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)

Wonderful writing, story, and performance

What a treat to read and enjoy this work. The reader was splendid and of course the book itself was wonderfully written!

There and back again...

It was a joy to listen to this, a wonderful tale read beautifully. Both the author and artist, masters of their craft. But don't take my word for it, listen for yourselves and see by and by why everyone loves The Hobbit.

Great book and well narrated.

There are a lot of books in life that I never got to experience when I was younger. Now I’m older, and with the invention of audiobooks I am now able to do stuff that I normally do but also able to listen to books and this is the coolest book ever the way it’s narrated. It makes you just want to sit down close your eyes and just imagine everything which I find myself doing a lot so whether young or old, it never hurts to take a few hours and listen to classic.

There and back again

I’ve enjoyed all of Tolkien’s books and this one was no exception! Definitely recommend it.

wonderful

Everything was first class, from the narration to the story itself. The book is rich in detail yet leaving room for the imagination.

My childhood in 11 hours

I listened to this many times as a kid, checking it out from the local library on cassette tapes. This narrator is phenomenal... I'm so glad I was able to find it!

One of the best books ever!

I loved everything about this book. The reader was incredible, and the voices he did for each character left me stunned! Couldn’t have asked for a better time than listening to this. The story was extraordinary with so much detail and depth, and I could picture the beautiful scenery. Incredible.

Excellent Overall, A Nit-Pick Here & There

1. Not A Prequel--love of god, can we at least separate the literary masterpieces from the mass market movie productions? The Hobbit was written first, whether or not Peter Jackson filmed it last.

2. Finally! Someone does an unabridged audiobook version!
3. It's Tolkien and brilliant.
4. The reading is great, but only one nit-pick: some characters and scenes should be read a little darker and not so upbeat. For example, the songs of the Dwarfs--these should be dark and foreboding, but the way that they're read/sung in this recording makes me think of lawn ornament Gnomes digging in the garden. Minor nit-pick. Overall, a very long awaited and welcome recording! Thanks!

Great Story, good narration

If you have not read The Hobbit, then you will likely really enjoy this unabridged version. The Hobbit is a true classic which is worth re-reading. Having an unabridged version of The Hobbit on Audible is a wonderful thing. The story is wonderful and the narration is good. I have read and listened to The Hobbit many times, and this is a good solid version. I really liked another version, the NPR/The Mind’s Eye abridged dramatization. I bought that version decades ago (the 70’s!), it was abridged, but the dramatization was really excellent. As I listened to this version the narration could not compete with the Mind’s Eye dramatization. I also recalled several abridgements in the Minds Eye version that were included in this version. For me, having both versions is the best of both worlds. I did not much like the songs in this version, while the songs in the Mind’s Eye production are haunting and wonderful. I wish there was a version that was both unabridged and as excellent as the Mind’s Eye dramatization, but lacking that, having both versions is really nice.

A classic

The hobbit needs no introduction. It is a start of a series that changed the face of fantasy in profound way. It starts off as more of a children story than the movie have you believe. Starting with Bilbo, author establishes the characters and their limitations. Tone is lighter at the start of the book, but it steadily grows serious to a point that end of the book deals with serious politics and large scale war. Story is told from third person perspective and it works well with the content of the book. A reader can feel a sense of adventure that it was established because of the limitations introduced by author earlier in the book. Dwarves are funny and entertaining even through sometimes it is difficult to keep track of them and their personalities while listening to the narration. In the end, book has a message positive message of anyone (no matter how small) can make a big difference.

Narrator did a great job and I really enjoyed the book. There were plenty of songs in this book and they were sang quiet nicely by the narrator. Needless to say that book is highly recommended and will provide great entertainment.

I will be picking up the Lord Of The Rings narrated by same person.