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The Hobbit [Kindle Edition]

J.R.R. Tolkien
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4,946 customer reviews)

Digital List Price: $14.99 What's this?
Print List Price: $8.99
Kindle Price: $7.29 includes free wireless delivery via Amazon Whispernet
You Save: $1.70 (19%)

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Book Description

Now a major motion picture

A great modern classic and the prelude to THE LORD OF THE RINGS
 
Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely traveling any farther than his pantry or cellar. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an adventure. They have launched a plot to raid the treasure hoard guarded by Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. Bilbo reluctantly joins their quest, unaware that on his journey to the Lonely Mountain he will encounter both a magic ring and a frightening creature known as Gollum.

“A glorious account of a magnificent adventure, filled with suspense and seasoned with a quiet humor that is irresistible . . . All those, young or old, who love a fine adventurous tale, beautifully told, will take The Hobbit to their hearts.” – New York Times Book Review


Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The Hobbit (or There and Back Again) is a fantasy novel written by J.R.R. Tolkien. It follows the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit who embarks on an incredible journey. This children's classic and literary masterpiece was first published in 1937 and has since become a treasured work of fantasy literature. Dragons, trolls, and magic await the reader on this memorable adventure.

Bilbo, along with his friend Gandalf the Wizard, embarks on an adventure with a band of dwarves that sends them into the wild and the depths of the earth to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from a dragon. Along the way, he meets elves, men, giants, goblins, spiders, eagles, and a strange creature named Gollum.

While the tale of the Lord of the Rings has become highly popular in our modern society, The Hobbit is the original story that laid the groundwork for this epic tale to take place. What transpires as a game of riddles and escape from the creature Gollum in the Hobbit is, in fact, the foundation for an entire adventure for the whole of Middle Earth in Bilbo's later years.

Inspired by the author's time serving in World War I, The Hobbit builds to a climactic battle in which many characters met throughout the book reappear. This stunning fairytale is one of adventure, lessons learned, and an entire world born of Tolkien's imagination and desire for an English folklore. The Hobbit is a timeless classic that can be appreciated by readers of all ages.

From Publishers Weekly

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.

Product Details

  • File Size: 1529 KB
  • Print Length: 322 pages
  • Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0345534832
  • Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (February 15, 2012)
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B0079KT81G
  • Text-to-Speech: Enabled
  • X-Ray: Enabled
  • Lending: Not Enabled
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #785 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • Would you like to give feedback on images?

Customer Reviews

The book has a great plot and very interesting characters. harleydavidson  |  816 reviewers made a similar statement
The Hobbit is the prequel to J.R.R. Tolkien's epic trilogy, The Lord of the Rings. mamahobbit  |  663 reviewers made a similar statement
There are also many illustrations from other editions of the book. Mark Pollock  |  542 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
317 of 337 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Really, the best way to read The Hobbit February 20, 2003
Format:Hardcover
Okay, so I say that this is the best way to read The Hobbit. And I am dead serious.

I know that annotated books can be difficult to navigate, filled with useless, pointless, or just plain boring information, and can be grossly oversized. That is not the case here.

So - here's the scoop.

The original story is very nicely presented, with all original illustrations in color when possible, and in black and white elsewhere. The type is nice and clear, very easy to read. (Many cheaper editions are also rather hard on the eyes. Check the print before you buy, folks!)

The illustrations are printed very clearly, and with very good notes on what they are.

And then the annotations - useful, engaging, and very well done. You will WANT to read these. We discover how the book was written, and what was changed between editions. (There were many changes made so that The Hobbit would conform more easily to the Lord of the Rings trilogy.) There are fascinating tidbits about Tolkien's life and the experiences that made their way into the story.

The forward tells about the writing of the novel, and the appedices give additional details about the text.

There are also many illustrations from other editions of the book. These are varied, from thought-provoking to not-provoking.

And the book is not too big. Some editions are simply too big to be read, but this book is reasonably sized so that you can actually READ IT! In fact, I have not read any other edition of The Hobbit for years, since the original annotated version came out.

The new edition is very much worthwhile. Enjoy!

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82 of 90 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Annotations September 19, 2002
Format:Hardcover
This newly published, annotated version of THE HOBBIT is excellent for fans of the book. It may be TMI ("too much information") for the first-time reader. The text of THE HOBBIT settles in the center of the book while Doug Anderson's notations appear in the outer margins. At times it's a bit busy - but there's always fascinating reading! Tolkien fans are sure to get excited over this one.

Doug Anderson includes lots of sources in his notes. He quotes Tolkien's own letters, other fairy tales and legends that may have inspired Tolkien, as well as previous versions of the section he's noting. The Gollum section ("Riddles in the Dark") is interesting. Tolkien did some tinkering with the original Gollum story as its follow-up (LORD OF THE RINGS) was taking shape. Seems that George Lucas is not the only person who's revised previously released work! Tolkien was his predecessor.

Also interesting are the many black and white illustrations that Anderson includes, many from foreign editions of THE HOBBIT. Some of the art is hilarious, as it does not resemble Tolkien's characters at all! There is a nice color section of illustrations in the center of the book.

THE ANNOTATED HOBBIT is a handsome, interesting book to own if you're a fan of Bilbo and his adventures with the dwarves (or dwarfs? That's covered in the book as well!)

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67 of 75 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars As Good As It Gets November 1, 2002
Format:Hardcover
This version of the Hobbit is a pleasure to long-time fans but will also serve new readers well. Anderson released the original "Annotated Hobbit" years ago but this new format with the annotations in the column most often directly next to the orginal book text is supurb.

Included are Hobbit illustrations around the word, a rich addition, but the real joy of this book is learning background and details about The Hobbit, author J.R.R. Tolkien and The Lord Of The Rings. At times the footnotes are scholarly and at other times they are amusing gems.

Anderson has compared all of Tolkien's revisions and has researched the 'whys' 'hows' and 'whens' that helps reveal to reader the meaning of the text and the personality of the author.

My favorites are anecdotes about Tolkien's personal life that involve his family and personal history. They are facinating and at times touching.

WIthout rambling on too much, I can confidently recommend this version of "The Hobbit" as the best available.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Exactly what I expected it to be!
NOT the size of my pockets, but a size that would easily fit into a purse. That's not why I got this version, anyway. It has a beautiful cover and original illustrations inside. Read more
Published 22 hours ago by Emily
5.0 out of 5 stars Great story!
Really enjoing reading this book. Recommended not only for children. Very easy to read even for not native speaker like me.
Published 1 day ago by Anton Romanov
5.0 out of 5 stars Great!
I read it twice, back to back, so good. If you liked the movie you'll love the book. The book is a little darker and depressing but it a great read.
Published 1 day ago by Albert Biagini
5.0 out of 5 stars Such an adventure
I mean literally, such an exillerating way of finding out the story that made LOTR :) I couldn't put it down!
Published 1 day ago by Danae M. McShane
5.0 out of 5 stars Read it!
Don't want to wait for the rest of the movies to find out what happened? Read the Hobbit, prequel to the Lord of the Rings!
Published 1 day ago by J. Marks
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome
Really good i loved how there were so many poems and it was really descriptive. Overall i loved it a lot
Published 1 day ago by Chet17888
5.0 out of 5 stars Well deserving of being called a classic
I know what you're thinking. Oh, God, why?! That book is like 60 years old or something. It's been reviewed, it's been analysed, it's been dissected, bisected, vivisected, and... Read more
Published 2 days ago by Jason m brink
5.0 out of 5 stars The Hobbit book
I received this book very fast and it was great. I read the book and loved it. Great book to read!
Published 2 days ago by Valenna Grant
5.0 out of 5 stars Best book
I only know one book better than this its the beyonders series by Brandon mull this is the best brew at movie ever
Published 3 days ago by Worm
5.0 out of 5 stars Great classic book.
What a great read, always loved this book. You will never forget the characters brought to life in this book.
Published 3 days ago by Linda L Perry
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More About the Author

J.R.R. Tolkien (1892.1973), beloved throughout the world as the creator of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, was a professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford, a fellow of Pembroke College, and a fellow of Merton College until his retirement in 1959. His chief interest was the linguistic aspects of the early English written tradition, but even as he studied these classics he was creating a set of his own.

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