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 Hobbits Journey

Excellent story, great narration and overall good read. Now onto the fellowship of the ring

Amazing book

The narrators voice is amazing as well as the story itself which I consider to be one of the best books I've ever read. Be prepared to be fully immersed in Tolkien's world of magic, adventure, dwarfs, hobbits, elves and much more.
READ THIS BOOK TODAY

The Hobbit

It's Tolkien, that says it all! This is the real beginning of 'The Lord of the Rings' and quite excellent. The narrator is very enjoyable and entertaining. His voice changes enhance the story and he has a pleasant singing voice.

Excellent

The story is great and the reader is also. Highly recommended! It makes you feel as though you are traveling right along with Bilbo and friends!

Excellent story, Great narration

I have always wanted to read the Hobbit. Listening to it was great!
The narration was great. Would highly recommend the book.

One of the greatest stories of all time!!!!

listening to this after reading it really brought the story to life. the narrations were some of the best I have ever heard.

LOVE. LOVE. LOVE.

Tolkien truly is the master storyteller, I am amazed with his words. As a fanatic of hard copy books I strayed away this time. I am glad to say my first experience with an audiobook was with this masterpiece.

I loved this audible

Any additional comments?

I've owned the hobbit and the lord of the rings books for a couple years now but have never read them even though I have always wanted to. It seemed every time I sat down to try and read them I could never concentrate on the story even though I have loved the movies since I was a little girl. Finally I ordered the audible which was the best decision ever. Listening to the story while reading along with the book has made it way easier for me to pay attention to the story and not get bored of it even though I know I love the content that's in the book. Also I'm not the best reader/writer so listening while going along in the book has helped when I can't pronounce a word since there are a lot of them I can't in the book. I'm really glad I did this so now I can say I read the books since I already know all the words to the three lord of the rings movies.

AHHHH

I love this book so much. Love that you can change the speed of the reading. My only complaint is that the voice changes are difficult to understand sometimes.

Not the old CD version

What did you love best about The Hobbit?

The story

Who was your favorite character and why?

None in particular

Have you listened to any of Rob Inglis’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Not that I know

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No

Any additional comments?

I had the old CD version of the Hobbit and nearly wore it out listening to it. I was a bit disappointed by this new version, I don't care for some of the character interpretation or voices, but that's probably because I am accustomed to different ones. The story doesn't change however. The main thing that I do not like in this audio book vs. a reading book is the singing of all the songs. While the narrator has a good singing voice, I don't think that the dwarves and hobbit would have such a cultured singing voice. I find myself wanting to skip forward over the songs. Overall, I believe that most listeners would enjoy this book.