The Hobbit is a children’s fantasy novel by English author J.R.R. Tolkien. It was published in 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the New York Herald Tribune for best juvenile fiction.
The book is recognized as a classic in children’s literature, and is one of the best-selling books of all time with over 100 million copies sold.
Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely traveling any farther than his pantry or cellar. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an adventure.
They have launched a plot to raid the treasure hoard guarded by Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. Bilbo reluctantly joins their quest, unaware that on his journey to the Lonely Mountain he will encounter both a magic ring and a frightening creature known as Gollum.
Literary awards
- Keith Barker Millennium Book Award
- Books I Loved Best Yearly (BILBY) Awards for Older Readers (1997)
- Mythopoeic Scholarship Award for Inklings Studies (1990)
