The Hobbit
One fine morning the wizard Gandalf knocks on the round green door of Bag End and invites Bilbo Baggins, a respectable, tea-drinking hobbit of the Shire, on an adventure. By the next afternoon thirteen dwarves have eaten his pantry bare, and Bilbo finds himself reluctantly packed off on a thousand-mile journey east to help Thorin Oakenshield reclaim a mountain and a kingdom from the dragon Smaug. Along the way he meets trolls, goblins, spiders the size of ponies, and a cave-dwelling creature named Gollum who owns a very old, very dangerous ring. Published in 1937 as a children's book, J.R.R. Tolkien's novel became the seed of the whole modern fantasy genre and the doorstep of The Lord of the Rings.
Where The Hobbit keeps showing up
Six of our editors' lists feature this novel.
Also by J.R.R. Tolkien
Books in conversation with The Hobbit
A few of the closest reads from our full list.
What you might want to know about The Hobbit
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
Bilbo Baggins is a respectable hobbit who wants nothing more than a quiet pantry until the wizard Gandalf and thirteen dwarves arrive at his door. The party leaves the Shire to cross trolls, goblin tunnels, Mirkwood spiders, and Lake-town toward the Lonely Mountain held by the dragon Smaug.
Reading The Hobbit first is helpful but not required. The Hobbit (1937) introduces Bilbo and the Ring's discovery, providing useful context. The Lord of the Rings reintroduces what you need, so you can start with either.
No. Peter Jackson's three Hobbit films (2012-2014) significantly expand the short novel with new characters and plotlines, including subplots not in Tolkien. Most fans consider the films a much looser adaptation than the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
The Hobbit was written by J.R.R. Tolkien, published in 2012 by dtv.
The Hobbit is 310 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, The Hobbit takes most readers 5 to 7 hours to finish.
The Hobbit is a standalone novel by J.R.R. Tolkien, not part of a series.
The Hobbit is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
