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J. R. R. Tolkien

The Hobbit Paperback – September 18, 2012

by J. R. R. Tolkien (Author)

33,738 ratings

Part of: Lord of the Rings

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The journey through Middle-earth begins here with J.R.R. Tolkien's classic prelude to his Lord of the Rings trilogy.

“A glorious account of a magnificent adventure, filled with suspense and seasoned with a quiet humor that is irresistible... All those, young or old, who love a fine adventurous tale, beautifully told, will take The Hobbit to their hearts.”—The New York Times Book Review

"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit." So begins one of the most beloved and delightful tales in the English language—Tolkien's prelude to The Lord of the Rings. 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.

Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely traveling any farther than his pantry or cellar. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an adventure. They have launched a plot to raid the treasure hoard guarded by Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. Bilbo reluctantly joins their quest, unaware that on his journey to the Lonely Mountain he will encounter both a magic ring and a frightening creature known as Gollum.

Reading age

12 years and up
Print length

300 pages
Language

English
Grade level

7 - 9
Lexile measure

1000L
Dimensions

5.5 x 0.85 x 8.25 inches
Publisher

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication date

September 18, 2012
ISBN-10

054792822X
ISBN-13

978-0547928227
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The Hobbit

Six Different Editions

Pick the version of the Hobbit that best suits your needs.

The Hobbit; or, There and Back Again

A great modern classic and the prelude to The Lord of the Rings, with an iconic cover inspired by Tolkien’s designs.

The Hobbit: Deluxe Pocket Edition

This charming deluxe pocket-sized edition contains the complete unabridged text and features a beautiful leatherette cover and gilt-edging. The perfect gift for little Hobbits everywhere!

Hobbit Illustrated Edition

A beautiful gift edition of J.R.R. Tolkien's enchanting tale, fully illustrated by Jemima Catlin.

Hobbit 75th Anniversary Edition

This deluxe hardcover edition of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic prelude to his Lord of the Rings trilogy contains a short introduction by Christopher Tolkien, a reset text incorporating the most up-to-date corrections, and all of Tolkien’s own drawings and full-color illustrations, including the rare “Mirkwood” piece.

Hobbit Young Reader’s Edition

The text in this 372-page paperback edition is based on that first published in Great Britain by Collins Modern Classics (1998), and includes a note on the text by Douglas A. Anderson (2001).

Hobbit Collector’s Edition

This deluxe collector's edition of Tolkien's modern classic is boxed and bound in green leatherette with gold and red foil rune stamping on the spine and cover. The text pages are printed in black with green accents. It includes five full page illustrations in full color and many more in two colors, in addition to Thror's map -- all prepared by the author.

Review

"All those, young or old, who love a finely imagined story, beautifully told, will take The Hobbit to their hearts." Horn Book Guide

"A flawless masterpiece." The Times of London —

Start reading The Hobbit: 75th Anniversary Edition on your Kindle in under a minute.

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (September 18, 2012)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 300 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 054792822X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0547928227
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 12 years and up
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1000L
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 7 - 9
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.85 x 8.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #545 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews:
33,738 ratings

About the author

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J. R. R. Tolkien

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J.R.R. Tolkien was born on 3rd January 1892. After serving in the First World War, he became best known for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, selling 150 million copies in more than 40 languages worldwide. Awarded the CBE and an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Oxford University, he died in 1973 at the age of 81.

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Jake and Donna Huff

Still a great story

Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2019

Verified Purchase

At 60 years of age I still love the story of Mr. Bilbo Baggins and his adventures to There and Back Again. I read this story for the first time when I was 12 years old and my father introduced me to the writings of JRR Tolkien. I read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy every year thereafter clear through my freshman year of college. All these years later I still love this story and will read it again and again.

179 people found this helpful

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Brian P.

Don't buy this Kindle version - no maps, and text is inexplicably centered

Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2021

Verified Purchase

I was lured into buying this version of The Hobbit for Kindle by the low price, but it's not worth it. The text is all center-justified on my Kindle iPad app. Changing the justification in the app does not affect the centered text, so I think they made mistakes producing this version.

It also doesn't contain any of the maps or diagrams. There's another version (75th Anniversary Edition) that has a bunch of added stuff that is sort of fluff (like actual Tolkien audio snippets), but it has the maps. The maps are pretty important to understanding the relationships between places mentioned in the story, given that it's one massive road trip.

55 people found this helpful

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Audrey

Recommend to any book lover! Even those that HATE LOTR

Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2016

Verified Purchase

I cannot tell you how many times I have read this book. While Tolkien is not my favorite writer by any means, this is my favorite novel of all times. I believe that Tolkien's talent lies in character, relationship and world building and that's what makes books go from GOOD to GREAT to AWESOME. I really adore the characters in this book and Bilbo will always have a place in my heart. I 100% recommend picking up the audiobook as well. My favorite thing to do after a hard week is to put on the audio book and bake bread while I delve into words I've practically memorized. The audible audio book has little to no frills and the narrator does a phenomenal job at keeping to the heart of the series. You can tell who the different characters are by the subtle changes in his voice, yet he's not so drastically different that it's disorienting.

There's really not much I can say here that hasn't already been said. The Kindle Version is JUST like the old tattered paper back I have in my bookshelf (I actually purchased the deluxe set to replace said tattered copy). I'm really glad I have this as apart of my kindle library! It definitely held up to the paper back and kept the magic of Tolkien with little to no changes in the editing.

129 people found this helpful

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Runner Momma

Beautifully illustrated. Amazon packaging - unsatisfactory.

Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2021

Verified Purchase

Such a beautiful illustrated edition! My children and I adore the illustrations.

Packaging - unsatisfactory. Amazon, you need to do a better job packaging books. This expensive, brand new hardcover arrived with bumped corners. Simply putting a book in a cardboard box, with nothing to keep it protected from shifting during shipment, is unsatisfactory. This is not the first book that’s arrived damaged. I would return it, but I know the replacement wouldn’t be packaged any better 😤 I think I will start buying our books from retailers who take pride in how they package their books.

31 people found this helpful

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Sieran Lane

Funny, cute, and all-round wonderful

Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2019

Verified Purchase

Wow, this was amazing! I liked The Hobbit more than Lord of the Rings, because The Hobbit had a much more reasonable amount of setting description, imo. The setting descriptions were still fantastic and impressive in The Hobbit. I especially enjoyed the word paintings of the Misty Mountains goblin tunnels and the scary Mirkwood.

The character development of Bilbo was pretty good. He really grows as a person, and from reading his internal monologues, I find it easier to connect with and understand him, which I couldn’t do as well in the movies, since we don’t get a direct look into Bilbo’s mind on the silver screen. Thorin Oakenshield seems different in the book; he was overall politer and more considerate than the Thorin in the movies.

Yes, I already know that Tauriel and Legolas are not in the book, and that Tauriel is purely a movie character. But the addition of Tauriel is one of the rare instances where I appreciate the director/ scriptwriter’s artistic liberty. There was also not a single named female character in the book!

It was a delight to see Gollum. He was so creepy yet portrayed so vividly. Tolkien is very good at conveying characters in an evocative way, with dialogue and descriptions of their behaviors.

Furthermore, I enjoyed the humor throughout the book. It was so cute and humorous! The lightheartedness of these funny moments, stood in stark contrast with the darker parts of the story.

I’ve heard some people complain that the Lord of the Rings/ The Hobbit characters tend to be too flat and black-and-white, either all good or all bad. Well, that is in itself a black-and-white statement. I already mentioned the character development of Bilbo. Not only does he change and grow, he also shows both noble and less glamorous sides. Thorin is more complex than he may seem too, but I won’t spoil the plot here. In fact, I would argue that even Gandalf and the Elven king are not single-faceted characters; they have more than one side to them.

I actually got Beorn and Bard mixed up, due to the similarity in their names. Bard was more developed as a character in the movie than in the book, though. Radagast was only mentioned once in passing in the book, so I was glad that he made some significant appearances in the movie!

It was in addition nice to see the less noble sides of the elven race. Even elves can be petty, impulsive, rude, etc. I doubt that we would ever meet a benevolent troll, goblin, or orc, though.

One notable quote in this book, was where Tolkien said that there was one flaw in Bilbo’s plan, and you might have seen it and laughed at him for it. But if you were in his desperate situation, you might not have done half as well yourself. Wow, I loved Tolkien’s quote here, because it underscores what many folks who like to pick at “plot holes” miss. If you’re cool, collected, have no personal involvement in the situation, and have all the time in the world to think, of course you can think of some ingenious strategies that may render the entire journey, quest, or story unnecessary. But do you believe that a person deep inside that situation can think so clearly and come up with such a smart plan in such a short time (often just a few seconds)?

People who poke fun at “plot holes” can sometimes be unrealistic too. I’ve heard of many people say that Frodo and co should have ridden on the great eagles to go to Mount Doom. But in The Hobbit, you see that the eagles were not even willing to fly to Lake Town, lest the men shoot at them. If these great eagles can’t even bear to fly that distance, do you think they would be inclined to go all the way to Mount Doom? And would the eagles be willing to risk being attacked by Saruman or Sauron? Plus, great eagles though they are, Rivendell to Mount Doom is a pretty long distance. Would the eagles want to expend so much time and energy for them? It’s one thing to be in favor of a noble cause (like saving the world). But it’s quite another to offer to spend tons of time, energy, and resources to help people, especially if there’s a chance they can be killed by a dark wizard.

Furthermore, I think the point of having a fellowship of the ring, was not merely to dunk the ring into the fire at Mount Doom. It was also about building character for the adventurers, and having them learn to get along with people of other species. (Most notably, Legolas the elf and Gimli the dwarf become good friends.)

All in all, this was a wonderful, enjoyable book. I hope to read some of Tolkien’s other works, and especially want to learn more about Radagast.

18 people found this helpful

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DFRR

My Precious

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 6, 2021

Verified Purchase

"In a hole in the ground there lay the YA fantasy genre. A nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of swords and a perfumed smell."

One of my favourite genres seems to have gone to the wargs in the last few years. The rot probably started when J.K. Rowling introduced a new generation of young people to the joys of fantasy fiction. Standards dropped and social media helped create huge fandoms, and cult like followers, loyal to the brand. Fan fiction has also allowed anyone, no matter the talent, to write a "book" based on any intellectual property they fancy. Then Twilight happened and that was the beginning of the end. Publishers saw the kind of drivel that could make them rich and the Young Adult Fantasy genre was ripe for the picking. It began to move towards a new type of story, appealing to a new audience and asking a new question.

"What if Fantasy but with a girl one?"

Alongside the Strong-Female-Character™ protagonist, this new normal often contains a sprinkling of the following; "diversity*", some unsubtle social commentary, a patriarchal villain and most importantly, a poorly written, chemistry free romance with a handsome boy/angel/girl/minority/vampire/furry/other** that takes up half the book, often causing the plot to grind to a halt so the perfect lovers can stare passionately at each other for 50 pages. Bonus points for inserting a third wheel to create some false tension and so fans can pick a team.

After all, these books are written primarily for teenage girls, by former teenage girls***. Then there are the hordes of twenty-something women that receive advanced review copies and post their reviews on Goodreads****. These Goodreads girls, as I shall call them, might not be able to make a book successful, but they surely hold sway with publishers and more importantly, the content they publish. For it is said that "those who control the review copies, control the genre".

Thank Tolkien then, for the classics, and for the sexless, romance free world of The Hobbit. Although not entirely romance free as this book contains a beautiful relationship between a Gollum and his precious. Then there's the love between a Hobbit and his home, his breakfast/second breakfast/lunch/afternoon tea/supper/dinner/elevenses and his weed. Then finally there's the relationship between a dragon and/or a dwarf, and his treasure.

I'd take that superficial love over all the beautiful-perfect-people-fall-in-love-because-they're-both-beautiful-and-perfect-and-sometimes-there's-a-faux-love-triangle dross, that's infected the YA Fantasy genre since Twilight first ruined the word twilight.

I never thought I'd be pining for the days of Hunger Games knock-offs, but here we are.

But what of The Hobbit, you ask? Well, it's one of the finest young adult books ever written. At it's heart, The Hobbit is an adventure story. THE adventure story really. In fact, it's so jam packed with adventure, there's very little time for character development. Bilbo gets the lion's share and it's his adventure so I can't really grumble too much about the rather bland companions. Besides, there's so many wonderful things crammed into this short novel, it's never anything less than an entertaining page turner.

I truly envy any child who has yet to experience The Hobbit in book form as they read -or are read to- about Bilbo Baggins, dwarven guests, pipe smoking wizards, singing elves, hungry trolls, goblin caves, tricksy riddles, magic rings, eagle saviours, shape-shifting men, murky forests, giant spiders, prison breaks, barrel riding, secret doorways, greedy dragons, brave bowmen, brave hobbits, great battles and most of all, burglary. Saviour this book. Read it to your kids and hope it inspires them to read more, and maybe even to write. The beginnings of the next Fantasy classic might be this one story away... Someone has to drag the genre back from the brink.

If, like me, you have the stunted, feeble arms of a mammalian T-Rex, then you can listen to The Hobbit on audiobook, and it is a fine way to experience this most excellent of adventures. This review is based on the rather wonderful recording by Andy "CGI" Serkis. Riddles in the dark is even more memorable with the voice of Gollum™ and the whole thing is a joy to listen to.

I can't say anymore really, just read it if you haven't. There are still quality YA fantasy books to be found, even if you have to go 'there and back again' to find them.

* Black, trans and/or lesbian minorities -in order of perceived oppression by the American online- are the click generating hashtags of the moment. Make said minority the main character for more critical acclaim but less commercial gain. The readers might claim to be allies who want to read more books from a none cis-hetero perspective, but what they really, really want is a book in which the straight, white, female protagonist (them), gets a beautiful, shiny boy.

** But mostly boys, because that's hot insert-self fan fiction in the making.

*** Who may have started out writing terrible fan fiction. I blame Twilight, fifty shades of grey and low standards of literacy for this.

**** They're also liable to have Instagram accounts full of pictures of books next to foodstuffs, candles (dangerous), flora (not the marge), bedding and Apple products. The book lovers lifestyle is obviously lots of reading in bed by candlelight, surrounded by houseplants, munching on snacks and incessantly checking ones social media

20 people found this helpful

Sarah Hope

a timeless adventure for all ages

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 19, 2019

Verified Purchase

The Hobbit is a wondrous tale of adventure and heroism set in the fantasy realm of middle-earth. Bilbo Baggins, an unambitious Hobbit is unwillingly recruited as a burglar by a party of dwarves and sent on a most extraordinary adventure. Coming head to head against trolls, goblins, wolves and the mighty dragon Smaug, Bilbo faces his worst fears, makes some unlikely allies, travels further than ever before and is changed, forever.

Having watched the three Hobbit films a few years back, and having only a vague recollection of their events, I was unsure what to expect when I started this book, needless to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. I love reading classical literature that has this beautiful old-timey English and the Hobbit was no exception, the wonder and pureness of it never fails to transport me into days gone by.

Bilbo is a funny, likeable character who’s thoughts actions and conversations are so wonderfully innocent that I immediately fell in love with him. His character evolution throughout the book made reading this a true delight. My only complaint is that I didn’t read this sooner.

It really isn’t difficult to see why this book became a classic and I honestly believe that regardless of your age, knowledge of middle-earth or affinity for the fantasy genre, there’s something that everyone can take away from reading this.

26 people found this helpful

T

A great story

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 3, 2018

Verified Purchase

The best way to enjoy and truly understand J R R Tolkien's classic masterpiece The Lord of the Rings is to invest a little time in reading The Hobbit. Not necessarily first, but certainly at some point. The writing styles of each book are quite different. The Hobbit was originally intended for the pleasure of children and was, I understand, created with that purpose in mind. Even so, it can be enjoyed by children of all ages.

24 people found this helpful

Thiago Luzzi

Boa história em edição barata

Reviewed in Brazil on December 16, 2019

Verified Purchase

🐉🗻 — 1. SOBRE A EDIÇÃO

— 1.1. Esta é uma avaliação da edição ilustrada para Kindle, que comprei por R$ 7,00.

— 1.2. Embora eu não tenha um conhecimento profundo da gramática inglesa, creio poder afirmar que a edição é correta, sem falhas significativas de revisão.

— 1.3. O e-book é ilustrado, mas suas bonitas imagens só serão aproveitadas de fato por quem o ler em uma tela colorida. No Kindle convencional elas ficam pequenas e muito acinzentadas. Ademais, as páginas ilustradas demoram um bocado para carregar; meu Kindle é meio antigo, mas não sei se é por isso ou por conta do tamanho dos arquivos de imagem.

— 1.4. A aventura narrada em “The Hobbit” passa-se na Terra Média, vasto ambiente ficcional criado por Tolkien, que fez acompanharem o livro dois mapas. Estes também são difíceis de consultar no e-reader; num livro físico basta virar as páginas, mas no digital é preciso “navegar” pelo arquivo, o que toma tempo e dificulta a leitura. Sugiro abrir os mapas no “Kindle para PC” e imprimi-los. Tentarei também anexá-los a esta resenha.

— 1.5. Há algumas notas de rodapé, cuja interligação não funcionou muito bem em meu Kindle. Nada que prejudicasse a compreensão do texto.

🐉🗻 — 2. SOBRE A HISTÓRIA

— 2.1. Os fatos relatados em “O Hobbit” são anteriores àqueles de “O Senhor dos Anéis”; o protagonista do primeiro, Bilbo Baggins, é tio de Frodo, portador do Um Anel no segundo.

— 2.2. As referências de “O Hobbit” a “O Silmarillion”, espécie de Antigo Testamento* do universo mítico de Tolkien, são poucas e fáceis; não é necessário ler este para entender o aquele. Por outro lado, recomendo a leitura tanto do “Hobbit” quanto do “Silmarillion” como preparação para encarar o “Senhor dos Anéis”.
(*Sobre a expressão “Antigo Testamento”, v. esta resenha ao Silmarillion:
https://www.amazon.com.br/review/R2V06SSYIKA1ZY/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8 🔗)

— 2.3. O inglês de “O Hobbit” é relativamente simples; embora o autor utilize alguns termos arcaicos, sua sintaxe é clara e o vocabulário pode ser dominado logo (sugiro a consulta ao “Google Imagens” para os nomes de acidentes geográficos).
Enquanto em “O Silmarillion” temos uma narrativa em tom mítico e estilo bíblico, e no “Senhor dos Anéis” uma fantasia épica com traços de romance aventuresco, “O Hobbit” é praticamente de conto de fadas. Não se pense, porém, que com isso seja uma história para criancinhas; esta narrativa fantástica é capaz de produzir e sustentar uma impressão de “sabedoria latente” — vetusta como Gandalf, caseira como Bilbo — que, a par das peripécias, muito entreterá o leitor adulto.
A aventura de Bilbo Baggins, seu “there and back again”, é um processo de transformação vital, no qual cada um de nós poderá se enxergar, mas cada um de maneira sempre particular, levemente adaptada ou traduzida. Eis aí uma possível definição de “símbolo”.

— 2.4. Ainda sobre a linguagem empregada, vale destacar a relação lúdica que Tolkien estabelece com a sonoridade, com a melodia da língua inglesa. As canções de elfos e anões são prova disso, e na pena do autor até as preposições, que têm fama de vazias e sensaboronas, ganham relevo:
«The return of Mr. Bilbo Baggins created quite a disturbance, both under the Hill and over the Hill, and across the Water; it was a great deal more than a nine days’ wonder.»
As primeiras páginas do Capítulo V, “Riddles in the Dark”, brindam-nos com uma série de frases deliciosas. Olhe por alguns instantes para fotografias do velho J.R.R. Tolkien, e em seguida leia seu texto em voz alta, como um avô lendo para seus netos — ou como seu avô para você.
« Deep down here by the dark water lived old Gollum, a small slimy creature. I don’t know where he came from, nor who or what he was. He was Gollum — as dark as darkness, except for two big round pale eyes in his thin face. He had a little boat, and he rowed about quite quietly on the lake; for lake it was, wide and deep and deadly cold. »

— 2.5. Por fim, Tolkien mostra-se habilidoso na técnica de produzir tempo e espaço com palavras. “O Hobbit” é um conto de aventura e viagem, e para descrever uma viagem é preciso fazer com que a distância entre os diferentes cenários deixe-se sentir por mais do que palavras indicativas de lapso temporal (“três dias”) ou espacial (“trinta milhas”).
Temos o mapa, é claro, mas acima do mapa reina a história; a esta Tolkien confere duração por meio do ritmo das frases, da inclusão de detalhes e acontecimentos intermediários, da alternância de aspetos objetivos (auroras e crepúsculos, estações do ano, paisagens) e subjetivos (fome, sono, cansaço, ânimo), facultando ao leitor uma experiência espessa, no tempo e no espaço, da jornada de Bilbo, Gandalf e os anões.

🐉🗻 — 3. VEREDICTO

« 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. »

“O Hobbit” não uma história genial e grandiosa, mas justa e boa, que nos captura com facilidade e consegue ir além do mero entretenimento. A edição é barata, o que compensa as dificuldades que relatei — mapas, ilustrações, notas.
De zero a dez, temos uma nota oito — mas um oito cheio, redondo, numa poltrona confortável e com um café pequeno ao lado. Não há nota mais digna para um Hobbit.

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Bex

A World I'd Love To Explore To The Ends Of Its Map.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 11, 2020

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Who would have thought that reading about short, hairy footed creatures with a peculiar nature and a distinct lack of wanting to leave the safety of their Hobbit-Hole would be enjoyable. If you'd asked me before, I would have unquestionably chosen Elves as my most favourite of Tolkien's creations. But maybe I was wrong, because it turns out Hobbits are more relatable and far more hilarious than originally thought; hairy feet aside. It would appear that Hobbits are also stupendously resilient, loyal and respectable creatures with far less sass than Elves!

I would imagine it would be quite difficult to find someone who didn't know the tale of The Hobbit, at the very least from the movies. But The Hobbit, the novel, is something else entirely and an experience all its own. Tolkien's narrative is lyrical, completely compelling and, whilst not nonsensical at all, has a whimsical feel to it akin to Alice in Wonderland. I adored how the story is addressed to the reader, as though a secret is being shared of a story well-known and enjoyed between friends. Perhaps that was Tolkien's intention, given that it was ostensibly a tale to entertain his children, initially.

There are some unusual choices and some areas which, for me, lack depth. It feels absolutely crazy to say that about a world so rich and beautiful, but The Hobbit really does feel like a more accessible and less descriptive world than that of The Lord of the Rings, presumably to allow for a younger audience to enjoy it. Battle scenes, deaths and transitions between key moments are sometimes more quickly resolved than I expected from such a rich tapestry, and character connections are formed with the reader from very superficial descriptions. Because of this, I didn't enjoy the book as much as I expected to, and nor did I really feel the connection I hoped to with key characters. But you'd be hard pressed to criticise this book anywhere else.

The Hobbit is a perfect adventure; a terrifying, hilarious and heart warming combination uniquely its own. Tolkien's imagination is limitless, and The Hobbit feels so small in the grand scheme of the world he created, but it's a world I would gladly explore to the ends of its map.

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