The Hobbit

By: J. R. R. Tolkien

Narrated by: Andy Serkis

This brand-new unabridged audio book of J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved The Hobbit is read by the BAFTA award-winning actor, director and author, Andy Serkis.

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 thirteen dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day, to whisk him away on a 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 influential books of the twentieth century.

©1937 J. R. R. Tolkien (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

"The Hobbit belongs to a very small class of books which have nothing in common save that each admits us to a world of its own. Its place is with Alice and The Wind in the Willows." (Times Literary Supplement)

"One of the best loved characters in English fiction...a marvellous fantasy adventure." (Daily Mail)

"Finely written saga of dwarves and elves, fearsome goblins and trolls...an exciting epic of travel, magical adventure, working up to a devastating climax." (The Observer)

Serkis does Tolkien's legacy justice

My first encounter with JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit came when I was around six years old, and my mum picked up a paperback copy from which she read parts of to me. I do admit I was probably a little too young to appreciate this, back then, but I did go on to reading the book on my own when I was about 11 or 12. Which is also when I plunged headlong into The Lord of the Rings and knew from that moment that I wanted to be a fantasy writer.

I'm always somewhat baffled when people complain that The Hobbit is boring, but hey, there's no accounting for people's taste. But what I will say to those of you who didn't quite gel with the reading, do give the audiobook narrated by Andy Serkis a try. It's my firm belief that some fiction only truly comes alive as the spoken word, and in this case, The Hobbit is a prime example.
Tolkien is a master of the third person omniscient, so often interrupts the main flow to give a little of his own opinion – and sometimes the references to things from his own time, like football, can be a bit jarring. This is especially the case considering that the conventions of present day fiction favour a limited first- or third-person point of view. So I'm guessing the 'narrator voice' of the author might be off-putting to some readers (though I do believe that they don't quite know how to articulate this, judging by the reviews out there – worth a laugh and an eye-roll if you're trawling to see the one-star reviews for The Hobbit.)

But Andy Serkis as a narrator of this book surpasses himself. His minute details in characterisation, for everyone from Bilbo and Gandalf, to Smaug, and of course the Gollum we all know and love, are an absolute delight. This is the unabridged version of the book, so we're looking at plus minus 10 hours of entertainment, and I'm beginning to wonder if Peter Jackson shouldn't have just stuck to the plot instead of his mangling of the film adaption of the book. Because yes, there is enough content for three movies here, if you look hard enough.

This is most certainly one of my audiobook highlights of the year, and I cannot recommend it enough. Serkis is an absolute treasure and he has without a doubt done justice to JRR Tolkien's legacy with his reading.

A match made in heaven

The Hobbit has always been a beloved story to me, but now it has gained a whole new dimension; a completely new way of experiencing it, as we get this narration that we've all been waiting for without even knowing it.
Andy Serkis brings a whole cast of distinct voices to this audiobook, and the pacing and drama of the storytelling is impeccable. I highly recommend this audiobook to anyone who loves fantasy, the world of LotR, or fairytales in general.
I hope with all my heart that we will soon get a new version of the Lord of the Rings, too - narrated by Andy Serkis. That would make this experience complete.

Andy Serkis knocks it out of the park!

Loved every second of it, Andy is the perfect choice to record this timeless tale, his voice is buttery smooth, and you can easily differentiate all the characters (which is quite the feat considering the number of characters)

I am so excited to hear his upcoming performance of the lotr trilogy!

The best audiobook I’ve ever heard

This is my first time writing a review for audible. But as soon as I started listening to the Hobbit, I knew I had to write it.

This is by far the best audiobook I’ve ever heard in my life. Andy Serkis is simply fantastic. He gives each of the characters life in a beautiful way. His narration flow is phenomenal, keeping you on the edge of your seat the whole time. It’s clear he loves this books and this story.

Listening to Andy felt like I was listening to my grandpa telling me a bedtime story filled with adventures and songs. It was a beautiful and unforgettable experience.

Amazing storytelling by Andy Serkis!

It was such a delight to listen to this reading with my children! Often we were in awe of how amazing the reader was! One of the best audio book readings I’ve heard!

Superb!

The Hobbit is a wonderful book and to listen to it being read by Mr. Serkis is absolutely wonderful. The narrator has an unbelievable talent for voices and brought the book to life.

I agree that the narrator should also do LOTR - I would buy it immediately.

A tour de force by Serkis

My son’s first experience of the Hobbit and I couldn’t have asked for more. He loves it now and our only concern is whether Andy has done Lord Of The Rings too!

Amazing story obviously with great narration by Andy Serkis

It’s absolutely remarkable to cover voice of so many characters while being easily distinguishable. A true gem!

Fantastic and heart warming

Andy Serkis was the perfect choice! Every single character has a different voice and tone, I cried during the "riddles in the dark" chapter. Please make him read EVERY BOOK!

En välkänd berättelse med god dramatisering

Jag kände igen berättelsen från min barndom och från filmerna. Uppläsaren dramatiserar röster i stil med rösterna från filmerna. Jag tyckte det var hemtrevligt men om man inte gillar t.ex. Gollum röst i filmerna kan det bli tröttsamt. Mycket bra ljudbok som jag rekomenderar varmt! :)