Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Hobbit  By  cover art

The Hobbit

By: J. R. R. Tolkien
Narrated by: Rob Inglis
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $24.67

Buy for $24.67

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

The complete unabridged audiobook of J.R.R Tolkien's The Hobbit.

Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely travelling further than the pantry of his hobbit-hole in Bag End. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard, Gandalf, and a company of 13 dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an unexpected journey ‘there and back again’. They have a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon....

The prelude to The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit has sold many millions of copies since its publication in 1937, establishing itself as one of the most beloved and influential books of the 20th century.

©1954, 1966 The Tolkien Estate Limited (P)1991 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

What listeners say about The Hobbit

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,264
  • 4 Stars
    275
  • 3 Stars
    70
  • 2 Stars
    14
  • 1 Stars
    13
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,093
  • 4 Stars
    265
  • 3 Stars
    66
  • 2 Stars
    9
  • 1 Stars
    13
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,157
  • 4 Stars
    218
  • 3 Stars
    64
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    6

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

great book, bad business choice

a great book that should have a 5 star rating. Rob Inglis gives a fantastic performance. however I give it 3 stars due to the dismaying choice of separating it in 2 parts for no other reason then making more money.
I would rather pay for a more expensive version with both parts then having to buy both parts separately, as a consumer the first option makes me feel like I'm paying more for a quality product. the second option makes me feel like Audible is cheating me.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

22 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Enchanting children's tale, beautifully read

Superb! One of the classic children's fantasy tales, set in a rich and enchanting world of dwarves, goblins, wizards, elves, and dragons, along with the most unlikely of heroes, Bilbo Baggins the hobbit.

The recording is beautifully done. Rob Inglis's voice is pleasant and relaxed, and he reads at a leisurely and comfortable pace. The character voices are generally appropriate and varied, although some of the dwarves were not what I expected. Most surprising of all, Inglis actually SINGS the songs, giving an extra touch of character and authenticity.

A word of caution: While the story is set in the same world as the Lord of the Rings and relates events a generation earlier, this is not merely a prequel in the same style. This is a fun children's tale, written for a younger readership.

To be read before you have lost your childlikeness, and reread many times to keep regaining it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

One relative short book, in 3 separate purchases?

What disappointed you about The Hobbit, Part 1?

This was a bummer to me. Next time I will search for de 1 purchase book.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Hobbit, Part 1?

That It ends in de middle of the story. This book is expensive!

Which character – as performed by Rob Inglis – was your favorite?

I like them all.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

The book is lovely and I like it a lot. I just feel trickt. It is not that there was no way of knowing. It says part 1 after all. Next time I will pay more attention.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Hopping along with the Hobbit

Would you listen to The Hobbit, Part 1 again? Why?

This is one of those texts you can listen to over and over.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Hobbit, Part 1?

Listening to Rob reading this text was like visiting an old friend. His reading of LOTR is brilliant as well, and I have been listening to that for years. Rob Ingliss has a wonderful vice and he reads with so much nuance that each character is readily recognisable.

Any additional comments?

I wish they hadn't added the music. It is really jarring. But it is only a minor element.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Sound issues through the whole book

Something like falling water drops you can hear all the time. Very annoying. Story and performance is absolutely perfect.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

love it. good story. good reader.

eg syns at dette var en meget bra bok. den var bra fortalt. Og hjalp godt under en bil tur eller vasking og jobb. 😊

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Stop singing..

Very good book. Must say the movies have much more story and don't feel so stretched as the book. The book makes the adventure feel very short by skipping fast over aspects like the 5 army war. "Bilbo was hit in the head and when he woke up the war was over" Done. The narrator was very good until he started singing... There are like 20 songs in this book and he keeps singing and singing and it is so terrible that I feel I'm getting trolled.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable, but....

Having previously read The Lord of the Rings I found this story lacking somewhat. Perhaps as I read them in the wrong order that was part of the problem. I just found The Hobbit a little boring in comparison. But still enjoyable to listen to, as a result of the excellent narration.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Hobbit - Great rendition

Would you consider the audio edition of The Hobbit, Part 1 to be better than the print version?

Nothing, of course is ever as good as the print versions and our own interpretations. This audible version is a great interpretation of this timeless classic.

What other book might you compare The Hobbit, Part 1 to and why?

Unfortunately this is one of my first audible listens - it is certainly a much pleasanter listen than the many freebies out there. Someone with reading talent makes a huge difference. This is a great book which gives a lot of background to the Lord of the Rings series.

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

First listen - sorry.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

The original - the one ring and where it rested.

Any additional comments?

Loved it - it made the commute a pleasure rather than a chore.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Unique classic and immersive

Tolkien's uniqueness together with a very immersive and enjoyable narration.
This was my first audiobook and I am looking forward to hear more amazing content like this.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful