Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
Title: The Hobbit
Genre: Adventure
Publication Date: Sept. 21, 1937
Number of Pages: 317 pages
Geographical Setting: Middle Earth
Time Period: The 3rd Age
Series (If applicable): Prequel to the Lord of the Rings trilogy
Plot Summary:
Bilbo Baggins, an unassuming hobbit from the land of the Shire,
gets a surprise visit from Gandalf the Grey—a powerful wizard harboring secrets
that may have grave consequences for the fate of Middle Earth; he is soon
recruited by a traveling party of dwarves on a mission to reclaim their ancient
kingdom, beneath the Lonely Mountain, from the vicious dragon Smaug. With danger lurking around every corner,
armies of goblins and trolls in their way, and a vicious orc-lord named Azog
hot on their heels, Bilbo and his companions must rely on their swords, their
wit, and a mysterious magic ring that grants the power of invisibility to its
wearer to keep them alive on their perilous journey.
Subject Headings:
Babbins, Bilbo (Fictional character)
Wizards - Fiction
Hobbits (Fictional characters)
Appeal:
A canonical adventure, The Hobbit is appropriate for fans of
action-packed fantasy of all ages.
The 3 terms that best describe this book:
Epic
Adventure
Fantasy
Similar Authors and Works (why are they similar?):
C.S. Lewis : The
Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - An
epic fantasy story that takes place, like The Hobbit, in a fantasy world in
which the protagonists must do battle with a nefarious, magical villain for control of their world.
J.K. Rowling : Harry
Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – A tale of a boy wizard attending Hogwart Academy, a school for the magically inclined, navigating adolescence
while also preparing for a battle to the death with Lord Voldemort, the
wizardly world’s ultimate villain.
Ursula K. LeGuin : A Wizard of Earthsea - The story of Ged, an arrogant young wizard who - while experimenting with the dark arts at the school for magic on the island of Roke- unwittingly unleashes a demon hell-bent on devouring his soul, and must battle it to the very end of the world.
When I saw that you were annotating 'The Hobbit', I wondered if you'd cite Harry Potter as a read-alike. I took a class on Tolkien during my undergrad at Purdue, and the professor was of the opinion that the Harry Potter series was a loose plagiarism of 'The Lord of the Rings' and its backstory. I agree that HP is a great suggestion for read-likes for Tolkien's work because there are many similar characters and situations between them. I like your suggestion of 'The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe' too. Tolkien and Lewis both include Biblical allegory in their writing and, again, there are a lot of similarities in their work.
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