The Hobbit

Locations
Call Number: Adult Book / Fiction / Fantasy / Tolkien, J. R. R., Fantasy / Tolkien, J. R. R.
On Shelf At: Pittsfield Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Pittsfield Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Fantasy / Tolkien, J. R. R.	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Fantasy / Tolkien, J. R. R.	4-week checkout	Due 04-12-2024
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Fantasy / Tolkien, J. R. R.	4-week checkout	Due 05-16-2024
Malletts Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Fantasy / Tolkien, J. R. R.	4-week checkout	Due 04-17-2024
Malletts Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Fantasy / Tolkien, J. R. R.	4-week checkout	Due 04-15-2024
Traverwood Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Fantasy / Tolkien, J. R. R.	4-week checkout	Due 05-08-2024
Westgate Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Fantasy / Tolkien, J. R. R.	4-week checkout	Due 05-19-2024

Prelude to The lord of the rings.
Bilbo Baggins, a respectable, well-to-do hobbit, lives comfortably in his hobbit-hole until the day the wandering wizard Gandalf chooses him to share in an adventure from which he may never return.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

Summary / Annotation
Fiction Profile
Author Notes
Library Journal Review
Booklist Review
Publishers Weekly Review
Table of Contents
Excerpt

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

A unique children's book submitted by Steph on July 1, 2011, 9:30pm I read The Hobbit a few years ago in high school, and it was quite enjoyable. Tolkien invites us into a very charming and imaginative world, and the adventures of the characters should be interesting to adults and children alike. Tolkien does have a more wordy style and includes lots of songs/poems that do not necessarily further the plot. Some people love them, so people don't. Personally, I found them charming, though I could have done without a couple.

The Hobbit submitted by KateTopham on July 11, 2011, 9:44pm In this prequel, to the Lord of the Rings series, J.R.R. Tolkien takes the reader on a marvelous journey that introduces the world of Middle-Earth. It is a great way to introduce younger readers to Tolkien's style, as the later books may be harder for them to get through. It is also a very good read before the complete Lord of the Rings series, as it is referenced many times.
I would highly reccommend it. Although Tolkien can be difficault to get through in some places, it is very rewarding.

Wonderful submitted by 0liviap0pp on August 13, 2011, 9:19am This is my Language Arts teacher's favorite book. This is a unique book.

Really intresting submitted by Akkitaset on June 14, 2013, 2:25pm If you really want the FULL potential of this book, read it, then read Lord of the Rings, then read it again.
this book was really interesting and great. it will be a book I'll read again!

Not as Epic submitted by kathscot on July 21, 2013, 9:27pm as the Lord of the Rings. Much more of a "fun" story. Sets up a lot of things for the Lord of the Rings, but very enjoyable to read all by itself.

A Must Read submitted by sarwet_khan on May 1, 2014, 5:54pm The best book I have ever read. Beats Narnia and Harry Potter any time

The Hobbit submitted by SBNB on June 24, 2014, 7:44pm This is a great book. Lighter than Lord of the Rings but just as captivating.

First big book read submitted by mjanen on July 15, 2014, 7:26pm in 4th grade. Many happy hours followed.

Okay submitted by bluepapaya on July 26, 2014, 1:33pm It's a good book, but it's a little slow at parts. I like Lord of the Rings better.

Good for teen/kid submitted by frodobaggins on July 26, 2015, 2:14pm Read this in fourth grade, loved tolkien since

A childhood favorite submitted by rkraut on August 31, 2015, 9:59pm I read this over and over and over in middle school and high school.

An Amazing Classic submitted by hastingsh on June 16, 2017, 12:30pm I've read this book along with the Lord of the Rings Trilogy over and over again with my Dad and I never get tired of it. If you love fantasy, this book is must-read.

Adventure! submitted by Meginator on August 4, 2017, 9:15pm The Hobbit is a classic adventure story and a great place to start if you are unfamiliar with high fantasy and/or want a good place to start in the genre. The depth of Tolkien's Middle Earth is astounding, and even here you get a sense of its history, though this rarely weighs down the present narrative. The Hobbit can be read as a standalone or as a prelude/companion to the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I was surprised by just how good it is and highly recommend it even if you haven't read a lot in the genre.

Great story submitted by tbbrown76 on August 4, 2017, 9:26pm You can see this story unfold as you read it. Highly recommended.
TB

One Of The Best submitted by Midna on June 16, 2018, 9:20am It's amazing how much more captivating this book is than LOTR! I tried to read that three times and had to settle on listening to it! Ugh! But this book is really good and has just the right amount of detail.

An adventurous book submitted by kpkozloff on June 26, 2018, 6:58pm My dad read this book to me. I like to guess what is going to happen next. I think Bilbo is very funny. I think you will like the adventure in this story.

Great intro for kids submitted by steveiew on June 28, 2018, 4:47pm If you are looking to get your kids into some great literature then this is an excellent book. The Hobbit was originally written as a kids book, and so it reads very differently than the following Lord of the Rings books. Adults will find Bilbo's adventures interesting as it gives a bit of background knowledge for the Lord of the Rings.

childhood favourite <3 submitted by Sabrina Carlson on July 20, 2018, 2:56am i grew up with my parents reading this to me before bed before i could even read! it is an absolute classic and has taught me to love adventure. with a complex plot and lots of interesting characters it enchants with every twist and turn, from there and back again. since my childhood i have read it multiple times and fallen deeper and deeper in love with the characters, the plot and the writing. i often remember the part in the elves castle where they (spoiler alert) escape in the wine barrels, with great fondness. JRR Tolkien is a wonderful writer and i love his books so much!

A Special Book submitted by timdufresne on July 26, 2018, 4:59pm The most novelistic and entertaining of Tolkien's work. A pleasure to read and share. Good for kids of all ages. Doesn't have the mythic sweep of the Lord of the Rings but a wonderful self-contained story that hints at the legendary works to come!

A Magical World Of Adventure submitted by fluttershy 2006 on July 28, 2018, 10:24pm I am NOT a fan of reading. But this book was so addicting that I couldn't even put it down. I absolutely LOVE this book. It is so fun to read all the adventures they go through.

I dunno submitted by Claireywang on August 1, 2018, 4:36pm I’m not sure if this was exactly good or not. It was good, but a bit boring too.

Classic! submitted by wellscai on August 4, 2018, 10:30am The Hobbit is a wonderful and classic children's book. It was my introduction to fantasy and I reread it every few years. Of course, the parts with the dragon are my favorite!

the hobbit submitted by sandri on August 29, 2018, 7:21pm one of the best

hobbit submitted by mslotnick on June 20, 2019, 12:55pm Slow start, fast end.
Very good!

The Hobbit submitted by c_zhang on June 27, 2019, 10:27pm It starts slow, but gradually pulls you in. A good read.

The Wizarding World of J.R.R Tolkien submitted by NC on July 1, 2019, 2:44pm Despite my ironic choice of title, this story has minimal similarities to the Harry Potter series. This book is well-written nonetheless. Between its unique characters, setting, and embodiment of the fantasy genre and Heroes Journey archetype, it is a must-read for anyone!

Travelling Made Enjoyable submitted by Discrete Math on July 9, 2019, 12:22am I read this entire book pretty much over two plane rides to and from California. It's captivating to imagine this expansive fantasy world and familiarize yourself with the map of middle earth. I found it really interesting to figure out exactly where the hobbit was on his journey to the Lonely Mountain.

The Hobbit submitted by lstorc on July 27, 2019, 12:35pm The Hobbit is a great adventure for middle school ages on up. This is incredibly difficult to put down!

Good book submitted by jasonc1177 on July 31, 2019, 7:45pm this book is not my favorite but its still one really sad story.

An Adventure Awaits submitted by alleywater on August 6, 2019, 11:13am Bilbo isn't your typical hero on a journey, but he sure is a fun character follow as he makes his way with a group of Dwarves to the Lonely Mountain. Through the story you get to meet all kind of species of Middle Earth and learn that even the littlest can have a major impact!

A great novel submitted by crp on August 9, 2019, 8:34am A great intro to Tolkien and novel- it set the stage fore to read the Lord of the Rings series about 3 decades before the movie series, and I fell in love immediately. It is no surprise he was friends with other great storytellers!

Pretty Good submitted by MHZ on June 14, 2020, 5:55pm While this book is not as good as LotR it is important to its story and well worth a read.

The Hobbit submitted by anonymous on June 28, 2020, 4:33pm Having first read this book a few years ago, this book served fulfilled many purposes. Besides being an excellent story with great writing and characters, it is an introduction to the works of the great J. R. R. Tolkien, as well as the genre of fantasy. Would recommend for both kids and adults.

The Hobbit submitted by TRK on June 28, 2020, 4:34pm Having first read this book a few years ago, this book served fulfilled many purposes. Besides being an excellent story with great writing and characters, it is an introduction to the works of the great J. R. R. Tolkien, as well as the genre of fantasy. Would recommend for both kids and adults.

Please don't shoot me, but...meh. submitted by apknapp on August 15, 2020, 2:50pm I'm not sure I've ever said this before, but it made a better movie than a book. First, the story is disjointed--just a series of scenes, strung together chronologically but not otherwise related. The journey is a flimsy excuse for the author to imagine various lands and the fantastical creatures that inhabit them. Which could be perfectly enjoyable, except that the reading is slow-going, because the language is somewhat stiff and a bit archaic; it reads like a bard telling a formalized epic tale, not like a traditional fictional narrative. It feels less like seeing the events happen and more like hearing about them after the fact; you always feel a bit removed from the action, which makes it hard to stay submerged in the story. I honestly can't figure out who the target audience is--kids would like the adventures, but would probably find the writing off-putting; adults can handle the writing, but won't be grabbed by the story.

The Hobbit submitted by jhaberich on June 16, 2021, 7:03am I thought this book was good. I rated it 4 stars because it was a little slow to read sometimes, but Bilbo is a great character and you feel like he doesn't have prior knowledge, so you can learn things about the book at the same pace as him.

Read this to your kids submitted by severian on June 30, 2021, 9:02pm There’s something about this book that makes it magical to read aloud. My dad read it to me, and I’ve returned to it many times throughout life. Build some great memories with your kids!

Very good submitted by kjshaffer on July 11, 2021, 8:06pm I liked the movie better than the book. The book was also very good though. I thought the world seemed very interesting, I liked the way there are new species that the author created. All very interesting

Cool submitted by KevinJudge on July 13, 2021, 7:56pm I luved it

So good submitted by blancharddana on July 19, 2021, 3:05pm Great intro to Tolkien, easy for kids to read and exciting story

The Hobbit submitted by bcartm01 on June 24, 2022, 8:06pm A classic. This is my favorite of the series for sure.

A must read submitted by amandasaurus on July 27, 2022, 11:53pm It does start slow, and you need a bit to get used to the style
Of writing, but gosh this is a beautiful book

Good submitted by elisabethmurphy on July 30, 2022, 10:30am Great book!!

Great book! submitted by lemontea557 on June 25, 2023, 10:15am This is a great book, it takes you on an adventure in a whole different world.

A classic adventure tale submitted by neslerc on July 10, 2023, 12:37am A classic of its genre that works both as a standalone tale and as a prequel to the LOTR trilogy. It’s a great starting point for kids looking to get into Tolkien’s world. Or anyone else for that matter. Hard to believe they adapted it into THREE movies. I haven’t finished watching them but it seems like too concise a story for that.

Could not put it down! submitted by LuckyDucky10 on July 11, 2023, 7:32pm This book is a must read classic, especially if you like fantasy!

Classic fantasy tale submitted by annajt on July 14, 2023, 2:03pm The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien is an enchanting and captivating adventure. From the moment Bilbo Baggins embarks on his unexpected journey, readers are transported to a world filled with wonder and magic. Tolkien's masterful storytelling and richly imagined landscapes immerse you in a realm where dwarves, elves, and dragons come to life. The characters are endearing, the plot is engaging, and the prose is beautifully crafted. This timeless classic is a must-read for anyone seeking an unforgettable and uplifting tale of courage, friendship, and self-discovery.

Amazing fantasy adventure story submitted by viswa82 on August 6, 2023, 9:36pm This is classic. Can be enjoyed by kids and adults alike. The simple characters that perform great deeds are just so charming. At the same time, the book is very detailed and connects nicely to the sequel, lord of the rings.

Relaxing, Exciting, and Interesting all in one! submitted by steeny17 on August 26, 2023, 5:08pm I love reading and rereading this classic fantasy novel. Fun for all ages, The Hobbit combines beautiful language with exciting storytelling. Each chapter is its own episode of the larger tale. Perfect to read as summer turns to fall.