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The Hobbit  By  cover art

The Hobbit

By: J. R. R. Tolkien
Narrated by: Rob Inglis
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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)

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What listeners say about The Hobbit

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The Hobbitt

Enjoyable. I listened after I finished the Lord of the Rings, so it all tied together eventually!

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Classic

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

Rob Inglis was a wonderful storyteller. Just beautifully done. I have never heard anything narrated by him and I know I'll be on the look out for more stories. He was wonderful!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Gandalf is and will always be my favorite.

What about Rob Inglis’s performance did you like?

Everything!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I space stories out over my drive to and from work. I caught myself putting this on while making dinner or getting ready in the morning. I read this many years ago and the magic had dimmed in my mind. My goodness, is it rejuvenated.

Any additional comments?

A problem I've always had with Tolkien is his lack of female characters. This goes double for this book. There are NO female characters in this book, which is a bit tiring. Yes, it's a classic but at some point you have to commend the movie for very slightly balancing out the sausage fest.

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fantastic and enjoyable

This is some of the most enjoyable reading I have undertaken. The narration was exceptional. The narrator puts you in scene of the story completely.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

gripping and entertaining

A well written and a great prebook to series called"The Lord of the Rings". Hope to have the full series myself.

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Insert book reference here

A classic book that inspired countless works. The only real complaint with this audio book was a few of the orc voices and some of the orc songs. Otherwise pretty good and almost as long as 3 movies for the shortest book

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Complete with song

I read this as a child and the tone of the book hasn't much changed this classic . The narrator did a fantastic job and even sang the songs. I didn't remember so many, each having a different voice. My only complaint was that the voices of his dwarves sounded much of the same, but there were 13 of them (minus Mr. Baggins). Still a great start of a much known trilogy.

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Great!

This guy need to read more books and teaching books. He’s a great story teller

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wowww

con Ken sun half r Oregon sh ryan Kiffin seri often endured ish WSU su soon Kevin chin de gild Finney UW win 4thyoung

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Such loud breathing!

Lovely story, but the unfortunate narrator seems to be gasping for breath, very distracting. Very unusual in a professional recording.

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Great Book

I love to read this book and it was equally great getting to listen to it.

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