The Hobbit

The Hobbit is one of the most well-loved fantasy novels of all time. Written by J.R.R Tolkien as a bedtime story for his children, The Hobbit is a light-hearted tale, focussing on the exploits of an increasingly adventurous hobbit named Bilbo Baggins. Set in the same world as The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit ties into and lays the foundations for Tolkien's more famous work. However, The Hobbit, which functions as an excellent standalone book, definitely shouldn't be viewed as an inconsequential novella or tie-in novel. Unfortunately, Tolkien occasionally gets caught up in the minor details of world-building, spending entire chapters on meandering side plots. While this can make for slow read at times, Tolkien's masterful character development is sure to keep the reader hooked from the first page. Bilbo is one of Tolkien's most relatable characters, an unassuming hobbit who is plucked from his comfortable life and thrust into a fantastical world of magic, thievery and battle. In comparison to The Lord of The Rings trilogy, Tolkien keeps The Hobbit grounded in a single main storyline. Instead of trying to save all of Middle-earth, Bilbo and his companions are dedicated to one goal – to steal an ancient relic from a dragon's treasure trove. Since being published in 1937, The Hobbit has stood the test of time, and it remains an incredibly popular novel to this day.

Books in The Lord Of The Rings Series (6)

Booklists having this book

Top 25 Best Children's Fantasy Books

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Other books by Tolkien, J.r.r.

The Hobbit

An unforgettable story and a tale that never gets old. It's not as broad in scope as Lord of the Rings which is not really a standalone, nor does it... Read more

Lord Of The Rings

Possibly the most, well-recognized world of fiction in history. The Lord of the Rings is the third best-selling novel ever written, with over 150 million copies sold. This high fantasy... Read more

Lord Of The Rings

Yep, had to include it. Most people have probably read this series and even more authors have written hackneyed copies of it, but this series is the original father epic... Read more

Lord Of The Rings

I read this when I was 9 – four times that is. Maybe I was just a kid, but I had never seen or imagined anything like this series. You... Read more

The Two Towers

The King Returns

Lord Of The Rings

Do I even need to discuss it? The father of modern fantasy, the recreation of the English myth, an apex of English literature; Lord of the Rings is more than... Read more

The Hobbit

The Hobbit is one of the most well-loved fantasy novels of all time. Written by J.R.R Tolkien as a bedtime story for his children, The Hobbit is a light-hearted tale,... Read more

Children Of Hurin

The Samarillion

The Silmarillion

The author J.R.R. Tolkien is certainly not underrated but his majestic work, The Silmarillion gets very little attention compared to his other great works, The Hobbit and The Lord of... Read more

The Silmarillion

The Silmarillion is to The Lord of the Rings as the Old Testament is to Westboro Baptist Church. Minus the offensive stupidity. If you're a fervent Tolkien fan, you'll love... Read more

Smith Of Wootton Major

In the little town of Wootton Major, they have a wonderful tradition where a special cake is baked every twenty-four years, and eaten by twenty-four good children. But, when a... Read more

The Return Of The King

The Lord Of The Rings

Before J.R.R. Tolkein, there really was no "fantasy" genre of literature at all. All dragons, dwarves, and wizards belonged to folklore and fairy tales of former centuries. We can't really... Read more

The Fall of Gondolin

"The Fall of Gondolin" is a posthumously published work by J.R.R. Tolkien, edited by his son Christopher Tolkien and released in August 2018. The book tells the story of the... Read more