real background on why Bilbo has the ring, and an absolute MUST for real Tolkein fans.

I could never hear someone say "What has it got in it's pocketses?" without an ear-to-ear and a stop for a chat. Read it. Your life will be all the richer for the experience!

Ron Toon

This is truly a remarkable edition of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic. The illustrations by Alan Lee alone makes this edition a must have for any fan of Tolkien's work. Alan Lee, along with John Howe, were the conceptual artists for all three Lord of the Rings films, and will reprise their roles in the upcoming Hobbit film. Alan Lee masterfully captured Tolkien's Middle-Earth and the memorable characters in this illustrated edition, and it's no wonder why he was sought to be an integral part of the conceptual design team.

the hobbit is the first book in, tolkien's(lord of the ring's series).
while the lord of the rings trilogy is more famous these days, this book is every bit as enjoyable as the trilogy.
the depth of the characters from bilbo to gandhoff is amazing,it is hard not to get thorley lost in the story.
this book is so good you may have dreams about it,i have read this book a few times now and each time it is still really enjoyable.

I think there is quite a lot of hobbit in each of us. I don't mean the leathery feet covered with warm, neatly brushed, brown hair that help hobbits to disappear quietly and quickly when trouble comes along. I really mean the ordinariness of them. Bilbo Baggins, for instance, lives very quietly in his comfortable hobbit hole, burrowed into a warm, sandy hill: The Hill, Hobbiton, The Shire. He likes to take at least two breakfasts every day, an early and a late one, and smoke a pipe of tobacco sitting comfortably outside by his own round, bright green, front door.

Actually, that is just what he is doing when this story starts. But as he smokes his pipe, an old man happens by and Bilbo, being a friendly soul, falls into conversation with him. He's an old man with a staff and a tall pointed blue hat, a long grey cloak, and a very long white beard hanging down below his waist. This is Gandalf, a remarkable and powerful wizard, who you will get to know very well, and respect, if you read this book. Bilbo already knows Gandalf from his childhood, but he doesn't recognize him immediately because Gandalf has been away in other, unmapped regions of the world, on wizard's business for many years.

A very qood read full of great adventure. I enjoyed all of this book. I wasn't disappointed! The book left me wanting to read more, but all good things come to an end and so did this one. I reccommend.