Nudgee College Library

Book Information

Author:

JRR Tolkien

Genre:

Fantasy

Library Reference:

F TOL

May 26, 2009
by Martin Kerby - Head of Information Services

No author towers above a single genre in quite the same way discussions of fantasy are inevitably dominated by JRR Tolkien. Though not quite as famous as the Lord of the Rings trilogy, thanks to the Peter Jackson epics, The Hobbit is still a marvellous adventure story. With dwarves, dragons, trolls, goblins and, of course, Gandalf the wizard there is plenty of colour and action for even the most demanding reader.

Set in a time "before the Dawn of Faerie and the Dominion of Men", it is actually just as much a wonderful piece of children's literature as it is fantasy. The story follows the traditional pattern of a quest, during which Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit of the title, helps a band of dwarves recover a vast treasure from the dragon Smaug. As with many stories, the journey also sees the protagonist (main character) mature and, in doing so, gain confidence and a clearer sense of his own identity.

Having finished The Hobbit a keen reader could then move on to the Lord of the Rings trilogy (F TOL) and later to Beowulf (F BEO). Tolkien later claimed that it was this heroic epic that was the most valuable source of material and inspiration for his creation of the hobbit and his fictional world.

This classic is a must read for anyone interested in fantasy or with a love for an adventure story told by a master storyteller.