The Hobbit (J.R.R. Tolkien) [ABRIDGED] [AUDIOBOOK] (Audio Cassette)

by J.R.R. Tolkien (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Celebrating the centennial of Tolkien's birth, a full-cast radio dramatization of Tolkien's classic prequel to The Lord of the Rings chronicles the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit who finds the Ring of Power, and his companions. Book available.

From the Publisher
Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit, is a peaceful sort of cozy hole in the Shire, a place where adventures are uncommon and rather unwanted. So when the wizard Gandalf whisks him away on a treasure hunting expedition with a troop of rowdy dwarves, he's not entirely thrilled. Encountering ruthless trolls, beastly orcs, gigantic spiders, and hungry wolves, Bilbo discovers within himself astonishing strength and courage. And at the ultimate confrontation with the fearsome dragon Smaug, the hobbit will brave the dangers of dark and dragon fire alone and unaided. Brilliantly conceived to evoke Tolkien's richly imagined Middle Earth, this production features an original score written for Renaissance era instruments outstanding ensemble acting by the best performers available to the BBC and innovative sound techniques designed to present a hobbit's eye view of Bilbo's adventures. A fitting tribute to the centenary of J.R Tolkien's birth. The Hobbit will captivate longtime fans and the newly initiated alike.

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Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Random House Audio (March 21, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553471074
• ISBN-13: 978-0553471076
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,005,321 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Worthwhile listening to, October 23, 2004

By	Laura De Giorgio "www.deeptrancenow.com" (Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Hobbit (J.R.R. Tolkien) (Audio CD)

The story itself is on four CDs, the fifth CD contains several songs. This audio production won't replace reading the book, but may serve as an overview of the book. The sound effects at times seem a bit overdone - you'll hear a lot of huffing and puffing. As a previous reviewer noted, children may enjoy this set of CDs more than adults and the sound effects can help to hold their attention. Gollum sounds rather spooky, and Bilbo sounds as if he were out of breath most of the time.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not the best, but still enjoyable, May 25, 2005

By	Mary Jo Sminkey "author of cfwebstore" (Carlisle, PA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Hobbit (BBC Radio Presents; 5 CDs) (Audio CD)

I greatly enjoyed the BBC presentation of Lord of the Rings, so figured I'd buy this one as well. Sadly, it is not nearly as good. The sound effects are painful to listen to at times, pronounciation is hard to follow and often incorrect, and the voice of the characters can sometimes be hard to follow. Gandalf for instance does not at all sound like I would expect him to! The way Bilbo interjects comments during parts of the narration seems a bit odd as well, but I did think the actor did a nice job with him at least. I think someone not familiar with the book would have a very hard time following the story, but for Tolkien fans, it's harmless fun at least.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Audio masterpiece.., April 25, 2000

By	Charles Pinney (Boone, NC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Hobbit (BBC Radio Presents; 5 CDs) (Audio CD)

Having just purchased both BBC productions of "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings", I've decided to write a quick review.

First off, "The Hobbit" is the classic story of Bilbo Baggins' adventure across Middle-earth to help recover the dwarves gold, and defeat the evil dragon Smaug.

If you live and breath hobbits, you can't go wrong with this audiobook. It comes in a green slipcase, containing a hardback (almost book-like) holder of five compact discs. A booklet containing all the characters, production cast, and track titles is included. Also in the set is a fold out map of Middle-earth.

The production itself, is a lot of fun to listen to. The English actors are great, the music is superb. Overall this is a great item for any Tolkien lover, sure to bring joy and put a smile of your face for a long time to come.