The Hobbit

1937

fantasy
arkenstone
battle of five armies
invisibility
thrushes
eagles
hobbits
wizards
dragons
dwarves

The story

The Hobbit is a tale of high adventure, undertaken by a company of dwarves in search of dragon-guarded gold. A reluctant partner in this perilous quest is Bilbo Baggins, a comfort-loving unambitious hobbit, who surprises even himself by his resourcefulness and skill as a burglar. Encounters with trolls, goblins, dwarves, elves, and giant spiders, conversations with the dragon, Smaug, and a rather unwilling presence at the Battle of Five Armies are just some of the adventures that befall Bilbo. Bilbo Baggins has taken his place among the ranks of the immortals of children’s fiction. Written by Professor Tolkien for his children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when published.

What it’s like

Warm, unhurried storytelling with a chatty narrator who addresses the reader directly, so the prose feels like being read aloud by a fireside. The world is vivid in a homely, tactile way: pantries full of cakes and pipe-smoke, green hills and wind-combed meadows, dark forest paths that turn oppressive, then the glint of mountain halls and heaped gold. The palette shifts with the journey, from cosy hobbit-hole comfort to damp caves, mossy woodland and the sharp light of a dragon's hoard. The vibe is cosy adventure with an undercurrent of wonder and wry humour, well suited to a rainy Sunday or a comfort reread. The pace is brisk and episodic, with songs and riddles breaking up the travelling, and the emotional arc follows a timid, comfort-loving homebody slowly finding nerve and loyalty among a quarrelsome company. Peril is real but handled lightly: trolls, goblins, giant spiders and a battle carry danger and some deaths, without gore or lingering cruelty. It suits readers who want generous, old-fashioned storytelling, mild suspense and a gentle moral about home and courage, and it works well read aloud to children or to adults who want warmth without grimness.

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