The Hobbit

Author: J. R. R. Tolkien

Genre: Fantasy

Publication Date: 1937

Overview

The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, is a novel by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published on 21 September 1937, and has been immensely successful since then. Many critical readers have argued over whether the book is a fantasy, a fairy tale, a fable, a romance, an epic, or a novel. Tolkien, for his part, did not want his work to be classified as an allegory. He preferred for it to be referred to as “history,” whether real or invented.

The Hobbit was initially a bedtime story that Tolkien narrated to his children. The world of Middle Earth is known for its depth and complexity. Through his works, Tolkien invested his fictional worlds with mythologies, legends, songs, and cultural histories.

The Hobbit is about the quest of home-loving Bilbo Baggins to win a share of the treasure guarded by Smaug the dragon. Bilbo’s journey takes him from his rural surroundings into a more threatening territory.

The Hobbit’s success prompted Tolkien to write its sequel, The Lord of the Rings. The first adaptation of the novel was a stage production by St. Margaret’s School, Edinburgh, in March 1953. Thereafter, it has been adapted for a variety of media including stage, screen, radio, and video games.

The Hobbit Biography

The Hobbit Characters

The Hobbit Summary and Analysis

The Hobbit Themes

The Hobbit Quotes

The Hobbit Discussion Questions