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  • The Hobbit

  • Written by: J. R. R. Tolkien
  • Narrated by: Rob Inglis
  • Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (3,691 ratings)

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The Hobbit

Written by: J. R. R. Tolkien
Narrated by: Rob Inglis
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Publisher's Summary

Like every other hobbit, Bilbo Baggins likes nothing better than a quiet evening in his snug hole in the ground, dining on a sumptuous dinner in front of a fire. But when a wandering wizard captivates him with tales of the unknown, Bilbo becomes restless. Soon he joins the wizard’s band of homeless dwarves in search of giant spiders, savage wolves, and other dangers. Bilbo quickly tires of the quest for adventure and longs for the security of his familiar home. But before he can return to his life of comfort, he must face the greatest threat of all - a treasure-troving dragon named Smaug.

In this fantasy classic, master storyteller J.R.R. Tolkein creates a bewitching world filled with delightful creatures and thrilling dangers. Narrator Rob Inglis will hold listeners of all ages spellbound with his skillful portrayal of hobbits, dwarves, and enchanted beasts.

©1966 J.R.R. Tolkien (P)1991 Recorded Books

What the critics say

"Rob Inglis expertly bridges the gap between the whimsical, childlike aspects of Tolkien's fantasy classic and the hints of darker things to come later in The Lord of the Rings. Though content to enjoy his cozy life, cheerful hobbit Mr. Bilbo Baggins agrees to help his wizard friend Gandalf aid a group of dwarves seeking their lost treasure. As their various adventures ensue, Inglis treats listeners to a tour-de-force performance rich in colorful characterizations and several engaging singing performances. This story should be the unquestionable starting point for those venturing into Tolkien’s Middle-earth. Listeners experience a vocal performance that is in turn charming, gripping, a little scary, and always engaging." (AudioFile magazine)

Editorial Review

Be swept away on an epic journey through Middle-earth, where elves, dwarves, trolls and dragons run wild, and courage and bravery stand against the darkest of evils.

Discover J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic story The Hobbit, which outlines the wondrous adventures of one Bilbo Baggins, who is swept up in a curious - and dangerous - adventure that takes him far from the quiet comforts of a quaint home in the shire. Exciting, dramatic, and full of wonder, this is a true fantasy novel with all the staples of a magical otherworld.

The title The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a prequel of sorts to The Lord of the Rings (LOTR) and tells its own fantastic story of goblins, riddles, the greedy dragon Smaug, the remarkable Arkenstone, a hoard of giant spiders in Mirkwood and the wise wizard Gandalf the Grey. Together with a ragtag team of dwarves, travel across meadows, forests, lake-towns, Misty Mountains passes and elvish lands to the great town of Erebor, under the Lonely Mountain. Tolkien builds a true sense of wonder and excitement in his work, infusing great battles and encounters with orcs, wargs, elvenkings, and the infamous Gollum who features here long before he meets Frodo in the rings trilogy. Equally, his beautiful descriptions of glorious elf towns like Rivendell and its ruler Elrond and the enchanting landscapes the travelers see on their journey paint a picture that is impossible not to imagine in your mind’s eye.

Narrator Rob Inglis brings this world to life in an engaging and heartfelt audiobook adaptation of The Hobbit that embodies all the right inflections and tone of voice an adventure story needs. He knows exactly when to build tension or heighten the storyline. But equally, he has a warm, inviting style that helps bring the much-loved characters like ‘the burglar’ Bilbo, Gandalf, Thorin Oakenshield, and the bumbling Bombur, Bofur, Fili, Kili, Nori, Oin, and company to life. Once regarded as simply a fairy tale or children’s book, this story is now regarded as an epic tale and a must-listen for any fantasy fan whether you’ve seen the epic hobbit movies or are discovering the story for the first time.

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What listeners say about The Hobbit

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love this book

this narrator did a good job. I have listened to this book a gazillion times. I highly recommend if you like adventure.

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amazing!

I forgot how truly amazing this book was and was this audio book only made it even better

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Incredible!!!!

The narration is fabulous!!!!! The story is a masterpiece, but the narrator brings this tale to life, holding nothing back in the various voices and songs. Wonderful performance.

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awesome book as always

loved it. the narrator was great and did justice to the songs. like returning to an old friends house....

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Awesome classic!

I think this was the most well written book that I have ever read. The narrators voice top. Listening to this was a gift. I have never watched the movie. My imagination was peeked! So vividly written.

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Wonderful audiobook

The narrator has a lovely voice and having seen the movies, this is an easy audiobook for the whole family to enjoy, without the driver having to concentrate too hard on details. Having said that the rest of the audience gets details in the book that weren't in the movie series to enjoy as well. Highly recommended for fantasy lovers. #Audible1

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An excellent performance!

I have read this book countless times as it is one of my all time favorite stories. Now having listened to it I love it even more. I was hesitant to listen to it, thinking that maybe the narrator would annoy me or interpret the characters differently. How wrong I was. This is one of the greatest performances I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. When I read the poems and songs in the book I scan over them quickly and almost disregard them. This performer brought them to life which added so much more to the book than I can myself. 5 stars!

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Best audiobook reader

I love this story and it was very well read, the best book reader I've heard so far.

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Could have had better character differentiation

in casual listening, I found it hard to determine which character was speaking, as they all seemed to sound more or less the same with minor differences.

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Superb

There is a reason that this is a literary classic. Well performed by narrator, as well. A pleasure to listen to.

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