J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1937 The Hobbit is simply as much
fun as any fantasy adventure can be and, along with its ‘sequel’ The Lord of
the Rings, is one of the genre’s modern cornerstones. Filled with warm, light-hearted
imagination and tropes that have since become standard—trolls, wizards, elves,
dwarves, and the like, the book is a delight for the young and the old, all
brought to life with the author’s classic storytelling voice.
The Hobbit is the story of Bilbo Baggins and his
quest to recover the treasure of Lonely Mountain. Though smaller (and fuzzier) in stature than the thirteen dwarves
he goes adventuring with, Mr. Baggins proves himself useful time and again
escaping goblins, thwarting giant spiders, riling up dragons, and brokering
peace among the various humans, elves, trolls, and otherwise the band meet
along the way. It doesn't hurt that he finds a most peculiar ring along the way. This is all most
peculiar because, such adventures are the last thing on Bilbo’s to-do list at
the beginning of the book.
