- Paperback
- Publisher: Houghton Mifflin (P); 17th THUS edition (October 1988)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0395282659
- ISBN-13: 978-0395282656
- Product Dimensions: 20.1 x 13.5 x 1.5 cm
- Shipping Weight: 363 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (864 customer reviews)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Amazon
"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort."
The hobbit-hole in question belongs to one Bilbo Baggins, an upstanding member of a "little people, about half our height, and smaller than the bearded dwarves." He is, like most of his kind, well off, well fed, and best pleased when sitting by his own fire with a pipe, a glass of good beer, and a meal to look forward to. Certainly this particular hobbit is the last person one would expect to see set off on a hazardous journey; indeed, when Gandalf the Grey stops by one morning, "looking for someone to share in an adventure," Baggins fervently wishes the wizard elsewhere. No such luck, however; soon 13 fortune-seeking dwarves have arrived on the hobbit's doorstep in search of a burglar, and before he can even grab his hat or an umbrella, Bilbo Baggins is swept out his door and into a dangerous adventure.
The dwarves' goal is to return to their ancestral home in the Lonely Mountains and reclaim a stolen fortune from the dragon Smaug. Along the way, they and their reluctant companion meet giant spiders, hostile elves, ravening wolves--and, most perilous of all, a subterranean creature named Gollum from whom Bilbo wins a magical ring in a riddling contest. It is from this life-or-death game in the dark that J.R.R. Tolkien's masterwork, The Lord of the Rings, would eventually spring. Though The Hobbit is lighter in tone than the trilogy that follows, it has, like Bilbo Baggins himself, unexpected iron at its core. Don't be fooled by its fairy-tale demeanor; this is very much a story for adults, though older children will enjoy it, too. By the time Bilbo returns to his comfortable hobbit-hole, he is a different person altogether, well primed for the bigger adventures to come--and so is the reader. --Alix Wilber
From Publishers Weekly
Between the film release of Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings, this is the season of the magical movie, and this audiobook is an inevitable spinoff. Countless readers have grown up on the adventures of the little furry hobbits who crave good food and a warm bed, but wind up trapped in caves, attacked by spiders and burdened by a dizzying assortment of treacherous adventures. While the stories are quite intricate, the message of good triumphing over evil is always evident. This appealing theme of the downtrodden overcoming obstacles is what keeps listeners' attention. There is so much action on this dramatization that listeners may often feel pulled in many directions. The narrators, including Ray Reinhardt as Bilbo and Bernard Mayes as Gandalf, are engaging, and the sound effects (including noises in the cave or forest, or the hobbits sitting down to a meal) are also quite strong. But those not already familiar with the story may find it difficult to distinguish between the various characters or keep track of all the action. Listeners will probably want to read the book along with listening, or perhaps listen and then watch the movie. The tapes are presented in a rustic-looking wooden box, making this appropriate for gift giving.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Read it before the movie!,
By
This review is from: The Hobbit (Illustrated Edition) (Hardcover)
I started reading this with my 6 year old. Awesome. I am getting him ready for the movie. The illustrations and the font are perfect for sharing it with him.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent,
This review is from: The Hobbit: Or There and Back Again (Hardcover)
excellent. Shipping was fast enough - the book got here undamaged. It looked as it was told to be. I highly recommend this seller. Thank you.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliantly executed.,
By
This review is from: The Hobbit (Mass Market Paperback)
This is an amazing story, with such descriptive, rich langue, wonderfully developed characters and a simple, yet wonderfully executed plot, this is a book to be read, and then re-read, then read again. It draws you in and makes you feel as if you were really there with Bilbo, and Gandalf. As if you really feel the dragon's fiery breath on your cheeks as you soundlessly tiptoe down the massive corridors leading to it's horde. Truly, this is a fantastic book. Tolkien is a true genius.
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