The Hobbit Audiobook By J. R. R. Tolkien cover art

The Hobbit

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The Hobbit

By: J. R. R. Tolkien
Narrated by: Andy Serkis
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About this listen

This brand-new unabridged audio book of J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved The Hobbit will be coming to listeners everywhere this September, read by the BAFTA award-winning actor, director and author, Andy Serkis.

Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely travelling further than the pantry of his hobbit-hole in Bag End. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard, Gandalf, and a company of 13 dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day, to whisk him away on a journey "there and back again". They have a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon…

The prelude to The Lord of The Rings, the Hobbit has sold many millions of copies since its publication in 1937, establishing itself as one of the most influential books of the 20th century.

©1937, 1951, 1966, 1978, 1995 The J.R.R. Tolkien Copyright Trust (P)2020 HarperCollins
Classics Fantasy Fantasy Essentials Fiction Literary Fiction Top 100 Essentials Funny Scary Feel-Good Suspenseful Celebrity
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Editorial review


By Alanna McAuliffe, Audible Editor

JOURNEY THERE AND BACK AGAIN WITH THE HOBBIT

I was still in diapers when the bar for fantasy world-building was set unreasonably high. My mother, who had been a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien’s work since she herself was a child, passed along her fandom to me. To this day, that sense of awe hasn’t faded, and even as an adult, I find myself wide-eyed and wonderstruck by the world that Tolkien created—dragons and dwarves and hobbits and elves and wizards, dark forces unseen and simple goodness unparalleled, a good old-fashioned tale of whimsy and adventure that completely redefined what it meant to tell a story.

But when Tolkien wrote The Hobbit back in the 1930s, he did not set out to create a work explicitly for children. Rather, he was crafting a fairy story, one rooted in his fascination with language, mythology, and history, that allowed him to build out a lore of his own. Nevertheless, it captivated readers young and old and has since become both a staple of kidlit and a foundational work in the overarching fantasy genre. Many stories are hailed as timeless, as enjoyable for little ones as they are for those several generations ahead, but few are as truly universal as this one, an accessible entry into a fully realized world in which you may wade as shallowly as you like or dive deep into ages of lore and backstory.

At its core, the story, following a most unlikely hero in the reserved, slightly curmudgeonly Bilbo Baggins, is a quest not just to slay the dragon and conquer evil but a journey into one’s own. Before Gandalf’s intervention, Bilbo has no inclination of taking on such an exploit, preferring instead the comforts and safeties of the only home he’s known. Hobbits, seemingly representative of England’s common countryfolk, are not heralded for theatrical acts of daring or brawn. But what Bilbo does have, in spades, is heart, goodness, and the capacity for tremendous courage, given the opportunity. Over the course of the story, we listen as Bilbo transforms into the confident hero of legend, the kind of pathfinding traveler that would write of his ventures, which in and of themselves create his memoir and center the narrative of The Hobbit. Bilbo is such a beloved figure in literature because he is all of us—as a timid, cautious child, his capers rang as evidence that I, too, had something to offer.

Continue reading Alanna's review >

Featured Article: When Does The Rings of Power Take Place? Tolkien's Second Age, Explained


The Prime Video streaming series The Rings of Power is set thousands of years before the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Rooted in J.R.R. Tolkien's history of Middle-earth, the series is expected to cover all of the major events of the fictional world's Second Age. But what is the Second Age, and how does this period of time factor into the rest of Tolkien's world? Read on to find out.

Continue Your Journey Through Middle earth

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What listeners say about The Hobbit

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One of the absolute best

This book was always a favorite of mine, but Andy Serkis has brought it to life in a way that cannot be equaled. It was a true joy to listen to and I hope, like many others have suggested, that he goes on to lend his talents to the LOTR trilogy in the future.

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Andy Serkis is a master of his craft!

For some reason unknown to me, I put off Tolkien's classic masterpiece. Tolkien's storytelling paints a vivid picture of Middle Earth. Andy Serkis shows a level of mastery in bringing characters to life. I am a huge fan, and I await the release of his narration of the sequels.

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Great book

Love Andy serkis one of the best books I have listened too!! Great book

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Magnificent Performance!

This literary classic reads brand new in Andy Serkis’ masterful interpretation. His performance draws from the very best of the theatrical adaptation, giving us a glimpse of what might have been had Peter Jackson not lost his mind.

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Excellent

Andy did such a great job reading this. It was like breath of fresh air. Maybe we can get him to do the lord of the rings! Lol

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ANDY SERKIS!!!

The story read by Gollum is well done. His character voices are great. Only one very slight negative is his singing voice, but it is more than sufficient.
The journey of Bilbo is absolutely the back and forth in our own minds everyday. Do we really have the courage inside us? most often the answer is yes.

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Best narration ever...

If Andy Serkis agrees to narrate LOTR trilogy, I will preorder now! Thank you for making this childhood favorite come to life again.

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Wonderful story!

Andy Serkis is the perfect person to read this wonderful story . His performance is excellent in every way . The story is a classic adventure story with all kinds of villains and heroes and wonderful ideas.

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Serkis takes you back to Middle Earth

i find myself grinning eat to ear listening to this. Andy Serkis brings his A-Game to this narration.

Every character has a unique voice, and is read with enthusiasm. his return as Gollum is definitely the highlight of the entire, book (not to mention a great chapter in general).

This feels like an extension of the movies... Right down to the songs sung to Howard Shore's melody. It's beautiful done in every way. This, to me, is the quintessential audio book for Tolkien's amazing books.

if Serkis doesn't win some kind of award for these reads, it would be a shame.

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Fabulous Narration of a Fabulous Tale

I first read The Hobbit in college in the 60's. Have heard other narrators of this story on audio book before, and seen the movie a couple of times. I really think this is the best version I have heard. Andy Serkis gives real life to all the characters and events. A MUST LISTEN for all fans of Middle Earth!

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