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The Hobbit  By  cover art

The Hobbit

By: J. R. R. Tolkien
Narrated by: Andy Serkis
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Editorial review


By Alanna McAuliffe, Audible Editor

JOURNEY THERE AND BACK AGAIN WITH THE HOBBIT

I was still in diapers when the bar for fantasy world-building was set unreasonably high. My mother, who had been a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien’s work since she herself was a child, passed along her fandom to me. To this day, that sense of awe hasn’t faded, and even as an adult, I find myself wide-eyed and wonderstruck by the world that Tolkien created—dragons and dwarves and hobbits and elves and wizards, dark forces unseen and simple goodness unparalleled, a good old-fashioned tale of whimsy and adventure that completely redefined what it meant to tell a story.

But when Tolkien wrote The Hobbit back in the 1930s, he did not set out to create a work explicitly for children. Rather, he was crafting a fairy story, one rooted in his fascination with language, mythology, and history, that allowed him to build out a lore of his own. Nevertheless, it captivated readers young and old and has since become both a staple of kidlit and a foundational work in the overarching fantasy genre. Many stories are hailed as timeless, as enjoyable for little ones as they are for those several generations ahead, but few are as truly universal as this one, an accessible entry into a fully realized world in which you may wade as shallowly as you like or dive deep into ages of lore and backstory.

At its core, the story, following a most unlikely hero in the reserved, slightly curmudgeonly Bilbo Baggins, is a quest not just to slay the dragon and conquer evil but a journey into one’s own. Before Gandalf’s intervention, Bilbo has no inclination of taking on such an exploit, preferring instead the comforts and safeties of the only home he’s known. Hobbits, seemingly representative of England’s common countryfolk, are not heralded for theatrical acts of daring or brawn. But what Bilbo does have, in spades, is heart, goodness, and the capacity for tremendous courage, given the opportunity. Over the course of the story, we listen as Bilbo transforms into the confident hero of legend, the kind of pathfinding traveler that would write of his ventures, which in and of themselves create his memoir and center the narrative of The Hobbit. Bilbo is such a beloved figure in literature because he is all of us—as a timid, cautious child, his capers rang as evidence that I, too, had something to offer.

Continue reading Alanna's review >

Publisher's summary

This brand-new unabridged audio book of J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved The Hobbit will be coming to listeners everywhere this September, 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 13 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 20th century.

©1937, 1951, 1966, 1978, 1995 The J.R.R. Tolkien Copyright Trust (P)2020 HarperCollins

Featured Article: Sauron—A Lord of the Rings Character Guide


Mairon, Annatar, the Necromancer—the evil Dark Lord Sauron has gone by many names. But who is he, really, and what is his impact on J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth? Sauron is the trilogy's primary antagonist and the one who forged the One Ring to Rule Them All in the fires of Mount Doom. Sauron is storied throughout Tolkien’s lore and mythos. Here's what we know about the powerful and evil Sauron—his character, his history, his powers, and more.

Continue Your Journey Through Middle earth

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What listeners say about The Hobbit

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good story, but missing some things

Andy Serkis has a habit of whispering, causing me to turn the volume up and down to hear at parts, and then he stops whispering and my eardrums almost burst. however, the story is very interesting.

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The Hobbit

The Hobbit was written in the 30s sometime - and stands alone. Although not part of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, it is the inspiration. We're introduced to Bilbo and are transported through the world of wizards, goblins, dwarves, elves, etc. in a quest to retrieve an enormous stash of gold and treasures hoarded and guarded by a fire-breathing dragon.

Been putting off getting swept into the entire LOTR fantasy world - for years. But, that reluctance has been to my detriment. The Hobbit is a bit darker than the Harry Potter world and is very much young adult. But, a story that a young-at-heart adult can enjoy, as well.

Be willing to suspend reality, it is a world of complete fantasy and imagination. No sex, no objectionable language - squeaky clean reads. Narration is terrific.

Recommended.

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Andy was superb

What a joy it was tu immerse myself in the world of The Hobbit with the help of Andy Serkis! Amazing work.

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Best Performance

Andy Serkis is an incredible narrator. All the different voices and the songs were performed top notch. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have listened because fantasy novels aren’t my favorite. But his voice drew me in for my first time reading Tolkien. The story is written very well, but some of the battle scenes were drawn out too long.

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Great book

Great book I loved every second of this book I highly recommend it to any one who likes a good adventure book.

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Perfection.

Andy Serkis is a genius. He has the skill of an entire cast of voice actors - each of his voices are unique and interesting. There is not one single thing I would change.

I can only hope that they let him narrate the Lord of the Rings because I would buy that in a heartbeat.

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An Epic Tale for a Less Civilized Age

A wonder book, narrated by a wonderful reader. Always a favorite from my childhood, and much improved by the wonderful talents of Andy Serkis.

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love it! lets get Andy to narrate the trilogy now!

Andy Serkis is a gem and this is one of the best audiobook narrations I've ever listened to. the story is a classic and is of course excellent. I would absolutely buy a version of the Lord of the Rings narrated by Andy, make it happen!!!!

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Absolutely loved this!

Such a great story, and Andy Serkis is a treasure! I tuned in when he did the original charity livestream of him reading this earlier this year, and when I found out about him doing an official audiobook reading for The Hobbit, it felt like Christmas! I'd absolutely love if they got him to also read the LOTR trilogy. "Riddles in the Dark" was by far my favorite chapter (for his Gollum voice of course!), but his reading of the whole audiobook was just perfect.

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Brilliant

Andy does an incredible job with this story. His voices bring the story alive. I especially enjoyed his treatment of the poetry and songs.

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