The Hobbit

By J.R.R. Tolkien

The journey through Middle-earth begins here with J.R.R. Tolkien's classic prelude to his epic fantasy 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 high fantasy 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 epic quest, unaware that on his journey to the Lonely Mountain he will encounter both a magic ring and a frightening creature known as Gollum.

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    Published Sep 18, 2012

    320 pages

    Average rating: 8.41

    1,023 RATINGS

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    Community Reviews

    What Bookclubbers are saying about this book

    ✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

    Readers say *The Hobbit* is a timeless classic beloved for its whimsical writing, charming characters, and richly imagined world. Many praise its enga...

    SteelLatakia
    Jun 14, 2026
    7/10 stars
    I enjoyed it, but I’m much more excited to get into the lord of the rings. Not as childish, more depth. The writing was phenomenal though.
    jpubs
    Feb 02, 2025
    6/10 stars
    Listened via audiobook this time around. The last time I read this was about 15 years ago, and I had more fond memories of it at that time.

    This time around, it felt tedious. There were way too many "songs," and I started to get annoyed with Bilbo about halfway through. The narration was decent, and he used different voices for the characters, but after a while, it all started sounding a bit monotone.

    Also, I started thinking about how there are exactly zero female characters in this book. Like they aren't even mentioned in passing. It actually felt kind of weird realizing this.

    Anyway, it doesn't diminish from this amazing story, just how I felt this time around.
    Stormiemeow
    Jul 17, 2026
    9/10 stars
    One of the best fantasy/adventure novels I have ever read. I love Bilbo so much! You can see the ways that Tolkien defined modern fantasy throughout. Also, i noticed a ton if inspiration for Harry Potter throughout.
    hrbrae77
    Jul 15, 2026
    10/10 stars
    Recently started reading this edition aloud to 23 month old Melody.
    BookKat28
    Jul 15, 2026
    My mom first read this to me when I was in 6th grade. She and I would pretend to be Gollum and ask what's in your nasty pocketsss. I met my husband because of this book. It's a classic for a reason and my favorite of all Tolkein's books.

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