The Hobbit Books

This is a book,I had owned since I was in the 8th grade(until it was "lost" during a home renovation,in 2002)and it had been PRICELESS to me,while navigating through the entire Middle-Earth history and geography!!It contains the name of EVERY SINGLE,place,character,BATTLE,ring,NECKLACE,sword etc...This book HAS IT ALL!!!ANYTHING,that had a name,is in here!! I used to always keep it handy,whenever delving into the(vast)chronicles of Middle-Earth,and trying to connect"Point A" to Point B" etc... I really can't say ENOUGH about this wonderful reference-book!! It's(in short)ESSENTIAL to the serious Tolkein reader!! I was hoping/praying that Amazon,would have this"gem"available!! I call it a gem,because I prized this book,as much as "Feanor"prized the Simirals!! I'll DEFINITELY,be getting another copy of this book!!!

This is the BEST Guide to the world of Middle-Earth. I'm always looking up names and places, and different things in this book: I always keep it handy. Seriously this is one of the BEST companion LOTR books you can buy! I LOVE IT!

This book is ia wonderful reference for Tolkien's works. It has a wealth of information for every level of interest in the world of the Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, Silmarillion, etc. I find myself often getting lost in this book, going from one entry to another. This is a must have for all lovers of Tolkien's books.

When I first explored Middle Earth, over thirty years ago, this book popped up and helped answer alot of questions and put things in context. A must have!

I think the best recommendation for this book comes from Christopher Tolkien. He said that from "frequent use" he found it to be "an admirable work of reference." (Unfinished Tales, p. 4).

I heartily concur. Having read the Pentalogue (Silmarillion-Hobbit-Lord of the Rings) twice, and this book clears up many of the obscure people, places, and events. Sometimes I have found the indices in "The Return of the King" to be wanting, or have wanted to have more of a dictionary- or cyclopedia-type entry. This book meets this need.

(In plain English, if you have a term paper to write, then get this book and save your grade.)

In fact, this book has no equals, and only two rivals: Tolkien's own indices, and Peter Kreeft's philosophical concordance found in "The Philosophy of Tolkien." (ISBN: 1586170252).

I have only two critiques. The first problem is that we have too many editions of Tolkien. We have no "Standard Text" with a universal pagination. This is really a problem that only the estate of JRR can solve. To his credit, Foster has a conversion formula on page 569, which is on some help. However, I still find myself flipping pages with my newer film tie-in editions.

Secondly, I would have like to have an enlarged edition of this book. I would keep the entries, but also expand them. Entries would include literary aspects of the characters, Christian symbolism of the characters, and also "behind the scenes" information form the 12 Lost Tales books and Tolkien's letters. (Such as the comments on Tom Bombadil. ) A model for this book is the Star Wars Databank web-page. This may require a multi-volume encyclopedia. So be it--Tolkien is worth it.

Until this big book get compiled, we can count upon Foster's book to do the job that we need it to do, and this is to enliven Tolkien's masterwork.

This Kindle edition by LeClue has hard line breaks making the entire text jaggy, no table of contents, etc....

I have refrained from writing this review for a long time, owing to the number of excellent reviews below, but I can no longer be silent.

By any standard, the Worm Ouroboros is a classic of the fantasy genre, to be included on anyone's top three list, with the Hobbit and LOTR filling the other two spots, of course.(Differences in personal taste can account for individual orderings!) Why this book isn't in more prominent circulation is a riddle to me. Others have complained that its Elizabethan diction is a barrier, but I have trouble relating to this. A high style is a necessary costume of the genre, and WO is much easier to read than, for example, Shakespeare without notes. Here's just another symptom of the decrement of our Western educational system.

In addition to being a riveting, plot-driven adventure yarn told in sonorous, beautiful prose, WO is a book of vast literary merit, weaving a complex tapestry of allusion to the Elizabethan dramatists, classical epics, and Norse sagas. No other writer, except the major poets, shows a defter hand at expression with an ever-ready, seemingly endless well of tropes from which to draw. Eddison possessed a first-rate imagination, depicting scenes of magnificent beauty and power. Just take for example the opening scene in the presence chamber of Lord Juss, the unearthly symphony when Sophonisba first appears, or the death-defying flight to Zora Rach Nam Psarrion. These scenes will stay with you in your hallowed moments!

WO is also a book that will edify! I have often marveled at the ability of the great fantasy writers like Tolkien and Eddison to convey more truth about life through an utterly unrealistic medium than most authors of realistic fiction are able. And I marvel at Eddison's fundamental honesty. WO wrestles with Shakespearian themes of principle and character versus base economic interest, and yet extends these themes to group dynamics and politics between nations. Learn from the Red Foliot how to bend and not break under the threats of a tyrant.

And to top all this off, WO closes with a suprise ending that would make M. Night Shyamalan jealous!

As a final word about the editions, I recommend the Ballantine edition for its superior cover art and the introductions by James Stephens and Orvil Prescot. I went through pains to get the vaunted Dell edition, but did not find it all that revealing.

Reading these other reviews - with the notable exception of a couple well-penned and balanced spotlight reviews, it seems I have indeed entered another world - the world of crank reviewers. Says one, "It shouldn't even be necessary to point out that Eddison's works are the high point of Twentieth Century literature." ----Really? ---- It seems to me that it shouldn't even be necessary to point out the absurdity and boorishness of this remark.

And what did I think of it? I rather liked it overall. The language, which I found delightful rather than difficult, is truly the main draw. It much resembles the novels of Sir Walter Scott in this regard. Most of the archaisms can sussed out by context. And, as for the words that can't, there's nothing wrong with running to your unabridged OED from time to time. Another source of enjoyment, for me, was coming upon words, phrases and, above all, scenes that reminded me of sections of Tolkien's Lord of The Rings. It is clear that Tolkien's imagination was deeply influenced by this work, though, as pointed out by other reviewers, Tolkien's ethos is quite different. But I'll come to that.

Tolkien's most noble and admirable warriors are those who love peace above all else and are only forced into battle by hard necessity. Eddison's book, au contraire, is filled not only with the warrior ethos, but also detailed descriptions of the combatants split through the middle, disembowelments, decapitations and meads imbrued with the blood of both sides. Also, there are rapes and depredations and all sorts of things you won't find in the, comparatively, whitewashed LOTR. Given this ethos, and the overarching theme inherent in the title of the book, eternal recurrence, it is not too far a stretch to say that Eddison was influenced, as other reviewers have remarked, by Nietzsche, given especially the ending of the book where the Demons, having conquered Witchland and the dark arts of King Gorice are sad and dispirited until....well, I shan't give away the ending.

The mentality of all the main characters herein, save the enigmatic, world-weary Lord Gro, my favourite character in the tale, remind me of Ezra Pound's poem "Sestina Altaforte" where he "brings back to life", so to speak, Bertran de Born, who was condemned by Dante to his Inferno as "a stirrer up of strife." Readers enamoured of this mindset might want to read Pound, if, indeed, they desire to expand their horizons to Twentieth-Century poetry that does not fit into the "Fantasy" genre.

That said, all this metaphysical hocus-pocus upon which some other reviewers elaborate is just so much eyewash. As Eddison writes in the dedication in my copy of the book (dated 9th January 1922): "It is neither allegory nor fable but a Story (capitalisation Eddison's) to be read for its own sake."

And a jolly good read it is too, if one doesn't take it so, ahem, bloody seriously.

"The Worm Ouroboros" is one of the main, if generally unread, underpinnings of the modern fantasy genre. It was written early in the Twentieth Century by a man profoundly out of sympathy with that century and with ours.

By profession, he was a bureaucrat. By inclination, he was a mighty-thewed hero. He was an outstanding success at neither.

This is a book of soaring ambition and grievous faults. Its language is spiky, ornate Jacobean, with its every word intentionally high-flown. Its structure is shockingly inept. The clumsiness and, indeed, pointlessness of the opening chapter--the "induction"--is almost guranteed to turn away most potential readers. Eddison's use of such names as Imps and Demons and Witches to designate his warring states is simply childish.

And yet ... there is true power here, even majesty. Was ever there so admirable, brave and noble a blackhearted villain as King Gorice XII? Was ever a band of virtuous heroes so obnoxious a gang of self-centered, overdressed, stuffed shirts as the Lords Juss, Goldry Blusco, Spitfire and Brandoch Daha? Is there a grander image in all the literature of fantasy than that of three armies perpetually doomed to pursue each other across the forbidding desert? And the ending of the book, utterly preposterous and yet wonderful at the same time: "Lord, it is an Ambassador from Witchland and his train. He craveth present audience"!

This is a book for a reader who seeks a challenge. I speak words of high praise for it when I assure you that "The Worm Ouroboros" is neither easy nor a fast read. For those who accept its challenges, though, it will serve as a base mark against which to measure all that is fantastical.

Five stars as bright as those "escarbuncles, great as pumpkins, hung down the length of [Lord Juss' presence chamber], and nine fair moonstones standing in order on silver pedestals between the pillars and the dais."

This work of Eddison is brilliant. I happen to like English at it's most difficult, like when the author simply makes up words for the heck of it. Or else he talked like this everyday, which is not impossible.

But before you think "this book is for nerds" I must say that the description of the magical spell cast by King Gorice the XII with Lord Gro is the coolest one I have ever read.

"...furnace glowing in the big hearth threw fitful gleams into recesses of the chamber, lighting up strange earthenware flasks and retorts, balances, hour-glasses, crucibles and astrolabes, a monstrous three necked alembic of phosphorescent glass supported on a bain-marie, and other instruments of doubtful and unlawful aspect."

So Eddison may not have liked chemistry.

I read this book in my literatuure class and I fell asleep a lot.
(If I wasn't sleeping then I wasn't paying attention). I thought it was a crappy book. It appears that most people on this review list like it but I DON'T!!! This was a dread to read.

The Hobbit is a story about a hobbit namede Bilbo Baggins who is asked by the great wizard Gandalf to accompany him and 13 dwarves on a long journey to restore to one of the dwarves a treasure, taken from his father by a dragon named Smaug. Along the way, the 15 of them had to climb goblin-filled mountains, venture through spider-infested forests, hide from demonic wolves, and escape from an elf castle. Bilbo gets lost in a cave and finds the creature Gollum, who Bilbo steals a magic ring from. Gandalf ends up leaving the other 14 to fight the dragon alone.
This story is very well written. Tolkien describes everything in such detail, you feel as though you're with Bilbo. This book is for anyone who likes adventure, fantasy, and Lord of the Rings fans. This answers many of the questions in LOTR. This is a great story, and will become a classic.

The Hobbit is the beginning to all the Lord of the Rings, and, despite how overshadowed it is by the more well-known writings of J.R.R Tolkien, I think it is definately the best.

The Hobbit starts humbly enough with the possibly most well-loved made-up creature ever: The Hobbits. The Hobbits have perfectly boring and perfectly happy existances in their cozy homes. That was what Bilbo Baggins had, at least, until the arrival of the wizard Gandalf and thirteen dwarves. Now Bilbo (without, of course, having ever been asked for his consent) is going on an adventure to retrieve the dwarves' gold from the dragon Smaug.

J.R.R Tolkein's writing is literally beautiful. Every little song and ditty he includes in his books is well-thought-out and fantastic. The plot moves along at a good pace and it is the right combination of peril, adventure and magic, and, in the Hobbit, there's a bit of the whimsical factor too.

I advice every fantasy lover to read the Lord of the Rings series if you haven't already, and I especially suggest to read the Hobbit. It's a great show of Tolkien's talents and deserves just as much fame as its successors.

I am a sixth grader.
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
One thing interesting about this book the Hobbit is the Giant Spider Attack when they barely have any supplies. Do you think they make it alive safely? To answer the question you must read this exciting book of fantasy, adventures, and an impossible quest. If you read this book I know you'll love it, becasue I thought it was GREAT!! There are many main characters in this book but the real main character is the Hobbit himself. The other characters are Gandalf (Wizard), Smaug (the Dragon)and the rest are the dwarfs named Balin, Dwalin, Fili, Kili, Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin, Gloin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, and especially Thorin. The first time the Hobbit heard a ding-dong on the door Gandalf was not there. Only one to come for teatime was a dwarf named Dwalin and he wanted coffee. After that all of the other dwarfs kept coming in his hobbit hole all thirteen dwarfs from a far off land. It all started with Bilbo or Mr. Baggins (the Hobbit), and a wizard named Gandalf had teatime on Wednesday. Thorin asked Bilbo to accompany Gandalf and the dwarfs on a quest. Biblo was thinking real hard about it if he should go, but finally agreed. When the dwarfs told Bildo they were homeless and on their own, plus to help them retrieve their stolen riches from Smaug the merciless Dragon who burns towns and a terror of the entire countryside. When Thorin (Dwarf) had a map to Smaug Palace and realized they had to kill the Dragon to save the contryside and get the dwarfs stolen riches back with the help of the Hobbit who has a special ring. You'll have an incredible adventure and excitement of a lifetime. Your New Fantasy World is just beginning.

This book is about a hobbit named Bilbo, who is very lazy. He's lives alone in his house underground. But then one day he met this wizard,and said that there's a dwarf and father has treasure in this castle far far away. That a dragon is guarding and he wants to try and get it back. So the hobbit go's on the adventure to get the treasure back with seven dwarfs and the wizard. But one thing is the Hobbit didn't really want to go because he wants to stay at his home and eat. But they make him come. On there journey they meet different people and fight with different people along the way. So your going to have to read and see what happens at the end of the story. This book is a good book to read when your in the ages of 8,9,10 and 11.

I physically looked this book over in a store before purchasing it and thought that the vast amount of side notes, pictures, and historical footnotes would be a great accompanyment to a reading of The Hobbit. However, I ended up barely glancing at them once I hit the half-way point of the book. Most of them focused on Tolkien's literary inspiration for certain stories and characters and only a handful had the cross-referencing to the Lord of the Rings which I would have preferred. They also greatly impeded the pace at which the book can be read because there are so many...and some can put you to sleep.

Minuses:
1. Too many margin comments on the revision of the novel.
2. No index in the end of the book.

Pluses:
1. Lots of drawings .
2. No other Annotated Hobbit available .

`The Annotated Hobbit', annotated by bookseller Douglas A. Anderson is published by J.R.R. Tolkien's American publisher, Houghton Mifflin (important because it means the cover of this book uses the same art as the cover of the most popular hard-covered American edition of the Hobbit, published in the 1960's).

Let me be perfectly clear that this is first and foremost a review of the Annotation, not of the novel, `The Hobbit' itself. I have an almost reverential respect for the original novel, having bought my first copy of this work on a cold February day in 1965 in the Lehigh University bookstore. I began reading it on the bus on the way home from my college classes at about 1:00 PM, and simply could not put it down. I finished reading it at about 8:30 that evening. The experience is not unlike some cinematic versions of experiences like Dorothy's opening the door of her Kansas house to step out onto the grass of Oz. I am totally unsurprised by a statement in this annotation that says that the entire first page of `The Hobbit' has been reproduced in `Bartlett's Familiar Quotations'. There are few more magical or evocative openings to novels I have read in my whole life. And, while I can appreciate that there are adult readers, my Hemingway loving uncle being one of them, who simply `don't get it', I am often driven to the point of dispair when I can't interest young readers or listeners in `The Hobbit'. Like `Winnie the Pooh' and `Alice in Wonderland', I really think these are books designed much more to bring back memories of childhood in adults than to engage young readers. And oh how much I enjoy reading `The Hobbit' aloud!

But back to this Annotation'. Like similar annotations to works of fiction such as `Alice in Wonderland' and the Arthur Conan Doyle stories of Sherlock Holmes, there are four different subjects for annotation. One is internal; where names and events are cross-referenced to other parts of the work to explain, elaborate, resolve, or point out inconsistencies. The second is external, where correspondences can be made to sources or, in the case of Conan Doyle or Carroll, events of the day that may have found their way into the fiction. The third is references to the author's unpublished notes and letters. Tolkien's works should be rich sources for all three types of annotation, as the world of `The Hobbit' and `The Lord of the Rings' is based on an enormous body of Norse, Celtic, and Teutonic mythology, fable, and epic literature. Also, standing behind `The Hobbit' is the great events of `The Lord of the Rings', `The Silmarillion', and over twelve volumes of Tolkien writings compiled and annotated by Christopher Tolkien.

So why are the annotations in this volume so sparse? The author certainly does not limit himself to only one kind of annotation. There are examples of all three references to other Tolkien works, notes and letters, and other sources. The author does give us lots of illustrations of scenes from `The Hobbit' published in translations of the work from around the world. There are also a few illustrations from books that certainly influenced Tolkien, such as `The Marvelous Land of Snergs'. The one thing that all these illustrations tell me is that, on average, they are not very good, oriented primarily towards a children's audience rather than some of the more heroic art familiar to us from modern fantasy illustrators. It seems to me a lost opportunity also to not include Tolkien's own color illustrations for `The Hobbit', as they appeared on the very first `Tolkien' calendar in, I believe 1966 or 1967.

I will give just a few illustrations of where I think the author may have disappointed his readers. By far the most interesting character in `The Hobbit' next to Bilbo and Gandalf is Smaug. And yet, the book has next to nothing to say about the fictional antecedents of that delightfully cagey old worm. One of my only fond memories of the rather insipid cartoon version of `The Hobbit' done several decades ago is the gravely voice of Smaug done by Paladin himself, Richard Boone. If you couldn't get John Huston, then Boone was certainly the next best thing. To the whole conversation between Bilbo and Smaug, there are but two notes regarding Smaug and dragons. At least we get a reference about the source of Smaug's name, a primitive Germanic verb, `smugan' meaning to squeeze through a hole. Tolkien confessed that this was `a low philological jest'. In the wider story culminating in the great events of `The Lord of the Rings' coming at the end of the Third Age, it is much more important to Gandalf to remove this great dragon from the field so Sauron could not use him as a weapon in the War of the Rings than it was to restore a small band of dwarves to their treasures. The book has practically nothing to say about this, or the fact that the character of the `necromancer' who takes up residence at the southwestern tip of Mirkwood forest is actually either the leader of the Nazgul or Sauron himself.

I keep thinking, as I turn each page of ample, empty white margins, all the things that could have been included.

In balance, this is not a bad book or even a poor purchase, especially if, like me, you simply must have a copy of every different version of Tolkien's works imaginable. It has a very nice bibliography and an Appendix of all textual changes between the 1937 and 1966 editions. For those notes it does have, it is great as a version to read to children where you can record your own notes with answers to their questions.

I've read many Books about J.R.R Tolkien and his creation, as well as the entire 12 books of the History of Middle Earth. The Annotated Hobbit is the best of them all. It is sheer example of a book that tells you a lot but don't confuse you with too much data.
Every person that read the Annotated Hobbit will never again treat the Hobbit as a simple children's book. The Hobbit has depth and Anderson provides us with important insights, ideas and interesting data.
The Annotated Hobbit also has the famous "missing chapter" that was included in the Hobbit's first edition. (i.e. the chapter where Gollum is showing Bilbo the way out and acts like an honest guy - Tolkien had to change that of course after he wrote the Lord of The Rings).
Read this book and you will understand a lot more about The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings and J.R.R Tolkien himself.

This is my third "Annotated" book -- following The Annotated Alice and Annotated Fairy Tales -- and while The Hobbit itself is great, the majority of the annotations add no value to the story as they merely mark where a word or two was changed between editions. Unfortunately, there's so many of them that they frequently appear a couple of pages after they're noted so you have to turn forward to find out that "South" was changed to "Southwest" and then you've broken the flow of the story. The Hobbit itself is a great read-aloud story and some of the annotations are surprising and interesting... but the mundane and boring annotations really weigh the book down compared to the annotations in Alice or Fairy Tales.

This is a great book, that everyone should read. Tolkien grabs your attention from the first page and then leads you through an amazing journey with twists here and there.

If your are curious about the LOTR saga read this book first. I love this set, but the Trilogy moves at a slow pace. This book is a full adventure in one book. If you have trouble reading this I don't recommend you try and read the rest, but if you like this book and want to finish the story then by all means read the rest.

the hobbit is a fantastic book. the book starts off with a hobbit named bilbo who has never left the the shire. Bilbo is now on a treacherous adventure looking for an ancient treasure gaurded by the all powerful dragon named smaug. bilbo is now facing goblins, hunger, wolves and powerful dragons. when they find smaugs cave the dwarves leave it up to bilbo to infiltrate the dragons lair and find his weak spot.

In a mythical or maybe just forgotten time, many creatures lived in places like the Shire, home to Bilbo Baggins, Hobbit. Hobbits are comfort loving creatures with no real sense for adventure. A knock on the door and Bilbo's life is about to change.

Calling this book children's book is like calling "Alice in Wonderland" [see "The Annotated Alice"] a children's book. Yes children can read this book and it is fun. How ever there is a lot more to this book than a cute story. And it has all the depth of the other Tolkien works with the exception of being shorter.

Many people look at this story as a prequel to "The Lord of the Rings", where in reality it is a stand-alone story with a perfectly good beginning, middle, and end. When you read "The Lord of the Rings" there is enough description to forgo "The Hobbit." Personally, I find that reading The Lord of the Rings first gave me the in-depth background to better appreciate The Hobbit.
Many of the creatures and adventures will put you on the edge of your seat. You will recognize the personalities and grow along will Bilbo as he faces new challenges as he learns to deal with life.
A good book to read first would be "The Power of Myth" by Joseph Campbell. Then you get a clearer picture of why the story progresses as it does.
ISBN: 0395177111

A down-to-earth hobbit named Bilbo Baggins is recruited to go with a group of dwarves on an adventure. The adventure will hold many dangers and take them to an old kingdom. At this abandoned kingdom is a dragon that holds all the stolen wealth of unimaginable worth from the kingdom. Bilbo and the dwarves go on a long journey, which holds many hardships, to take all that treasure away from the dragon and give it out to everybody on the journey.

I liked how much action and detail was in the book. I was able to picture everything going on throughout the entire book. I didn't have any dislikes about this awesome book.

I think people who like adventure, magic, and aren't afraid to read a harder book would like this book. This book is a little like the Redwall series and also like the books written by Gary Paulsen. This book really isn't about magic, but the adventure itself.

We bought this book along the 50th anniversary edition LOTR books and we were not dissapointed - the illustrations are all in glossy paper and some in colour the way Tolkien wanted them, it is a collectors edition highly recommended for those who love Tolkien's work and are keen to get a head start of the upcoming"The Hobbit" and "The Hobbit: Sequel" movies out soon!

The Hobbit by Tolkien is most definitely one of the best books ever. My Dad first read it to me when I was probably only 7, and I know I will still love it when I'm 100.
The edition itself is amazing. The illustrations are by Tolkien, as they should be. The best illustrations in any book are either by the author or by someone the author personally chooses, because the reader can be sure that everything is illustrated as the author imagined it. Many times when an author illustrates his own book, the art is not the best quality, but not in this case. Tolkien was a great and creative artist in addition to being one of the best authors of all time.

I have read this book for years - over and over.... - I just love it! But I have been unable to find a hardback copy until now! Thank you! I will treasure the book.

The Hobbit is a fairly good book. It has an interesting storyline and grabs the reader throughout the whole novel. I for one read it when I was in the 5th grade at school. I found it interesting and usually was a chapter or two ahead of the class. The Hobbit is a beginning book. What I mean by this is that it takes a lot of time explaining the story. This takes up a couple of chapters and I think it would have been a better book if it had built some more suspense in the end scene and extrapolated it a bit more. But otherwise, this book has few shortcomings. Other than the fact that they spent a lot of time in Mirkwood forest, I liked the book. Beorn was portrayed well. The plot line is nice, although there is a kill stealing at the end. All-in-all, I recommend this book.

"A classic. Some consider it a children's book, but it's certainly no more so than the Harry Potter series."
-- Glenn G. Thater, Author of 'Harbinger of Doom'

IF you have been longing for the Tolkien collection but thought it was too expencive, here's a less expencive version which will provide you about as much as you could want. the exserpt about Gollum is here, thus making your listening more pleasurable. If you're a gollum fan as I am. You'll enjoy this one and the quality is nothing to sneze at my precious.

I think that this book shows great literature in the kinds of books young adults love to read.It is a very inspiring book, it made me want to read all of his other books. It made me want to write some like it too.

Watch out, these are only EXCERPTS, not the entire text.

On this cassette, J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of The Rings" reads one chapter from "The Hobbit", 'Riddles in the dark'. He also sing his own poems from "The Lord of the ring" (the first book).

A great thing for Tolkien-fans, but probably not a thing for the usual reader. The length of the cassette is approx. 60 minutes.

One of the greatest children's books and the beginning of the best work of fantasy ever written read aloud by the author himself; what could be better? Introduce these classics to your kids on a long drive in the car. Listen to them yourself while you're soaking in the bathtub. Truly luxurious, in any case. Discover or rediscover, what a fabulous addition to your music cassettes.

When I was a kid, my dad read me the most fantastic stories of the gods of the norse. I have continued to learn what I can ever since, but until now had not found a good introduction for my own children. My 7 and 13 year old girls beg for more every night, and I wonder what I am to do when I finally finish. My 16 year old son, of course, won't let me read to him :( , but he can read it on his own.

It is, of course lacking in some of the more adult aspects of the myths, but I find it doesn't take anything away from them rather it keeps it just a little simpler to grasp.

All in all, it's a great starting point!

You will find not only Norse myths in this book, but Teutonic tales as well. The drawings are incredible, as in all children's books. Adults will not be disappointed with this one, and children will be pleased to hear the exciting stories within. A MUST have for Norse mythology book collectors. An oldie but GOODIE! Classic and captivating. What else can I say? . . . I'm buying another one incase I lose my present copy-THAT IS HOW GOOD IT IS! I also reccomend My Viking Book by Ruth Harshaw. Hard to find and quite old, but it is THE best children's book EVER! Don't miss either of them.

Simplified watered down versions of stories from the Eddas. This book seems to be aimed at a late elementary or jr. high school age reader. For that target audience this is a great introduction and would probably be the best thing you could buy if you were trying to picque a young persons interest in the Norse "Myths". If your an adult there are several other books on this subject that I would recomend over this one though.

Buy and read a copy to you grandchildren; They will remember the experience forever. I actually reference back to this book when I do studies on philosophy and religion. There is much more here than meets the eye, and the stories have survived for millenia.

Buyer beware ! This Alladin Publication is the same as the Dover Publication Nordic Gods and Heroes. However, it is lacking much of the original artwork, especially that which introduces each of the four parts.
The first 3 parts are Norse mythology and the 4th is the Teutonic Ring of the Nibelungs. This book was written for children and young adults and gives only a bare bones telling of the myths. Be prepared for some archaic language : "dost", "spake", "knowst", etc.

Why Amazon chooses to sell these two books as a pair is beyond me as they are essentially identical. I recommend the Dover edition because of the extra artwork.

My copy of Poems from the Hobbit included the detailed pictures and poems as described. However, it did not include what I bought it for-Gullum's riddles. I'm not sure if it's my copy, or if it's everyone's, but that was what I was looking forward to most. Buyer, be aware of this! -coyotewindow

J.R.R. Tolkien's classic books are sprinkled with poems, ranging from enchanting to whimsical, from everybody from hobbits to elves. And "Poems From the Hobbit" compiles the twelve poems from the novel in a teeny-weeny little book illustrated by Tolkien himself.

The poems in here are, obviously, all from "The Hobbit," usually in the form of songs. Some of these are fun and cheerful, like the mocking song that the dwarves sing ("Chip the glasses and crack the plates!/Blunt the knives and bend the forks!/That's what Bilbo Baggins hates") or the nonsensical little ditty the Rivendell elves sing ("O! What are you doing,/And where are you going?/Your ponies need shoeing!/The river is flowing!/O! tra-la-la-lally/here down in the valley!").

Some of these poems are more fragmented and bizarre than real songs -- the goblins' triumphant song ("Clap! Snap! the black crack!/Grip, grab! Pinch, nab!") and Bilbo's spider-killing song are two examples, where it seems more like an opportunity for the characters to shout out taunts in rhyme.

But the best poetry here -- and the ones that show Tolkien at his best -- are the entrancing ones that sound like ancient, starlit epics: "The mountain smoked beneath the moon;/The dwarves, they heard the tramp of doom/They fled their hall to dying fall/Beneath his feet, beneath the moon/Far over the misty mountains grim/To dungeons deep and caverns dim."

Academics like to sniff at Tolkien's poetry, though I doubt they could manage the range or vividity that his writing has. His poetry speaks for itself, as does his ability to do everything from storytelling epics to riddles to funny little songs about nothing in particular. THAT takes quite a lot of talent.

Tolkien's writing style is absolutely exquisite and memorable ("On silver necklaces they strung/The flowering stars, on crowns they hung/The dragon-fire, in twisted wire/They meshed the light of moon and sun"), full of shimmering imagery and ye-olde flavour... or funny stuff about smushing food into Bilbo's floor and breaking his dishes.

They even include the riddles from Gollum and Bilbo's little game, ranging from old ones that everyone knows to gruesome little ditties ("Voiceless it cries,/Wingless flutters,/Toothless bites,/Mouthless mutters."). And the illustrations are very pretty and appropriate -- delicate, colourful, and all around pleasant to look on.

"Poems From the Hobbit" has nothing new for people who already have "The Hobbit," but it's a charming little pocket collection of Tolkienian poetry.

The writings of Professor Tolkien are absolutely Timeless. These books are the gauge by-which all Fantasy books are measured. The Hobbit and The Trilogy have been the Inspiration for decades of works by other authors, yet I have not ever seen these works surpassed by anyone. Terry Brooks is the only author I have read who even compares to J.R.R. Tolkien and his epic style. I became fascinated with The Hobbit and Trilogy when I was in the seventh grade. I borrowed them from a friend and snuck them home. I was completely enthralled with the world Tolkien created. I was not allowed to read anything that was even remotely related to Wizards, Witches, Astrology, D&D, etc., so these books were like nothing I had ever seen, before. I was captivated and felt the call to become a Writer. Previously, the poetry and such that we were studying in school BORED me to tears. I found my schooling to be mind-numbingly BORING and Tolkien became my Inspiration to Learn, create Poetry, Write stories, Study, become an Anthropologist, delve into Masonic Lore and so much more.... Throughout High-School, I had pictures of Prof. Tolkien on my wall and I desired to be like him. Not-only was he the Greatest Fantasy Writer the world has known, but he was "Professor of Anglo-Saxon, at Oxford University, from 1925 to 1945....and professor of English Language and Literature....and a Fellow of Merton College from '45 to his retirement in '59." Check out his translations of (book title:)"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl, and Sir Orfeo" (J.R.R. Tolkien) Also, Prof. Tolkien wrote wonderful stories like "Smith of Wooten Major (&) Farmer Giles of Ham" for children. Pop those titles into the search box! I can honestly say that reading Tolkien changed my life...for the Better! Tolkien created the highest standards of writing for generations of authors....I am quite sure he would be deeply disappointed with the majority of books published today, with numerous spelling errors and pathetic grammar. I believe Tolkien is a god-send to English teachers. Perhaps, he can still inspire young people to elevate their Writing and English skills, from beyond. I would fight to keep his works on the shelves. I was not allowed to do my Senior Thesis about this author, despite the fact that he is such an amazing author and advocate of Literature. I lost interest in doing my thesis and threw something together at the last minute. Perhaps teachers should Recognize the potential for inspiring youth, via the works of J.R.R. Tolkien.

This pint-sized, delightful book, richly and colorfully illustrated with thirty of Tolkien's own drawings, contains all twelve poems from the Hobbit as they were originally published. As a bonus, it also includes the eight riddles Gollum poses to Bilbo, complete with their answers.
This wonderful volume is sure to be enjoyable to readers of all ages, and a wonderful keepsake that Tolkien followers can afford to carry around with them wherever they go. You shouldn't miss it.
--Reviewed by Maritza Volmar

Mister Tolkien is one of my favorite authors, and I love all of his works. I enjoyed this book because it contains all of the poems and some original artwork of Tolkien's, but I was slightly disappointed by the size. I was surprised at just how 'pocket size' it really was - almost a miniature book, you could say. It is a cute and witty addition to any Tolkien collection, but, like I said, not what I expected.

The Hobbit is an amazing piece of work, and one of my favorite books. It was lots of puzzles and magic, two of the key elements that I like to see in a book. I would recommend this book to anybody who has about a 5th-6th grade reading level.

The Hobbit is a good book! The writing style was excellent, and there was enough going for it to keep any reader interested. On a personal note, I found The Hobbit to be better than any of the Lord Of The Rings stories. My only complaint, however, pertains to the length of the book. A fair chunk of it related to pure description(ie: forests, dwarves, climate), and while it's necessary to get the feel for the setting, it just simply drags a little too long. Some trimming would have worked for the better! --> 7/10

The book was amazing, it is a must read. I would would recommend the book for any skill level of reading. The adventures are imaginitive and in detail. The author Tolkien takes your mind to another place. The book is a great start to a series. The journey of Bilbo is fast moving and keeps you on the edge of your seat.I don't know why Hollywood didn't start the movvies off with this. The characters are mysterious and funny. The history, set, characters, and background fit and work great together.

I never used to like Harry Potter- I had never read the book. I did and I wanted to read more more more. This is the same way. I have just read this book and I found it truly a brilliant, magical fantasy epic.

This magical story starts of telling you about Bilbo and his hobbit-hole (I had to put down the book for a while, I will admit.... don't do it though... once you get past that part it gets much better). He, a wizard (Gandalf) and 12 dwarves set off for a great adventure to defeat the great Dragon Smaug and get back the treasure he once stole from the town of Dale. They all will get an equal share once they find it. Along the way they meet:

-goblins
-eagles
-wolves
-elves
-giant spiders
-and many other things

What a fantastic story. A MUST read. After this you must also read The Lord of the Rings Series. Here's the order:

-The Fellowship of the Ring
-The Two Towers
-The Return of the King

These are all now movies and all on DVD and Video Tape.

ORDER @ AMAZON.COM TODAY!

This is a fun adaptation of Tolkien's classic work and I enjoy it as such, but it is *not* as described here by Amazon. First, buyers need to know that this is a graphic novel and an abridgment of Tolkien's work. Second, it is *not* illustrated by Alan Lee as stated in Amazon's description, the illustrations were done by David Wenzel. This is a glaring mistake that Amazon needs to correct quickly. There are plenty of Alan Lee fans out there, especially after the LOTR movies were made with his assistance, and those fans may be disappointed to find the work of a different illustrator show up in their mailbox. Amazon also gives the wrong ISBN-10 number, though I doubt many will notice or care.

Having said all this, I have enjoyed this adaptation of Tolkien's work. I bought it primarily for my 5 year old daughter who is a bit too young for the unabridged and non-illustrated novel but is still very interested in the story. She loves for me to read it to her and she gets a fuller and more accurate depiction of the story than the 1977 cartoon video provides.

I recommend this work, but Amazon needs a fuller, more honest description of what buyers will be receiving.