The Hobbit

Overview

J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy masterpiece 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 the 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 own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when published.

Editorial Reviews

Noted artist Hague provides 48 dazzling paintings for this first-ever version of the timeless fantasy classic. All ages.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Author Information

Bio of J.R.R. Tolkien

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born on January 3, 1892, at Bloemfontein in the Orange Free State of South Africa; but at the age of 4, he and his brother were taken back to England by their mother. After his father's death, the family moved to Sarehole, on the southeastern edge of Birmingham. Tolkien spent a happy childhood in the countryside, and his sensibility to the rural landscape can clearly be seen in his writing and his pictures. His mother died when he was only 12, and both he and his brother were made wards of the local priest and sent to King Edward's School in Birmingham, where Tolkien shone in his classical work. After completing a First in English at the University of Oxford, Tolkien married Edith Bratt. He was also commissioned in the Lancashire Fusiliers and fought in the Battle of the Somme in World War I. After the war, he obtained a post on the New English Dictionary and began to write the mythological and legendary cycle which he originally called The Book of Lost Tales, but which eventually became known as The Silmarillion. In 1920 Tolkien was appointed Reader in English Language at the University of Leeds, and this was the beginning of a distinguished academic career, which culminated in his election as Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford. Meanwhile Tolkien wrote for his children and told them the story of The Hobbit. It was his publisher, Stanley Unwin, who asked for a sequel to The Hobbit, and gradually Tolkien wrote The Lord of the Rings, a huge story that took 12 years to complete and which was not published until Tolkien was approaching retirement. After retirement, Tolkien and his wife lived near Oxford, but then moved to Bournemouth. Tolkien returned to Oxford after his wife's death in 1971. He died on September 2, 1973, leaving The Silmarillion to be edited for publication by his son, Christopher.

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Additional Info

Imprint

HarperCollins

Filesize

4.76 MB

Number of Pages

144

eBook ISBN

9780061917783