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.
(back cover)
The Hobbit is the first of Tolkien's stories set in the Middle Earth... Actually this book needs no introduction as majority of people are probably aware of its existance and know how Tolkien pioneered the modern fantasy genre. However, it still holds strongly to this day. This epic story of a hobbit embarking on an unexpected journey with a team of dwarves and a wizard just really hooks you in and the world around is built with passion and full of surprises. I love it and now I understand why it's so praised by many.
I read it years ago (70's) and I spent many of hours reading the trilogy in high school when I should have been doing other things. I do not regret it though.
When I was a kid, it was hard to read, but interesting at the same time. I think, it's a good book to help children learn that patience reaps rewards. Of a cool story in this particular case.
