The Hobbit

By: J. R. R. Tolkien

Narrated by: Rob Inglis

Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

Like every other hobbit, Bilbo Baggins likes nothing better than a quiet evening in his snug hole in the ground, dining on a sumptuous dinner in front of a fire. But when a wandering wizard captivates him with tales of the unknown, Bilbo becomes restless. Soon he joins the wizard’s band of homeless dwarves in search of giant spiders, savage wolves, and other dangers. Bilbo quickly tires of the quest for adventure and longs for the security of his familiar home. But before he can return to his life of comfort, he must face the greatest threat of all - a treasure-troving dragon named Smaug.

In this fantasy classic, master storyteller J.R.R. Tolkein creates a bewitching world filled with delightful creatures and thrilling dangers. Narrator Rob Inglis will hold listeners of all ages spellbound with his skillful portrayal of hobbits, dwarves, and enchanted beasts.

©1966 J.R.R. Tolkien (P)1991 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

"Rob Inglis expertly bridges the gap between the whimsical, childlike aspects of Tolkien's fantasy classic and the hints of darker things to come later in The Lord of the Rings. Though content to enjoy his cozy life, cheerful hobbit Mr. Bilbo Baggins agrees to help his wizard friend Gandalf aid a group of dwarves seeking their lost treasure. As their various adventures ensue, Inglis treats listeners to a tour-de-force performance rich in colorful characterizations and several engaging singing performances. This story should be the unquestionable starting point for those venturing into Tolkien’s Middle-earth. Listeners experience a vocal performance that is in turn charming, gripping, a little scary, and always engaging." (AudioFile magazine)

a small critique

Where does The Hobbit rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I have read the hobbit a few times; I just started the audiobook version for the first time. it's great! I know the story so I can recommend it already. I've listened to enough to say that the voice performance is well done, so I can easily recommend the audiobook. a small annoyance I found I will remark on. there are a few cuts in the reading I've heard so far, they are distracting (one second and half second delays). a minor irritation from the overall solid reading. hope that is helpful to know. enjoy!

The Hobbit - Performed Fantastically

The hobbit is a classic, prior to the movie deal I remember listening to this on CD in the car with my dad. The performance is fantastic and brings each character alive.

Great all around

Not sure you can dislike Tolkien. the narrator was smashing to say the least. he verbally illustrated characters, sang songs, and just did a wonderful performance.

Bilbo came first!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Hobbit to be better than the print version?

Yes - the reader does an excellent job in playing each of the characters and really does well in giving them voices of their own.

Any additional comments?

I will say this...i am not the target audience for this book namely because i have not read the Lord of the Rings book series. I have, however, seen all of the movies and loved them immensely. I decided that it might make sense, given the new "TRILOGY" based on this one book, to read it first and have an informed position on the subject matter for a change.

My issue is that i am mentally thinking about the tone and "vibe" from themovie series i have already watched and, pulling that into this book reading. BIG BIG MISTAKE! I say this because, if there are any other out there who, like me, think it might be a lot easier to digest one book now than "catch up" by reading the LOTR trilogy and this will find that there are MAJOR differences (which, i know, are to be expected in adaptations).

the biggest IMO is all of the SINGING?! I had to literally have a friend of mine, who is a massive Tolkein fan, explain this to me. He would remind me time and again "Bilbo came first...Bilbo went on a journey and Frodo was out fulfilling his destiny...they are not the same tonally...everything went bad AFTER Bilbo." He had to tell me this because, as i am listening to the story, we gat to these major climatic moments where there is high tension and just when you would almost expect a dark turn (ala LOTR), there is SINGING?!?!

Beyond that (which, as i understand it IS everywhere in the LOTR series as well), i found the sotry to be decent, but not great. a band of dwarves and a hobbit stumble onto numerous perils in attempts to help the lead dwarf restore his reign over a territory beseiged by a dragon.

It was cute but a) NOT worthy of three 3hour movies b) NOT the same as the tone of the LOTR series and c) Bilbo came first! Its likda like The Wizard of Oz and Snow White wrapped into a world created by Tolkein.

Cheers and Happy Holidays!

An old favourite!

What made the experience of listening to The Hobbit the most enjoyable?

The narrator was superb!

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Hobbit?

The transition of Bilbo from a quiet, passive being to one of decisivness and courage.

What does Rob Inglis bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He has a wonderful way of bringing each character to life with his different voices. He is a really good reader with a wonderful voice.

Any additional comments?

I first read this book during my high school years. I loved this book then and after listening to the audible version just recently, I still love it! The book is one of my favourites!

I wanted to reread the book now before the movie is released next month. There were a few details I wanted to remember more clearly. I thouroughly enjoyed listening to the narrator, Bob Inglis. He has a way of making each character sound distinct from all the others and does it very well.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has read it before, anyone who has never read it and anyone who likes classic fantasy. This book is timeless! So go grab a copy and turn off all phones!

Classic

A bed tume story I was honored to be raised by. So great to hear it once again and the magic of middle earth

good book

I have read the book before and I think Rob Inglis did a very good job at narrating one of my Favorite books.

A wonderful companion for those long drives

Would you consider the audio edition of The Hobbit to be better than the print version?

Its hard to compare the written version to the Audio book. I would say the audio version did a fantastic job, but nothing can beat ones imagination for looks and sounds of characters and creatures. It was a wonderful companion on my long drive the audio performance was great and the voicing of characters add a sense of wonder to the adventure.

incredibly and exceptionally well narrated

the songs are sung with great affection and the characters brought to life with a narrative style thats absolutely flawless

Marvelous and Enchanting

It was Tolkien's books that made me get into writing as a hobby and kindled my love of reading. The Hobbit remains my most favorite book of all time having read it over twenty times in the past 10 years. Rob Inglis is a great narrator for this particular series as he brings the story and songs to life!

I have been training for endurance running for months and started this book while on my runs. When it got to Gollum I had to stop as I was laughing so hard at the voice Inglis gives him. Even with the short pauses in the later chapters (possible editing glitch) I thoroughly enjoyed the book.