The Hobbit, or There and Back Again is a children's fantasy novel by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published on 21 September 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the New York Herald Tribune for best juvenile fiction. The book remains popular and is recognized as a classic in children's literature. The Hobbit is set within Tolkien's fictional universe and follows the quest of home-loving Bilbo Baggins, the titular hobbit, to win a share of the treasure guarded …
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again is a children's fantasy novel by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published on 21 September 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the New York Herald Tribune for best juvenile fiction. The book remains popular and is recognized as a classic in children's literature.
The Hobbit is set within Tolkien's fictional universe and follows the quest of home-loving Bilbo Baggins, the titular hobbit, to win a share of the treasure guarded by Smaug the dragon. Bilbo's journey takes him from his light-hearted, rural surroundings into more sinister territory.
The story is told in the form of an episodic quest, and most chapters introduce a specific creature or type of creature of Tolkien's geography. Bilbo gains a new level of maturity, competence, and wisdom by accepting the disreputable, romantic, fey, and adventurous sides of his nature and applying his wits and common sense. The story reaches its climax in the Battle of Five Armies, where many of the characters and creatures from earlier chapters re-emerge to engage in conflict.
Personal growth and forms of heroism are central themes of the story, along with motifs of warfare. These themes have led critics to view Tolkien's own experiences during World War I as instrumental in shaping the story. The author's scholarly knowledge of Germanic philology and interest in mythology and fairy tales are often noted as influences.
The publisher was encouraged by the book's critical and financial success and, therefore, requested a sequel. As Tolkien's work progressed on its successor, The Lord of the Rings, he made retrospective accommodations for it in The Hobbit. These few but significant changes were integrated into the second edition. Further editions followed with minor emendations, including those reflecting Tolkien's changing concept of the world into which Bilbo stumbled.
The work has never been out of print. Its ongoing legacy encompasses many adaptations for stage, screen, radio, board games, and video games. Several of these adaptations have received critical recognition on their own merits.
Quel bonheur de se plonger dans le Hobbit...un avant-goût du Seigneur des Anneaux, mais sans la noirceur. C'est un petit bijou de moins de 300 pages, visiblement écrit pour un jeune public, mais que j'ai découvert cette semaine à l'âge adulte avec un immense plaisir, comme un enfant. Chacun des 20 chapitres de 10-20 pages est d'une certaine façon complet, pas de cliffhanger, on ne reste pas mort d'angoisse de connaître la suite, mais on reprend quand même le livre le lendemain.
Plutôt facile à lire en anglais malgré quelques mots rares ou recherchés, on sent que l'auteur a recherché un langage adapté au jeune public, le public non-anglophone l'en remerciera aussi.
It was fun to read this in a language I can just so read. It gives the prose a more archaic feel. And maybe the nordic sound of Danish is a good fit. The book itself is enjoyable even for a non-Tolkien fan and only occasional fantasy reader like myself.
It's been a couple of decades since I last read The Hobbit, but the story still holds up. This new audiobook edition is read by Andy Serkis (the actor who voiced and played Gollum, among many others). His voice acting is spectacular and really adds to the book. Highly recommended!
