I can't help it I'm listening to it again. I bought it this time a different version from the last. I'm going to listen to all 4.

11/20/17 holiday rereading try to do this yearly
11/26/18 audiobook #216
Annual holiday reread

I've read this more times than Fellowship. I never get tired of reading about the great journey.

Read to my 10 yo son. Hadn't read this book since my mom read to me twenty years ago. Hasn't lost a single shred of magic. Sheer brilliance.

n  In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.n

Books exist in time and place and our experience of them is affected by the specific time and place in which we encounter them. Sometimes an uplifting or inspiring book can change the path of a life that has wandered onto a wrong course. Sometimes a book, discovered early on, can form part of the foundation of who we are. Or, discovered late, can offer insight into the journey we have taken to date. Sometimes a book is just a book. But not The Hobbit. Not for me. In January, 2013, I pulled out my forty-year old copy in anticipation of seeing the recently released Peter Jackson film. It is a substantial book, heavy, not only with its inherent mass, but for the weight of associations, the sediment of time. The book itself is a special hard-cover edition published in 1973, leather bound, in a slipcase, the booty of new love from that era. The book, while victim to some internal binding cracks (aren't we all?) is still in decent shape, unlike that long-vanquished relationship. Not surprising. I had read the story six times and been there and back again with this particular volume five.

  
J.R.R. Tolkien - image from Vision.org

The Hobbit had first come to my attention in 1965 or '66. I was then a high school underclassman, and my eyes were drawn to it at a school book fair. That was probably the ideal age, for me anyway, to gain an introduction to Tolkien. Not too far along into adolescence and an appreciation of the reality of the world to have completely tarnished my capacity for child-like wonder. That is what one must bring to a reading of this book, openness and innocence. Tolkien was a step sidewise for me, as I was a fan of the science fiction of that and prior eras. It was also, of course, a gateway drug for the grander addiction of LOTR, still my favorite read of all time.

One might think that looking at this book again with old, weary fresh eyes might lend new insight. After all, I have read literally thousands of books since, and have picked up at least a little critical capacity. And yes, there are things I notice now that perhaps skipped past back then. Of course that begs a specification of which back then one considers. While I first read the book as a high-schooler, I read it again when I was gifted with this beautiful volume, in my twenties. That makes two readings. But there would be more. I well recall reading the book aloud while sitting in a chair by my son's bed. And yes, each of the major characters was delivered with a distinct voice. I went as deep as I could for Gandalf. I vaguely recall giving the dwarves a Scottish burr. Bilbo was definitely a tenor. My Gollum was remarkably like the sound of the one created by Andy Serkisssssss. (patting self on back).

Of course, my son was not the last to arrive at the gathering. Some years later there was a daughter, and more bedside theater. It was a bit more of a struggle then. Life was rather hectic. Nerves were often frayed. Sleep was in short supply. And there were far too many times when my eyes closed before those of my little gingersnap. But reading it that fourth time, one couldn't help but notice the absence of any significant females. Who might my little girl relate to here? It is certainly possible for folks to identify with characters of another gender, but the stark absence of representatives of the female persuasion did stand out. Somehow I managed to keep my eyes open long enough to get through the volume.

But the party was not yet complete. There would be one more arrival, and one more opportunity to sit on or near a daughter's bed and read aloud, sometimes to an upturned, eager face, sometimes to a riot of ringlets as she settled. My capacity for consciousness remained an issue. By then, my voice had also suffered a bit with the years, the reward for too many cigarettes, too much yelling, too much ballpark whistling, and the usual demise of age, so it took a fair bit more effort and strain than reading it aloud had done previously. I am pretty certain I made it through that third time aloud. Truthfully, I am not 100% certain that I did.


You probably know the story, or the broad strokes anyway. In the quiet rural village of Hobbiton Across the Water, in a land called Middle Earth, an unpresupposing everyman, Bilbo Baggins, lives a quiet existence. He has a smidgen of wanderlust in him, the genetic gift of ancestors on the Took branch of his family tree, but he is mostly content to enjoy hearty meals and a good pipe. One day, Gandalf, a lordly, father-figure wizard Bilbo has known for many years, comes a-calling and Bilbo's life is upended. Gandalf is helping a group of dwarves who are on a quest. Led by Thorin Oakenshield, a dwarf king, they aim to return to their home, inside the Lonely Mountain, somehow rid the place of Smaug, the dragon who has taken up residence, and regain the land and incredible treasure that is rightfully theirs. Gandalf has recommended that Bilbo accompany the group, as a burglar. Bilbo, of course, has never burgled a thing in his life, and is horrified by the prospect. But, heeding his Tookish side, Bilbo joins the dwarves and the adventure is on.

One need not go far to see this as a journey of self-discovery, as Bilbo finds that there is more to him than even he realized. This raises one question for me. How did Gandalf know that Bilbo would be the right hobbit for the job? Bilbo faces many challenges and I betray no secrets for any who have not just arrived on this planet by reporting that Bilbo's dragons, real and symbolic, are ultimately slain and he returns home a new, and somewhat notorious hobbit. Bilbo serves well as the everyman, someone who is quite modest about his capacities, but who rises to meet the challenges that present, acting in spite of his fear and not in the absence of it. He is someone we can easily care and root for.

Elements abound of youthful adventure yarns, treasure, a map to the treasure, a secret entrance that requires solving a riddle to gain entry, a spooky forest, foolishness and greed among those in charge, a huge battle, and, ultimately, good sense triumphing over evil and stupidity. Oh, yeah, there is something in there as well about a secret, powerful ring that can make it’s wearer invisible. Sorry, no damsels in distress.

(Rivendell remains a pretty special place. If I am ever fortunate enough to be able to retire, I think I would like to spend my final days there, whether the vision seen by Tolkien or the Maxfield Parrish take as seen in the LOTR films.)


There are magical beings aplenty here. Hobbits, of course, and the wizard and dwarves we meet immediately. A shape shifting Beorn assists the party but remains quite frightening. There are trolls, giant spiders, giants, goblins, were-wolf sorts called wargs, talking eagles, a communicative, if murderous dragon, elves of both the helpful and difficult sorts, and a few men, as well. Then there is Gollum.

IMHO, Bilbo is not the most interesting character in Tolkien's world. Arguably there is a lot more going on with Gollum, an erstwhile hobbit riven by the internal conflict of love and hate, corrupted, but not without a salvageable soul. While he is given considerably more ink in the LOTR story, it is in The Hobbit that we meet him for the first time. He is the single least YA element in this classic yarn, one of the things that elevates this book from the field and makes it a classic.

The Hobbit was written before Tolkien's ambitious Lord of the Rings. While there are many references to classic lore, the bottom line is that this is a YA book. It is easy to read, and to read aloud, (something that is not the case with LOTR. I know.) and is clearly intended for readers far younger than I am today. It remains a fun read, even on the sixth (or so, I may have dipped in again somewhere along the line) time through. Were I reading it today for the first time, I would probably give it four stars. But as it bears the weighty treasure of memory and fond association, I must keep it at five. If you are reading this for the first time as an adult, or an antique, the impact is likely to be different for you. If you are a younger sort, of the adolescent or pre-adolescent persuasion, particularly if you are a boy, it might become an invaluable part of your life. Maybe one day you can sit by your child's or grandchild's bedside and be the person who reads these words to them for the first time, "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit" and begin the adventure again. To see the glowing young eyes as the tale unfolds is nothing less than absolutely precious.

PS – I would check out the review offered by GR pal Ted. He includes in his review outstanding, informative and very entertaining excerpts and comments re info on The Hobbit from JRRT's son Christopher.

==============================EXTRA STUFF

Here is a lovely article on JRRT, from Smithsonian Magazine, January 2002

In comment #32, below, GR pal Rand added a link to a reading of the entire book by Nicol Williamson. It is just the thing for bedtime, yours or your child's. Adding it here was done with Rand's kind permission.

In March 2022, I came across notice of a wonderful source for things Tolkien-ish, The Tolkien Estate. There is a dragon's trove of treasures here. You might want to listen to your Tookish side, and go exploring.

Andy Serkis is doing a live reading of this RIGHT NOW for charity!

To call this the epitome in which all high fantasy should be judged does not quite suffice; this is simply one of the best books that has ever been written or will ever be written. The Hobbit defines the high fantasy genre along with its sequel, of course, and has been an inspiration to countless authors and readers alike. Tolkien, quite literally, kick started a genre that would eventually capture the hearts of thousands of people. He changed the literary world. He made fantasy real.

The best fantasy universe ever created



Middle Earth is undoubtedly the best fantasy universe created. It is the most original and richly devised. It is very hard for fantasy authors not to borrow elements from Tolkien. He set the definition with his wonderful world. Tolkien’s references to modern day are also very amusing and almost unnoticeable in the brilliant narrative, but a perceptive reader will notice the whimsical contrasts he has drawn between his world and the real world. The sheer depth of Tolkien’s imagination is really unmeasurable. I wonder what other ideas for books he may have had that he never got to write.

“The road goes ever on and on”

Bilbo, like the reader, is blown away by the breath-taking landscape of Middle Earth. We must remember that he too is experiencing the majesty of Rivendell and the mightiness of Erabor for the first time. His reaction reflects a reader who is also awestruck by a world that is as beautifully magical as it is corrupt and wicked; it is a world in which both the benevolent and the malignant reside; it is a world whose people are capable of both great kindness and equally as great cruelty. The peoples are diverse and contrasting; I think the differences between the elves and the dwarves are best captured in their music. The music of the elves is full of mirth and is generally quite playful whereas the music of the dwarves is strong, deep and full of resolve to match their stubborn nature.

The wonderful, wonderful, story



This story belongs to Bilbo Baggins. This is something I think Peter Jackson would do well to remember, but that’s beside the point. The tale begins as Bilbo accidently, unexpectedly, invites Gandalf for tea the next day after a brief encounter. The Wizard marks him as the fourteenth member of his company, his burglar. Bilbo doesn’t really understand what he is getting himself in for when he agrees to join their mission. Indeed, the next evening thirteen dwarves, headed by Thorin Oakenshield, arrive along with their quest to reclaim their gold and slay a dragon: Smaug. Smaug has stolen their home fortress of Erebor. They want it back. Bilbo reluctantly gets dragged along though this reluctance is quickly overcome by a strong, secret, desire for adventure.

“I am looking for someone to share in an adventure that I am arranging, and it's very difficult to find anyone.'
I should think so — in these parts! We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner!”

The story becomes darker as they close in on the mountain. The company are attacked by spiders and abducted by the wood elves who want a share of the dwarfish treasure. The dwarves begin to rely on their burglar who they believed would become a liability. How wrong they were. Bilbo was destined to come along. They would have surely failed if he had not, and the ring of power may never have been destroyed. But, that’s another wonderful story. The game of riddles and the finding of the ring is one of the more memorable scenes of the book and is Bilbo’s gateway into heroism. I think the power he receives from the ring helps him to discover that not only does he have courage and fortitude, but he has lots of it. Gandalf, if anything, is an excellent judge of character.

The ending is just the beginning



The ending of this book is undeniably rushed. Bilbo is unconscious for most of it, and we receive a post battle update. There are off page deaths and victories. In this, I think Tolkien cements the message of the story; it is not about the tragic death of a dwarf who went slightly mad, and then redeemed himself; it is not about a boatman who slayed a dragon, and became a renowned hero: it is about a Hobbit. This is Bilbo’s story and no other's. It is a story in which a Hobbit who had no courage and no bravery found it. It is a story about a hobbit who was too scared to leave his house without a hanky eventually evolved into a Hobbit that would trick a dragon.

“You have nice manners for a thief and a liar," said the dragon.”

Five stars. I think you know why.

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If you've ever wondered which literary world would be the best to live in, wonder no longer, cause there's a BookTube Video to answer that!

n  The Written Reviewn:

n  n  
n  
n  In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.n

Bilbo Baggins, living comfortably in his hobbit-hole in Bag End, finds himself on the wrong end of an adventure.

Gandalf the Grey has come recruiting for a burglar willing to raid the home of Smaug (a dragon) whose taken over the ancestral home of the dwarves.

These dwarves, who number thirteen, are deeply suspicious and are unwilling to proceed unless their number is rounded up. Evil is afoot and they refuse to ignore common sense (aka superstition).

Gandalf soon finds that persuading Bilbo ends up a quest in and of itself!

n  'I am looking for someone to share in an adventure...it's very difficult to find anyone.'
'I should think so — in these parts! We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner!' n

Reluctantly (very reluctantly), Bilbo joins on this journey...and soon finds out that quests are not very friendly to hobbits.

n  Is it nice, my preciousss? Is it juicy? Is it scrumptiously crunchable?n

And yet, despite the hardships, trials and tribulations...Bilbo finds himself eagerly plunging ahead.

n  Already he was a very different hobbit from the one that had run out without a pocket-handkerchief from Bag-End long ago. He had not had a pocket-handkerchief for ages.n

Absolutely. Love. This. Book.

I've read it so many times, and yet each time through, I find myself just absolutely enamored with the book as if it is the first time.

n  Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?n

It just has such a wonderful feel - I want to read it over and over and over again.

I absolutely love Bilbo's reluctance to adventure - he and I would get along splendidly! So many characters are just ready to run off and do things...but I would always be like, "What about my books? My blankets? My turtle???"

n
Agatha, my turtle, for reference

But, even moreso, I adore how Bilbowcomes out of his shell and he grows into hismself.

n  You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.n

And, above all, the world that J. R. R. Tolkien is absolutely magical.

n  Elvish singing is not a thing to miss, in June under the stars, not if you care for such things.n

Such an enchanting book - one that I truly, truly treasure.

n  May the hair on your toes never fall out!n

Audiobook Commnets
Read by Rob Inglis...and honestly, was not a big fan of the audio. You'd think that the narrator would be able to muster SOME enthusiasm for such a wonderful story.

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A book I love to read again and again.

"Far over the misty mountains cold. To dungeons deep and caverns old. We just away era break of day to seek the pale enchanted gold."

Man, I love this book so much.

Bilbo will always and forever be one of the best characters ever. I utterly love him and the Shire in general. Nothing is as cozy as the Hobbit folk. I'll live there in my mind forever.

"The roads go ever ever on. Under cloud and under star. Yet feet that wandering have gone. Turn at last to home a far."

When you think of the possibility of creating an iconic character. . . one that could impact the current culture and then perhaps go on to create a legacy that could last for decades, maybe centuries, does it make you wither from the immensity of dreaming up such an accomplishment, or does such a thought make you shiver with excitement and set your gaze to such an horizon?

And, whether you'd wither or shiver. . . what would cause such feelings in you? Would it be your own ego that would dream up such fame and glory, or would you set out, altruistically, in the hopes of creating only good?

If I were to task you to think for a moment about the impact of creating a Count of Monte Cristo, an Anne of Green Gables, a Mowgli, a Don Quixote, a Holden Caulfield, a Pippi Longstocking or a Bilbo Baggins. . . may I ask you HOW do you think you'd feel to have accomplished such a rare and momentous thing?

Also: how often is the birth of an iconic character a random event that no one could have dreamed up or predicted?

When it comes to Mr. Bilbo Baggins, or the hobbit, if you will, I'm going to declare that his fame was entirely random.

I think that J.R.R. Tolkien was a naturalist and a natural storyteller, a man who dreamed up stories for his own children and then saw how they landed with his audience, and proceeded on, if he met with success.

I suspect that stories emerged from him, quite organically, and that he chose to tell a story of a very wee creature, a hobbit, because his own little ones were also wee and he watched them struggle, as we all do, with feelings of inadequacy and insignificance. (Notice. . . everyone, save two characters in this story, are creatures the size of children).

Having spent the past two months reading this to my 13-year-old daughter, who is, well, quite short in stature (and will most likely remain, as an adult, at this current height), I could see the impact that Bilbo's long walk had, one hundred years later, on her very own modern journey.

There is more in you of good than you know. . . some courage and some wisdom, blended in measure. If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.

As far as I'm concerned, Bilbo Baggins became iconic for all of the right reasons, and his lasting fame has nothing to do with a “second breakfast” or hairy feet.

He has courage in a wild, dark, twisty world. . . and, just as important, he has compassion. And, let me tell you, my friends, courage and compassion are never going to become obsolete. We will need them, always, in this world. We need them now more than ever.

My daughter isn't quite old enough yet to understand why her also-short-in-stature mother cried when she read aloud one of the final scenes between the hobbit and the hideous creature, Gollum. No spoiler alerts here, but I want to set the stage for this scene. The hobbit is in a terrifying position, being hunted in the dark by a strange creature named Gollum, one who not only wants something that Bilbo has in his possession, but possibly wants to kill him, too:

Bilbo almost stopped breathing, and went stiff himself. He was desperate. He must get away, out of this horrible darkness, while he had any strength left. He must fight. He must stab the foul thing, put its eyes out, kill it. It meant to kill him. No, not a fair fight. He was invisible now. Gollum had no sword. Gollum had not actually threatened to kill him, or tried to yet. And he was miserable, alone, lost. A sudden understanding, a pity mixed with horror, welled up in Bilbo's heart: a glimpse of endless unmarked days without light or hope or betterment, hard stone, cold fish, sneaking and whispering. All these thoughts passed in a flash of a second. He trembled. And then quite suddenly in another flash, as if lifted by a new strength and resolve, he leaped.

What a tremendous passage, one that inspired me to say to my youngest child, to explain my tears, “This life requires great courage, at any size, at any age. We must protect ourselves, always from our enemies. Protect yourself, always. . . but did you see what Bilbo did? See how he had great courage and saved himself. . . but also had the compassion to see the suffering in his enemy?”

What an iconic character! I am just straight-up flummoxed; I feel wildly honored to have the opportunity to write this reading response.

No ego here in the writing of this classic. . . just grace, and class, and natural storytelling. I finished it with goosebumps up and down my arms.

Professor JRR Tolkien had made his mark as an authority on Anglo-Saxon language and mythology, by the time he wrote The Hobbit, in 1937, but the novel was his first great literary success, and of course what introduced many to it's majestic sequel, The Lord of the Rings.
85 years later, it still enthralls millions of readers, both young and old. It is a wonderful story to captivate readers aged 10 to 110. It has inspired much creative work, including the theme of a popular computer game during the 1980's. In essence Tolkien was the father of the Sword and Sorcery genre of literature, which has provided the material for so many successful novels, movies and games.
Lighter in tone than the Lord of the Rings, it nevertheless contains many references to things deeper and darker than on the surface, such as Gondolin, the last White Council, the Necromancer, and the ring.
The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion provide a deeper journey into Tolkien's Middle Earth. But younger readers can also enjoy it, for it's own benefit.
I first read the book, when I was twelve. It wet my appetite for all things Tolkien and led me to then read the Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion.
The Hobbit is the story of the adventure of Bilbo Baggins, a Hobbit of the green and pleasant country of the Shire, recruited by the wizard Gandalf and a company of Dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield, to wrest the Dwarves inheritance from the Dragon Smaug under the Lonely Mountain. The company must first battle Trolls , Goblins , Wolves , and Giant Spiders , and comes into contact with Elves , Eagles , Men and other inhabitants of Tolkien's wonderful world.

سیر و سفر تو دنیای تالکین و دیدن یا خوندن ماجراهایی که توی این دنیا اتفاق می افته همیشه باعث شدن از اینکه زنده هستم و همچین تجربه هایی داشتم، احساس خوش شانسی و خوشبختی کنم
به قول کرت ونه گات:
"If this isn't nice, I don't know what is.”

I often wonder if Tolkien was inspired by the likes of Jules Verne and Lewis Carol. What pioneers these greats were. I am certainly inspired.

It's a beloved children's book and it's a classic.
But a word of advice from someone who went down this dark path?
Know thyself, Random Goodreader.
I read books from the 1930s all the time but there is just something about the way Tolkien writes that kills me slowly inside. I knew this going into it, but I really wanted to like one of his books.



In my defense, my goal was to finish what I started with the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
And I really tried to cling to what was happening but I just kept zoning out because there was nothing here for a reader like myself to hang onto. I want to understand the appeal of Tolkien in the modern-day sense because there are people who swear to have recently read and loved his books! The fault lies not with Tolkien, but with me in trying to read Tolkien.



So, it's not you, Bilbo. It's me.
And it's all the fucking songs in this thing.
I've come to the conclusion that I should have read this when I was younger. Because the older I get the less patience I have.
For the parents of annoying children in restaurants, for the people who tell me that my opinions are wrong, and for the books that drag ass. If I had read this when I was a kid, I'm pretty sure I would have the nostalgia glasses needed to say that this book shaped my childhood and whatnot. As it is, I got nothing.



I'm not saying The Hobbit is terrible, but it's the wrong kind of story for a grumpy fart like myself who doesn't enjoy dry questing and a bunch of shitty songs in their reading material.
And this thing is filled to the brim with both. It felt like I was swimming through jello to get to the end.



I will say there was more humor in this than there was in the LotR books, so that was cool. But as far as plot goes, I just didn't care about any of it.
What are they even after? Some leftover dwarf treasure?



Dammit.
I wanted to be in your club. I wanted to get invited to all the larping parties. I wanted to learn how to throw down cool elvish gang signs. I wanted to wear pointy ears & play a flute off-key at my daughter's wedding.
You Tolkienites are a great bunch of people and I'm just sorry I couldn't like the books the way they deserve to be liked.