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The Hobbit: Or There and Back Again Hardcover – Illustrated, 21 September 2007
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Purchase options and add-ons
- ISBN-100618968636
- ISBN-13978-0618968633
- EditionAnniversary
- PublisherHoughton Mifflin Harcourt
- Publication date21 September 2007
- LanguageEnglish
- Dimensions14.73 x 3.3 x 22.35 cm
- Print length300 pages
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- “Go back?” he thought. “No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go!”Highlighted by 229 Kindle readers
Product description
Review
"All those, young or old, who love a finely imagined story, beautifully told, will take The Hobbit to their hearts." Horn Book Guide
"A flawless masterpiece." The Times of London —
About the Author
CHRISTOPHER TOLKIEN (1924-2020) was the third son of J.R.R. Tolkien. Appointed by Tolkien to be his literary executor, he devoted himself to the editing and publication of unpublished writings, notably The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, and The History of Middle-earth.
Product details
- Publisher : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Anniversary edition (21 September 2007)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 300 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0618968636
- ISBN-13 : 978-0618968633
- Reading age : Customer suggested age: 10 years and up
- Item Weight : 476 g
- Dimensions : 14.73 x 3.3 x 22.35 cm
- Country of Origin : USA
- Best Sellers Rank: #755,786 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

J.R.R. Tolkien was born on 3rd January 1892. After serving in the First World War, he became best known for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, selling 150 million copies in more than 40 languages worldwide. Awarded the CBE and an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Oxford University, he died in 1973 at the age of 81.
Customer reviews
Customers say
Customers find the book fascinating and full of adventure, with beautiful illustrations and well-written content that's easy to read. They appreciate its character development, with one customer noting how it celebrates the best traits in people, and consider it a great book for all ages. The book receives positive feedback for its value among Tolkien fans, though customers note that the pages appear somewhat old.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book fascinating and exciting, describing it as a tale full of adventure that adds fun and enchantment to the story.
"...Story is easy to follow and it manages to captivate your attention from the first word till the last." Read more
"...The characters are really fascinating. Overall the book is engaging to anyone." Read more
"...And, ofcourse Tolkien's world is fascinating as usual. I read this book after watching LOTR trilogy. I've not read the LOTR tough...." Read more
"...The tale was enthralling and full of wonders, challenges, rest, war and death, and peace, riches, and prosperity, at the end...." Read more
Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, finding it easy to read with simple grammar and perfect font size for readability. One customer notes the use of couplets of rhyming throughout the text.
"...There are many couplets of rhyming in the book. And, ofcourse Tolkien's world is fascinating as usual...." Read more
"...Now, about the book, the grammar is rather simple and easy to understand clearly indicating the reason the writer wrote the book...." Read more
"I bought this as a prequel. And it's worth every page. The writing is witty and the way the story pans out is beautiful...." Read more
"...⭐Delivered on time *⭐Interesting plot *⭐writing style with songs and other good lines *⭐Creative level of tolkien." Read more
Customers appreciate the beautiful illustrations in the book.
"The quality of pages and ink is good. Beautiful illustrations. But the corners of the cover were a little bent. Book arrived on time." Read more
"...There are some illustrations which are really cool ." Read more
"The illustrations are just right and this is a classic read if anyone loves the Lord of the rings then i would recommend this book first and foremost..." Read more
"...The only thing i didn't liked is the black and white illustrations. It could have been coloured." Read more
Customers appreciate that the book is great for all ages.
"...And, this is also true that this book was, primarily, written for children. I read this book in 2 days and I'm-not-a-vivacious-reader...." Read more
"Font size is perfect to be readable ... good for kids... it won't strain the eyes" Read more
"...it to be as great a read as I always have: it's not just a great children's story, but also the perfect prelude to The Lord of The Rings, with the..." Read more
"It's for people of all ages and you absolutely have to read this if you're into fantasy or meaning to try the genre...." Read more
Customers appreciate the character development in the book, finding them fascinating, with one customer noting how they celebrate the best traits in people.
"...The characters are really fascinating. Overall the book is engaging to anyone." Read more
"...Everyone loves The Hobbit. It is a great book with a great story, characters and world. Tolkien is a brilliant storyteller...." Read more
"...Bilbo is such a lovable character." Read more
"...Started with LOTR now. Now easy to connect the character." Read more
Customers enjoy the story quality of the book, with one customer highlighting the battle scenes that are fully packed with action.
"...Story is easy to follow and it manages to captivate your attention from the first word till the last." Read more
"...The plot is simple and there is no such complicated story as shown in The Hobbit movie. There are many couplets of rhyming in the book...." Read more
"...The tale was enthralling and full of wonders, challenges, rest, war and death, and peace, riches, and prosperity, at the end...." Read more
"...It gives you the experience of reding tolkien.The battle is fuly packed just loved it.Its true to its fame." Read more
Customers appreciate the book's value, with some noting it's a good edition for Tolkien fans, and one describing it as a masterpiece.
"...Atleast, they bothered to replace it. Its still a good edition to have for Tolkien fans...." Read more
"A Masterpiece of J.R.R. Tolkien. It's a book you will want to read time & again. One of my most favourite books." Read more
"Must have For any Tolkien Fan..." Read more
"Best book to start with works of tolkien..." Read more
Customers note that the pages of the book look old.
"...Tho it does look a little old. I'm sure none of you need the review of the book as it is indeed the best. Hope this review was helpful..." Read more
"...Book is printed in 2014.But still pages look older than that. I have faced this problem for lot of books from amazon." Read more
"The book was old, but it doesn't matter it was pretty good for reading ." Read more
"Good but archaic & childish..." Read more
Reviews with images

Top reviews from India
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- Reviewed in India on 21 April 2025Verified PurchaseVery easy to read adventure story, and very difficult to be bored at all. Story is easy to follow and it manages to captivate your attention from the first word till the last.
- Reviewed in India on 6 May 2025Verified Purchase
Images in this review
- Reviewed in India on 5 April 2025Verified PurchaseNo complaints with the content of the book itself, a legendary story written by a legendary author. About this particular edition of The Hobbit, i must say, i love the gold plating they've done. It really enhances the visuals and it looks beautiful! The book was only slightly damaged from the corners but it's negligible for me. the quality of the pages isn't bad at all even though it's more of a budget edition.
MY MAIN COMPLAINT WITH THIS EDITION -
seriously, why is the glue so stiff? it's really difficult to even turn the pages without feeling like you're gonna damage it. it will take a while to get used to a glue this stiff. i expected better. This edition is also slightly smaller than the genric tolkien hardcovers.
Conclusion: go for it, if you're okay with the concerns i mentioned, the book does look really good.
4.0 out of 5 starsNo complaints with the content of the book itself, a legendary story written by a legendary author. About this particular edition of The Hobbit, i must say, i love the gold plating they've done. It really enhances the visuals and it looks beautiful! The book was only slightly damaged from the corners but it's negligible for me. the quality of the pages isn't bad at all even though it's more of a budget edition.Love the look but the glue is way too stiff.
Reviewed in India on 5 April 2025
MY MAIN COMPLAINT WITH THIS EDITION -
seriously, why is the glue so stiff? it's really difficult to even turn the pages without feeling like you're gonna damage it. it will take a while to get used to a glue this stiff. i expected better. This edition is also slightly smaller than the genric tolkien hardcovers.
Conclusion: go for it, if you're okay with the concerns i mentioned, the book does look really good.
Images in this review
- Reviewed in India on 3 May 2025Verified PurchaseA must have for lord of the rings fans.
- Reviewed in India on 15 October 2023Verified PurchaseNo wonder this book is one of the worldwide bestseller. The author has managed to capture us and take us to the Lord of the Rings universe and make us feel the ambience. I had no idea that this book is so much interesting to read. The characters are really fascinating. Overall the book is engaging to anyone.
- Reviewed in India on 30 August 2015Verified PurchaseIt's said that this book was written way before LOTR franchise was penned down. Well, it's true. And, this is also true that this book was, primarily, written for children. I read this book in 2 days and I'm-not-a-vivacious-reader. The plot is simple and there is no such complicated story as shown in The Hobbit movie.
There are many couplets of rhyming in the book. And, ofcourse Tolkien's world is fascinating as usual.
I read this book after watching LOTR trilogy. I've not read the LOTR tough.
The book is good to read as it details the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, who is living alone bored life in Hobbit shire(I don't remember the name of place). Bilbo likes adventure as genetic character from his mother's side but he is also averse to it as a genetic character from his father's side.
Now, this Bilbo baggins faces a dilemma when he is chosen by Gandalf to lead a pack of dwarves their victory battle to dragon occupied city which was previously occupied by dwarves themselves. En-route they encounter many different, weird and fascinating thing.
The book revolves around that fascination, world of magic and differentness only.
Thank you, Amazon, for affordable prices (for 245 bucks) and timely delivery!
- Reviewed in India on 16 February 2022Verified PurchaseNo wonder why it's so acclaimed. I just love how pure, funny; innocent; grateful, and remarkable is the Hobbit kind, and of course, skilled. Their uncanny love for food and comfort is funny and peaceful for me respectively.
The tale was enthralling and full of wonders, challenges, rest, war and death, and peace, riches, and prosperity, at the end. Huge praise for Bilbo Baggins, who discovered how much of use, courage, and abilities he was throughout the journey when dwarves racket failed (many a time) and earned himself a title: MAGNIFICIENT, which, of course, once belonged to the great dragon: Smaug the magnificent. And, yes, not all of his great deeds were just out of luck! ⚙
So funny was Bombur, and caring was the Balin, powerful was Beorn, and wonderful was Gandalf, and stiff was Thorin. Overall, give it a try.
No wonder why it's so acclaimed. I just love how pure, funny; innocent; grateful, and remarkable is the Hobbit kind, and of course, skilled. Their uncanny love for food and comfort is funny and peaceful for me respectively.
The tale was enthralling and full of wonders, challenges, rest, war and death, and peace, riches, and prosperity, at the end. Huge praise for Bilbo Baggins, who discovered how much of use, courage, and abilities he was throughout the journey when dwarves racket failed (many a time) and earned himself a title: MAGNIFICIENT, which, of course, once belonged to the great dragon: Smaug the magnificent. And, yes, not all of his great deeds were just out of luck! ⚙
So funny was Bombur, and caring was the Balin, powerful was Beorn, and wonderful was Gandalf, and stiff was Thorin. Overall, give it a try.
Images in this review
- Reviewed in India on 25 March 2025Verified PurchaseThe product is good. I suggest you to buy this edition. Its a great choice
The product is good. I suggest you to buy this edition. Its a great choice
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
- RustyReviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 July 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars My Precious
Verified Purchase"In a hole in the ground there lay the YA fantasy genre. A nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of swords and a perfumed smell."
One of my favourite genres seems to have gone to the wargs in the last few years. The rot probably started when J.K. Rowling introduced a new generation of young people to the joys of fantasy fiction. Standards dropped and social media helped create huge fandoms, and cult like followers, loyal to the brand. Fan fiction has also allowed anyone, no matter the talent, to write a "book" based on any intellectual property they fancy. Then Twilight happened and that was the beginning of the end. Publishers saw the kind of drivel that could make them rich and the Young Adult Fantasy genre was ripe for the picking. It began to move towards a new type of story, appealing to a new audience and asking a new question.
"What if Fantasy but with a girl one?"
Alongside the Strong-Female-Character™ protagonist, this new normal often contains a sprinkling of the following; "diversity*", some unsubtle social commentary, a patriarchal villain and most importantly, a poorly written, chemistry free romance with a handsome boy/angel/girl/minority/vampire/furry/other** that takes up half the book, often causing the plot to grind to a halt so the perfect lovers can stare passionately at each other for 50 pages. Bonus points for inserting a third wheel to create some false tension and so fans can pick a team.
After all, these books are written primarily for teenage girls, by former teenage girls***. Then there are the hordes of twenty-something women that receive advanced review copies and post their reviews on Goodreads****. These Goodreads girls, as I shall call them, might not be able to make a book successful, but they surely hold sway with publishers and more importantly, the content they publish. For it is said that "those who control the review copies, control the genre".
Thank Tolkien then, for the classics, and for the sexless, romance free world of The Hobbit. Although not entirely romance free as this book contains a beautiful relationship between a Gollum and his precious. Then there's the love between a Hobbit and his home, his breakfast/second breakfast/lunch/afternoon tea/supper/dinner/elevenses and his weed. Then finally there's the relationship between a dragon and/or a dwarf, and his treasure.
I'd take that superficial love over all the beautiful-perfect-people-fall-in-love-because-they're-both-beautiful-and-perfect-and-sometimes-there's-a-faux-love-triangle dross, that's infected the YA Fantasy genre since Twilight first ruined the word twilight.
I never thought I'd be pining for the days of Hunger Games knock-offs, but here we are.
But what of The Hobbit, you ask? Well, it's one of the finest young adult books ever written. At it's heart, The Hobbit is an adventure story. THE adventure story really. In fact, it's so jam packed with adventure, there's very little time for character development. Bilbo gets the lion's share and it's his adventure so I can't really grumble too much about the rather bland companions. Besides, there's so many wonderful things crammed into this short novel, it's never anything less than an entertaining page turner.
I truly envy any child who has yet to experience The Hobbit in book form as they read -or are read to- about Bilbo Baggins, dwarven guests, pipe smoking wizards, singing elves, hungry trolls, goblin caves, tricksy riddles, magic rings, eagle saviours, shape-shifting men, murky forests, giant spiders, prison breaks, barrel riding, secret doorways, greedy dragons, brave bowmen, brave hobbits, great battles and most of all, burglary. Saviour this book. Read it to your kids and hope it inspires them to read more, and maybe even to write. The beginnings of the next Fantasy classic might be this one story away... Someone has to drag the genre back from the brink.
If, like me, you have the stunted, feeble arms of a mammalian T-Rex, then you can listen to The Hobbit on audiobook, and it is a fine way to experience this most excellent of adventures. This review is based on the rather wonderful recording by Andy "CGI" Serkis. Riddles in the dark is even more memorable with the voice of Gollum™ and the whole thing is a joy to listen to.
I can't say anymore really, just read it if you haven't. There are still quality YA fantasy books to be found, even if you have to go 'there and back again' to find them.
* Black, trans and/or lesbian minorities -in order of perceived oppression by the American online- are the click generating hashtags of the moment. Make said minority the main character for more critical acclaim but less commercial gain. The readers might claim to be allies who want to read more books from a none cis-hetero perspective, but what they really, really want is a book in which the straight, white, female protagonist (them), gets a beautiful, shiny boy.
** But mostly boys, because that's hot insert-self fan fiction in the making.
*** Who may have started out writing terrible fan fiction. I blame Twilight, fifty shades of grey and low standards of literacy for this.
**** They're also liable to have Instagram accounts full of pictures of books next to foodstuffs, candles (dangerous), flora (not the marge), bedding and Apple products. The book lovers lifestyle is obviously lots of reading in bed by candlelight, surrounded by houseplants, munching on snacks and incessantly checking ones social media
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AnonymousReviewed in France on 15 May 2025
5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensable pour les amateurs de J.R.R. Tolkien.
Verified PurchaseIndispensable pour les amateurs de J.R.R. Tolkien.
- Amazon CustomerReviewed in Australia on 18 November 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Epic Story in an Awesome Format
Verified PurchasePretty much what I said for the Lord of the Rings, watching the movie is a cheat code for the book. Reading his words and seeing some of his visions for his 'world' is next level. It's a slog but worth it. The book is expensive, but the paper, font, and layout are fantastic and might renew your appreciation for tangible books.