The Hobbit   Basic facts title: The Hobbit ISBN:  0 261 10221 4 author: J.R.R. Tolkien language: English (original language) fantasy publisher: Harper Collins Publishers 285 pages published: 1993, first published in 1937 my rating: includes: maps   The story 'The Hobbit' is the story of Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit from the Shire. One day he finds himself, much to his own surprise, join a group of dwarfs that have set out to reclaim the treasure that has been taken from them by the dragon Smaug. They travel a long distance to the Lonely Mountain where Smaug lives, meeting many different creatures and encountering many adventures on their way. At some point Bilbo gets trapped underground and finds the Ring that will later play such an important role in Tolkien's 'The Lord of the Rings'. After long and perilous travels Bilbo and his companions arrive at the Lonely Mountain and indeed manage to reclaim the treasure. But then they discover that more people are attracted by it ...   My opinion In this book Tolkien has created a marvellous fantasy world, occupied by hobbits, elves, dwarves, orcs, magicians and many other creatures. This world of Middle Earth is filled with a multitude of different characters, each with their own way of living and their own purposes in life. The style of writing is attractive and still slightly reflects that the story was originally written for the author's children. Suspense is dampened by describing dangerous situations in a somewhat distant, almost ironic, manner. The book is however certainly not a childrens book. All in all a very pleasant book to read.   Additional notes The story in 'The Hobbit' can be seen as a prelude to Tolkien's book 'The Lord of the Rings'. To explore the runes of the writing on Thror's map, use this translator from English to runic script.

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