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The Hobbit | 
 enlarge | Author: J.r.r. Tolkien
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Category: Book
List Price: $7.99
Buy Used: $0.01
You Save: $7.98 (100%)
New (111) Used (1301) Collectible (20) from $0.01
Rating:  1630 reviews
Sales Rank: 282261
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 320
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.9
ISBN: 0345339681
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.912
EAN: 9780345339683
ASIN: 0345339681
Publication Date: July 12, 1986
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: cover is slightly worn Cover wear and may contain some marks or writing. Keen Northwest ships in 2 business days or less. Refunds for any reason if item returned within 30 days of shipment.
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Amazon.com Review
"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
Product Description
THE GREATEST FANTASY EPIC OF OUR TIME
Bilbo Baggins was a hobbit who wanted to be left alone in quiet comfort. But the wizard Gandalf came along with a band of homeless dwarves. Soon Bilbo was drawn into their quest, facing evil orcs, savage wolves, giant spiders, and worse unknown dangers. Finally, it was Bilbo–alone and unaided–who had to confront the great dragon Smaug, the terror of an entire countryside . . .
This stirring adventure fantasy begins the tale of the hobbits that was continued by J.R.R. Tolkien in his bestselling epic The Lord of the Rings.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 1625 more reviews...
 Excellent book November 8, 2008
This book is fantastic. I have to read it at least once a year. It is very entertaining, very fun and never gets old. Each time I pick up the book to read it it feels and reads as fresh as it did the first time. Great book for all ages and the best place to start if you are interested in "The Lord of the Rings" or learning more about Middle Earth. I'd recommend this book to everyone and it makes for a wonderful present for any and all occasions.
Really Good MUST READ November 4, 2008
I really enjoyed this book I could never put it down. It's a good childrens book full of excitment. It's all about a group of dwarves going to kill a dragon who stole all their money and destroyed their town.
UNabr CD read by Rob Inglis is EXCELLENT!!! November 3, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Rob Inglis is, in my opinion, one of the best readers out there, and I think he's perfect for "The Hobbit" and the complete "Lord of the Rings." He sings what needs singing, very well, which is relatively unusual. I have thoroughly enjoyed the creation he has wrought!!
The Lord of the Rings November 2, 2008
Absolutely beautiful work on the 50th anniversary edition. Should be a tresure for life to hand down.
Definitely There and Back Again October 28, 2008
We owe a debt of incalculable value to J.R.R. Tolkien. He is the father of an entire genre, a genre that has been able to carry many of us through our darkest hours. Although The Hobbit came out over 70 years ago, it is yet fresh and vibrant. Dear Bilbo is still an enchanting hero and still unique--so many main characters are thinly veiled reflections of ideal selves, whereas Bilbo makes us instead rather want to become Hobbits.
The Hobbit is less world-weary than the Lord of the Rings. It is also a more tightly knit story. For these two reasons, I prefer The Hobbit to the later saga, but I am still grateful that I am a better person for having experienced both The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings.
In The Hobbit, we experience a series of adventures that are precipitated by an odd invitation from Gandalf, and through these adventures we see Bilbo pass from mere observer to central character. Tolkien was a master at many things: character, mythology, story; however, his observations of the essential qualities of human nature make his writings timeless and transcendent of societal changes.
It was a joy to experience The Hobbit. I look forward to reading it to my girls. I don't consider it merely recommended reading; I classify it as canon.
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