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The Hobbit: Or There and Back Again
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The Hobbit: Or There and Back Again Hardback - 2012

by J. R. Tolkien

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This edition of the enchanting prelude to the Lord of the Rings trilogy features cover art rendered by Tolkien himself.

About this book

The Hobbit tells the famous story of Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit who is caught up in the affairs of wizards. His journey through Mirkwood and the climactic confrontation with the dragon Smaug served as the launching point for Tolkien's transformative trilogy, The Lord of the Rings. Many of the essential elements of Tolkien's classic saga have their roots in this children's book.

The story remains popular, and stands as one of the most enduring (and endearing) stories of the last century. The Hobbit sparked a creative explosion in speculative fiction, a fire that burns brightly to this day. The revival in interest in recent years, in part due to the popularity of the film series inspired by Tolkien's books only shows the timelessness of his story, and the importance of his work.

Summary

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.
Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when it was first published in 1937. Now recognized as a timeless classic, this introduction to the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the wizard Gandalf, Gollum, and the spectacular world of Middle-earth recounts of the adventures of a reluctant hero, a powerful and dangerous ring, and the cruel dragon Smaug the Magnificent. The text in this 372-page paperback edition is based on that first published in Great Britain by Collins Modern Classics (1998), and includes a note on the text by Douglas A. Anderson (2001). Unforgettable!

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From the publisher

The journey through Middle-earth begins here with J.R.R. Tolkien's classic prelude to his epic fantasy Lord of the Rings trilogy.

"A glorious account of a magnificent adventure, filled with suspense and seasoned with a quiet humor that is irresistible... All those, young or old, who love a fine adventurous tale, beautifully told, will take The Hobbit to their hearts."--The New York Times Book Review

"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit." So begins one of the most beloved and delightful tales in the English language--Tolkien's prelude to The Lord of the Rings. Set in the imaginary world of Middle-earth, at once a classic myth and a modern fairy tale, The Hobbit is one of literature's most enduring and well-loved high fantasy novels.

Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely traveling any farther than his pantry or cellar. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an adventure. They have launched a plot to raid the treasure hoard guarded by Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. Bilbo reluctantly joins their epic quest, unaware that on his journey to the Lonely Mountain he will encounter both a magic ring and a frightening creature known as Gollum.

    First edition identification

    The first impression of the first edition ran as a limited printing of 1500 copies, published by George Allen & Unwin Ltd, 1937. Authentic copies with the dust jacket will include a well known hand correction, in black ink, of a misspelling of the last name of Reverend Charles Dodgson (better known as Lewis Carroll) on the back flap. A first edition, first printing of the original U.K. edition can run over $40,000. Signed copies of this edition have been appraised at over $100,000 U.S. Later printings of the first edition also retain much value for collectors. The first U.S. Edition, printed in 1938 by Houghton Mifflin Company, is prized and is commonly sold to collectors at prices well over $2,000. Chips to the cover, a missing dustcover, wear to the spine, and damage to the map in the endpaper, are some of the more common flaws for this book. 

    Details

    • Title The Hobbit: Or There and Back Again
    • Author J. R. Tolkien
    • Binding Hardback
    • Edition Reprint
    • Pages 384
    • Volumes 1
    • Language ENG
    • Publisher Clarion Books
    • Publication date 2012-09-18
    • Illustrated Yes
    • Features Bibliography, Dust Cover, Illustrated, Maps, Table of Contents
    • ISBN 9780547953830 / 0547953836
    • Weight 1.1 lbs (0.50 kg)
    • Dimensions 8.3 x 5.8 x 1.4 in (21.08 x 14.73 x 3.56 cm)
    • Age range 12 to UP years
    • Grade levels 7 - UP
    • Reading level 1000
    • Themes
      • Topical: Friendship
    • Category Young Adult Fiction
    • Library of Congress subjects Middle Earth (Imaginary place), Baggins, Bilbo (Fictitious character)
    • Dewey Decimal Code FIC

    Media reviews

    "One of the most freshly original and delightfully imaginative books for children that have appeared in many a long day... The Hobbit is a glorious account of a magnificent adventure, filled with suspense and seasoned with a quiet humor that is irrestible... All those, young or old, who love a fine adventurous tale, beautifully told, will take The Hobbit to their hearts" The New York Times Book Review

    About the author

    J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973) was the creator of Middle-earth and author of such classic and extraordinary works of fiction as The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion. His books have been translated into more than fifty languages and have sold many millions of copies worldwide.
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