The Annotated Hobbit

Anyone who enjoys Tolkien's books will find this book interesting. Those who are passionate about Tolkien's books will find this book essential. Tolkien's books were works in progress over many years, and he made changes in them as he developed the ideas and story lines. This book notes those changes so one can follow Tolkien's creative process. One can also gain insights into elements of the story that might be confusing at first. The notes on editions from around the world are also interesting, though enthusiasts for the original story may find them distracting. Finally, the layout of the book inserts the notes on the same page as the text that they relate to, which is convenient, but when the notes occupy more space on the page than does the text (sometimes more than one page of notes and no text), just reading the story can be tricky. Overall, this is a study book, not one for leisurely enjoyment.

I have several versions of The Hobbit, which I've accumulated over the past 4 decades. Not that I have all of them, not even of the English speaking versions. Naturally the artwork of the movie trilogy eventually led me back to wondering if I've missed out on some great newer book version, and I ended up buying 2 more copies, this being one of them. Since the words in every English edition of The Hobbit are all the same, having been written by the same guy, it's the extras like the artwork, the commentaries, the bindings and the what-nots that may lead you to love one edition more than another. I must admit there is a lot to like about this edition. Principally the annotations, which very much like the annotated Alice in Wonderland continue upon every page, with fascinating stuff not found in the actual text of the novel. But the illustrations are also quite good. From the standpoint of illustration alone, I think my favorite remains the 1984 edition with illustrations by Michael Hague. Hague's illustrations were hardly on every page, but neither were they sparse. What makes them nice is that they take up the full page, they are in color, and they are scattered about from beginning to the end of the book. In The Annotated Hobbit, besides the wonderful annotations, there are a large number of black and white, and partial-page drawings by various artists. The drawings are quite good (and I am sure would be absolutely splendid in color and full-page). Thankfully though this is NOT ALL. In the center of the book are 8 full color pages of illustrations by 7 different artists. Mostly they are two illustrations per page, and mostly they are Tolkien's own, but nicely supplemented by the visions of 6 other skilled artists. I guess, all things considered, this might be the nicest overall edition I own. One can always wish for MORE full-color illustrations, and indeed I seem to have fully lost track of one other, really luxuriously illustrated though soft-backed edition. But if you want the fine bonus of the annotations plus both B&W and full-color illustrations by 7 artists, this version should be yours.

The Hobbit is one of my favorite books since childhood, and like many I reread it every couple of years. Tolkien's rich tapestry changes with one's perspective, yielding new designs and colors from the vantage point of age and experience. However, after a reader has come to know the work intimately, it becomes fun to experience some extratextual analysis from a scholar who loves the book as much as you do! That's just what this annotated edition of The Hobbit provides. Douglas Anderson has provided rich marginal annotations, presented alongside the original text of the story. These include references from whence Tolkien borrowed many of his creations--offering a window into Tolkien's reading life, etymologies of words, and textual differences between the various editions of The Hobbit. The first edition was most different from the others, particularly in the Riddles in the Dark chapter, the first meeting with Gollum, which unfolded much differently. Other than that, I found it striking how similar the editions were, how little Tolkien would have changed and how in keeping with his broader works the Hobbit already was. There is much biographical information about Tolkien. For example, we learn that he loved the works of poet Francis Thompson. The margin also includes many charming illustrations from all the illustrated editions of the Hobbit that have been done throughout the world. There is a centerfold of colored illustrations in the middle, including all of Tolkien's own art related to The Hobbit. I like Tolkien's the best in most cases! How could one man have had so much talent? The appendix offers the most complete version of the Quest of Erebor, Gandalf's recounting of the story, previously published incomplete in Unfinished Tales(hence the title, duh). All in all, this fine book offers a fun and rewarding way to re-experience The Hobbit for even the most jaded Tolkien fan.

Okay, so really it isn't just a little extra, it is fully annotated and brings to life the author's thoughts, history, influences - at least from accounts of the time and old notes. It isn't just the Hobbit - it is The Hobbit Unleashed! The Hobbit, or the prequel to the Lord of the Rings series, follows the life of Bilbo Baggins. and his adventures. Bilbo is the original Baggins adventurer - and like his nephew, didn't exactly sign up by choice. He is a hobbit, after all, and enjoys the simple, calm life of his race, relaxing and eating in his shire. But alas, you most likely already know the story of the older generation hobbit. This is more about the book. This book, with the sidebar annotations is full of extra information that any true fan of Tolkien would enjoy. There are historical photos, drawings, and so much more. The overall feel of the book is good as well. Some publishers have opted to make cheap book bindings that won't stand the test of time. Books are supposed to bring us from today to tomorrow - and last throughout that time. How many people have come across old books written so long ago - and have found a life they knew nothing of before. That is what The Annotated Hobbit brings to the ready. Good quality, good size (not too big, not too small), and well printed. The text is easy to read, the side annotations do not take away from the story itself (if you just want to read it through and then go back and read the extra notes - that works too). And honestly, this is one of many of Tolkien's masterpieces. If you are a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien - then you'll enjoy this book.

Little did Tolkien realize the road he had started down when he began to write this book! I've read the Hobbit a number of times over the years and was inspired by the then-imminent release of Peter Jackson's film to reread it -- yes, I'm late with this review! With the book fresh in mind, it made the places where Jackson added new material more evident, which was interesting. The chief appeal of this edition is that it carefully traces differences among the various versions of the text published during Tolkien's lifetime. As he wrote the Lord of the Rings trilogy, he realized that there were some inconsistencies between the events of the Hobbit, and the topography of Middle Earth as discussed in it, and what he wrote in the later trilogy. He tried to smooth out some of these inconsistencies by rewriting sections of the Hobbit, including a major rewrite of the chapter in which Bilbo obtains the ring from Gollum. While I enjoyed these annotations, someone reading the book for the first time might find them annoying. My suggestion is that if you are new to the book, you should read it straight through and then go back through and read the annotations that interest you.

If you're into the Tolkien Hobbit universe this is for you! I first read The Hobbit back in the '70s, I own the first movie, and I've read through the books of the Lord of the rings at least three times over the years. But this annotated version makes it plain what the true genius and systematic hard work went into Tolkien's writing.

A great edition and format to a one-of-a-kind book. My whole family enjoyed it.

In this book, J R R Tolkien's The Hobbit is expanded with commentary, notes, poetry, and other interesting articles of Tolkien's by Douglas A. Anderson. This changes the size of the book from a regular paperback to a regular text book size. The additional information is awesome to know and sheds new light on the original text. I especially liked the poetry that can only be found in this book, the Bimble Town poems. My favorite was "Glip" who is a scavenger foreshadow of Gollum in a way. I think his name comes from the sound of water dripping in a wet cave, drip, glip, drip. I found myself reading the annotations purely for their own sake. They could have formed a whole other book and I think I would be happy. Did you know that Tolkien got the dwarves names and Gandalf's name from a list of dwarf names in a Norse poem? I didn't know Gandalf had been a dwarf in a prior life! I gave the book 5/5 stars as it was so awesome!!

Beautiful book!

A Wonderful Book and a Excellent Add to my Collection...

Anyone who enjoys Tolkien's books will find this book interesting. Those who are passionate about Tolkien's books will find this book essential. Tolkien's books were works in progress over many years, and he made changes in them as he developed the ideas and story lines. This book notes those changes so one can follow Tolkien's creative process. One can also gain insights into elements of the story that might be confusing at first. The notes on editions from around the world are also interesting, though enthusiasts for the original story may find them distracting. Finally, the layout of the book inserts the notes on the same page as the text that they relate to, which is convenient, but when the notes occupy more space on the page than does the text (sometimes more than one page of notes and no text), just reading the story can be tricky. Overall, this is a study book, not one for leisurely enjoyment.

I have several versions of The Hobbit, which I've accumulated over the past 4 decades. Not that I have all of them, not even of the English speaking versions. Naturally the artwork of the movie trilogy eventually led me back to wondering if I've missed out on some great newer book version, and I ended up buying 2 more copies, this being one of them. Since the words in every English edition of The Hobbit are all the same, having been written by the same guy, it's the extras like the artwork, the commentaries, the bindings and the what-nots that may lead you to love one edition more than another. I must admit there is a lot to like about this edition. Principally the annotations, which very much like the annotated Alice in Wonderland continue upon every page, with fascinating stuff not found in the actual text of the novel. But the illustrations are also quite good. From the standpoint of illustration alone, I think my favorite remains the 1984 edition with illustrations by Michael Hague. Hague's illustrations were hardly on every page, but neither were they sparse. What makes them nice is that they take up the full page, they are in color, and they are scattered about from beginning to the end of the book. In The Annotated Hobbit, besides the wonderful annotations, there are a large number of black and white, and partial-page drawings by various artists. The drawings are quite good (and I am sure would be absolutely splendid in color and full-page). Thankfully though this is NOT ALL. In the center of the book are 8 full color pages of illustrations by 7 different artists. Mostly they are two illustrations per page, and mostly they are Tolkien's own, but nicely supplemented by the visions of 6 other skilled artists. I guess, all things considered, this might be the nicest overall edition I own. One can always wish for MORE full-color illustrations, and indeed I seem to have fully lost track of one other, really luxuriously illustrated though soft-backed edition. But if you want the fine bonus of the annotations plus both B&W and full-color illustrations by 7 artists, this version should be yours.

The Hobbit is one of my favorite books since childhood, and like many I reread it every couple of years. Tolkien's rich tapestry changes with one's perspective, yielding new designs and colors from the vantage point of age and experience. However, after a reader has come to know the work intimately, it becomes fun to experience some extratextual analysis from a scholar who loves the book as much as you do! That's just what this annotated edition of The Hobbit provides. Douglas Anderson has provided rich marginal annotations, presented alongside the original text of the story. These include references from whence Tolkien borrowed many of his creations--offering a window into Tolkien's reading life, etymologies of words, and textual differences between the various editions of The Hobbit. The first edition was most different from the others, particularly in the Riddles in the Dark chapter, the first meeting with Gollum, which unfolded much differently. Other than that, I found it striking how similar the editions were, how little Tolkien would have changed and how in keeping with his broader works the Hobbit already was. There is much biographical information about Tolkien. For example, we learn that he loved the works of poet Francis Thompson. The margin also includes many charming illustrations from all the illustrated editions of the Hobbit that have been done throughout the world. There is a centerfold of colored illustrations in the middle, including all of Tolkien's own art related to The Hobbit. I like Tolkien's the best in most cases! How could one man have had so much talent? The appendix offers the most complete version of the Quest of Erebor, Gandalf's recounting of the story, previously published incomplete in Unfinished Tales(hence the title, duh). All in all, this fine book offers a fun and rewarding way to re-experience The Hobbit for even the most jaded Tolkien fan.

Okay, so really it isn't just a little extra, it is fully annotated and brings to life the author's thoughts, history, influences - at least from accounts of the time and old notes. It isn't just the Hobbit - it is The Hobbit Unleashed! The Hobbit, or the prequel to the Lord of the Rings series, follows the life of Bilbo Baggins. and his adventures. Bilbo is the original Baggins adventurer - and like his nephew, didn't exactly sign up by choice. He is a hobbit, after all, and enjoys the simple, calm life of his race, relaxing and eating in his shire. But alas, you most likely already know the story of the older generation hobbit. This is more about the book. This book, with the sidebar annotations is full of extra information that any true fan of Tolkien would enjoy. There are historical photos, drawings, and so much more. The overall feel of the book is good as well. Some publishers have opted to make cheap book bindings that won't stand the test of time. Books are supposed to bring us from today to tomorrow - and last throughout that time. How many people have come across old books written so long ago - and have found a life they knew nothing of before. That is what The Annotated Hobbit brings to the ready. Good quality, good size (not too big, not too small), and well printed. The text is easy to read, the side annotations do not take away from the story itself (if you just want to read it through and then go back and read the extra notes - that works too). And honestly, this is one of many of Tolkien's masterpieces. If you are a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien - then you'll enjoy this book.

Little did Tolkien realize the road he had started down when he began to write this book! I've read the Hobbit a number of times over the years and was inspired by the then-imminent release of Peter Jackson's film to reread it -- yes, I'm late with this review! With the book fresh in mind, it made the places where Jackson added new material more evident, which was interesting. The chief appeal of this edition is that it carefully traces differences among the various versions of the text published during Tolkien's lifetime. As he wrote the Lord of the Rings trilogy, he realized that there were some inconsistencies between the events of the Hobbit, and the topography of Middle Earth as discussed in it, and what he wrote in the later trilogy. He tried to smooth out some of these inconsistencies by rewriting sections of the Hobbit, including a major rewrite of the chapter in which Bilbo obtains the ring from Gollum. While I enjoyed these annotations, someone reading the book for the first time might find them annoying. My suggestion is that if you are new to the book, you should read it straight through and then go back through and read the annotations that interest you.

If you're into the Tolkien Hobbit universe this is for you! I first read The Hobbit back in the '70s, I own the first movie, and I've read through the books of the Lord of the rings at least three times over the years. But this annotated version makes it plain what the true genius and systematic hard work went into Tolkien's writing.

A great edition and format to a one-of-a-kind book. My whole family enjoyed it.

In this book, J R R Tolkien's The Hobbit is expanded with commentary, notes, poetry, and other interesting articles of Tolkien's by Douglas A. Anderson. This changes the size of the book from a regular paperback to a regular text book size. The additional information is awesome to know and sheds new light on the original text. I especially liked the poetry that can only be found in this book, the Bimble Town poems. My favorite was "Glip" who is a scavenger foreshadow of Gollum in a way. I think his name comes from the sound of water dripping in a wet cave, drip, glip, drip. I found myself reading the annotations purely for their own sake. They could have formed a whole other book and I think I would be happy. Did you know that Tolkien got the dwarves names and Gandalf's name from a list of dwarf names in a Norse poem? I didn't know Gandalf had been a dwarf in a prior life! I gave the book 5/5 stars as it was so awesome!!

Beautiful book!

A Wonderful Book and a Excellent Add to my Collection...

I will not attempt to review the Hobbit here, other than to say it is a great story & I like it very much. It is the annotations that I wish to deal with. There are all kinds of trivia included with this story, including a prequel which JRRT wrote about the time he was publishing the LOTR trilogy. But what I wanted to see most, and which is included in this volume, was the alternate - that is, the earlier - version of Bilbo's encounter with Gollum. I had heard of its existence many years ago, but this is the first time I ever got to read it. This volume is also full of artwork from various artists around the world, whose work appeared in foreign language translations of the Hobbit. I think it's a very good value for the money.

As I wrote in a review of another edition (The Annotated Hobbit of 2002) I have accumulated multiple copies of this work over the past 40 years. After Peter Jackson's Hobbit trilogy of films, and some luxurious Weta books detailing their design work, I started wondering if I had missed out on any noteworthy editions of the actual novel over the last few decades. I ended up purchasing this Annotated Hobbit, published 1988-1989, and the newer and updated version, copyrighted 2002. Well this is the larger-size edition of Annotated Hobbit. Which means easier on weak eyes for reading. And admittedly the front cover is gorgeous--both the beautiful, purple-framed dust jacket, and the fairly elegant jet black cloth binding with gold print and design on both the front and spine. And that is everything this edition has to recommend it over the 2002. As for the 2002 edition: six pages of full-color prints in the center, from a total of 7 artists (lacking in the 1989 version) and the annotations have been further upgraded for the 2002 edition. Both versions have a fair sprinkling of smaller black and white (or occasionally, other monochromatic) sketches here and there. The 2002 edition overall in my opinion wins, hands-down. However if you like the larger size, a better price, or the more beautiful jet black & gold binding of the 1989 edition, go for it! (The 2002 has a jade-green cloth binding with gold print on the spine but no print whatsoever on the front).

If I had to own just one copy of The Hobbit it would be this one. The overall size of the book is large without being unwieldy. The complete text is both readable and unimpeded by the copious annotations. In terms of the annotations themselves, they do a fantastic job of tying together the larger corpus of Tolkien's writings. One word of caution for those who are looking for a picture book: look elsewhere. Although there are a great many pictures included in this volume, they are largely black and white and relatively small given the size of the book. As much as I appreciate a good artist's rendering of scenes from any of my favorite books, I much prefer to draw my own in my mind.

Yeah, it's the annotated version, but the level of detail is very high. At least half the text is side notes. You won't have to look far as they are there on the page you are reading or maybe the next page. There are, of course, lots of great line drawings. And those are discussed too. Apparently, Tolkien didn't like some of them. There are also a few color plates inside the book. It's a little busy with the text surrounded by all the annotations, but you do have the choice...read the foot notes, or don't. Oh, I got the copy with "compliments of Accenture" printed on the cover. It was a brand new book, but I paid the used book price. Thanks "Open Books" for the great deal!!!

So amazing! Love all the footnotes and information of Tolkien and his works

This is a must have for every Tolkein fan. The art and background material is precious. (see what I did there?)

This is an in-depth annotated version of the Hobbit. There is a ton of information I was unaware of about Tolkien himself and his various changes in wording or story as he crafted it. This book also contains original Tolkien illustrations as well. It’s almost 400 pages of pure enjoyment.

This book can be a great purchase for two reasons. Those that love the Hobbit story and appreciate it as one of the greatest classic fanasty tales ever written, and would enjoy learning some 'behind the scences' history and info themselves (not exluding alternate covers and artwork from editions printed in other languages). It is a great purchase to add to your own library. Also, it works well as a gift. If you know a Tolkien lover who already seems to have all of his basic works and some hard to find ones to boot. They may not have thought about adding an annotated version to the stack. This is a great way to give them something inexpensive that they are sure to treasure for years to come.

If you want to get a copy of The Hobbit anyway and are interested in some side notes, this is good. If you are buying it for the side notes in particular, my opinion is that it's okay but not great. I was expecting deep insights about Tolkien's writing, such as whether he had something in mind (like from WWII, etc.) and symbolized it with something in the book or not, if he "massaged" something over time to finalize and perfect it, etc., and there are some notes like this, but most of them are mildly interesting to boring notes on word derivations, etc., which disappointed me. Do the "Look inside" thing at Amazon or something to see if it appeals to you. Not bad but not what I was expecting. Of course, you still get the book text itself, which is a great read, and this is a good price for that alone (although I prefer the edition that has "illustrations by the author", with more Tolkien, and obviously includes the entire book text too, and also at a good price). If you're a student of writing and/or of Tolkien, this annotated edition is probably a very good buy, but if just a person who enjoys The Hobbit and hopes to get great insights into it, okay but I don't think great.

This is a nice version of The Hobbit to have around for reading and re-reading. Its Tolkeinn, what more can I say.

I'm a Tolkien fan myself but only skimmed the notes in this book before buying it for a friend. He loved it. The annotations include all kinds of things, all the way from Tolkien's views on Walt Disney to how the text changed (after Lord of the Rings) because the original distance between Hobbiton and Bree was so much different. Don't get it to read the Hobbit for the first time, but you'll love it if you're already familiar with the text and if you're even remotely interested in "Tolkien-ology."

For Tolkien admirers this annotated revised and expanded edition of The Hobbit is a treasure. Each page contains the text along side of which are detailed notes, concurrent with the text and including many valuable informative observations such as historical background, previous editions, and detailed commentary on the action, plot, and characters of the story. Throughout are numerous illustrations, some in full color, by many international artists. I find this book an indispensable encyclopedic handbook.

The book is well organized, and it shares a lot. It has many pictures from different countries and features J.R.R. Tolkien's colored sketches located in it's center. I was happy to pick this book up, I set the dust cover aside and to keep it in good shape. The book itself is layed out with annotations in side bars along the pages. Looking through it I see an editorial story of how the book came together in it's current finished version. Love this book, would buy another as a gift.

It has been hardly used and is in amazing condition. It looks brand new and I love it! It also came pretty fast in shipping!

I was expecting a lot of extra information on the Hobbit, but I was surprised by how much more there was. It can be busy sometimes, but you can just look right past the extra stuff and read the book if you want. Or, if you've already read it, take the time and soak in the amazing information that this version provides. The illustrations are particularly interesting. I would recommend this to any fan of the Hobbit book. It's amazing :)

This is a fantastic edition of the hobbit. It's well made and all of the additional information is wonderful if you're re-reading this book. This is a great version because even with all of the extra text it's a good size and not too big. I would recommend this edition to all habit fans.

I wanted a good hardcover copy of The Hobbit and after reading people's reviews about it I chose to pick it up. Wow, I love the annotations as well as all of the artwork. The story will never be bad, that I know, but I love the format that this edition is in. I would recommend this to anyone who claims to be a true fan of The Hobbit.

The annotations provide great insight into Tolkien's mind, as well as what editors and publishers have changed in the book over the years. It also provides information on how the book lost some things in translation to non-English languages, such as an illustration of Bilbo with very hairy feet AND legs, since the translated word for foot and leg were the same.

I really enjoy this handbook on the creation of "The Hobbit" and Middle Earth. It's great to be able to see Tolkien's mind as he progressed building the story and Bilbo's world. The book is packed with everything a true Tolkien fan is looking for. I'm sure it'll be on every Tolkien fans wish list for the holidays!

This book is great! It has lots of illustrations and pictures and lots of notes relating to the text. If you're not someone who likes all that, you can just read the main text without reading the notes. The notes are all on the sides of the main text. It is a high quality book. Feels sturdy and the quality of the books is great!

A great story, with the added bonus of "director's commentary" on every page. Fascinating to learn the ins and outs of the Hobbit as it evolved over multiple edits, releases, and editions.

Great book! A must have for any Tolkien fan!

This book was very cool. I enjoyed looking at all the different pictures from the variety of versions of the Hobbit. Very good material.

This book is a wonderful typesetting of the original text, but it's also packed with interesting annotations, original illustrations by Tolkien and lots of artwork from international versions of the book. If you love the Hobbit, you should really invest in this book. Plus, it looks lovely on a coffee table.

It is a wonderful addition of The Hobbit....with all the notations of J.R.R. Tolkien's work and the pictures from many translations from all over the world. We are very happy with this addition and know it will be a part of our family library for many generations.

Great book, though the following "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy is even better. The annotations give background of the father who wrote this for his son...

I was leary of the annotations (I am easily distracted) but, as others have written, the annotations add a lot to the reading experience. Some are too accademic for casual readers like myself, but those are easily skipped over without diminishing the pleasure of reading the storey.

Lots and lots of information about The Hobbit and JRR. I was surprised by the illustrations by Tolkien. I didn't even know he did that. It would have been nice if more of the illustrations had been in color but I think maybe they were originally in b&w. Fascinating book.

Bought this book for my son who is in the 9th grade. He loves it great pictures and inside extra info in the annotations. Perfect buy. If you are a Hobbit fan, or new to the series, it will be the best addition to your library.

It's a fantastic edition, with beautiful color plates and great notes. But made by Barnes and Noble, looking with them may be more fertile.

In all my 78 years of enjoying reading I have never before come across such a fascinating book. The annotations were many and oh so interesting. The connections made between this book and various books really caught my mind.

If you love the Hobbit this is the definitive edition to keep on your bookshelf if you still have a bookshelf.

I bought this volume because I have always liked the Hobbitt. It is what it says it is, an annotatation of the book. Nothing more. It goes through the variations in the several editions of the book, but really does not have much in the way of aditional information.

An excellent book. I learned to love to read with this book. It can get scary so I wouldn't recommend it for children who have a tendency toward nightmares. Probably not under 10 or so.

The Annotated Hobbit is colorful and adds a lot of insight. I was introduced to the Hobbit and the Trilogy in 1971 and have read them several times since then. Definitely a good version of the Hobbit to have on the shelf.

I haven't finished it, and I wanted to finish it before I saw the movie. I tried to just stick to the storyline for my first read-through, but it's hard to not read the annotations because they are so interesting.

Wonderful read

lovely copy of a fantastic edition.

Is there even a question if this is good? Of course it is. But I'm a very biased LOTR fan too.

You'll never read the Hobbit the same way! Its the Hobbit, what inspired the Hobbit, and how the Hobbit plays into the whole Middle Earth universe. Great illustrations and commentary.

This is my third "Annotated" book -- following The Annotated Alice and Annotated Fairy Tales -- and while The Hobbit itself is great, the majority of the annotations add no value to the story as they merely mark where a word or two was changed between editions. Unfortunately, there's so many of them that they frequently appear a couple of pages after they're noted so you have to turn forward to find out that "South" was changed to "Southwest" and then you've broken the flow of the story. The Hobbit itself is a great read-aloud story and some of the annotations are surprising and interesting... but the mundane and boring annotations really weigh the book down compared to the annotations in Alice or Fairy Tales.

The annotations shed wonderful light on Tolkien's writing process. This book has earned a place of honor in my personal library, and I'm so, so glad I got it.

Re-reading this with my children before the movie comes out. They are loving it, and I am loving it again. Our nightly venture into Middle Earth is a great way to end the day.

The footnotes give explanations of the text. Reading the footnotes and introduction helps me understand the book better. For the price I paid, this book could not be better.

The Annotated Hobbit helps readers more fully enjoy Tolkien's first masterpiece. While some of the notes are far too deep minutiae for my tastes, they never intrude or interrupt the narrative. Highly recommended.

Annotations cover Tolkien and other myth and fantasy sources. Artwork from Tolkien and pulled from international editions is stunning. Each chapter is embellished by the author's extensive scholarship. This book belongs in every Fantasy library.

This is exactly what I wanted. Full of info, drawings, letters, etc. Everything you never even knew you wanted to know about the writing and revisions of the Hobbit.

This book is awesome, and this version is excellent. For someone who loves to look deep into things, this is perfect. I also love the books appearance, it is just great!

I didn't think that The Hobbit could get better in reading it again. I was wrong. This edition enhances everything. This has now become my preferred edition of this contemporary classic of English literature.

The book is an absolute treasure for Tolkien fans...

I've lost everything over the years and when I saw this on here - I snatched it up. A true classic with lots of extra things you'll want to read.

If the author has (had) any skill as an illustrator (as J.R.R. Tolkien did), then I strongly suggest that the only edition one should purchase (the only edition that will contain illustrations faithful to what the author has in mind) is one that has been illustrated by the author! [Why isn't this a no-brainer?!] Which edition of the Hobbit is that? The beautiful dark green hardcover-with-slipcase edition having the ISBN 0395177111. I personally found The Annotated Hobbit too busy; if you want notes on almost every detail imaginable, go for it. If you want a beautiful read, go for ISBN 0395177111.

Such a great book, the annotations are very interesting as well, the book is simply written in such an appealing way it sucks you in and you don't want to stop reading.

I love all the extra histories included in this book. It brings so much more to the story, and makes small details much more interesting.

This book was a great way to get into the Tolkien series. However, the sheer volume of annotations can feel very overwhelming. However, they can also be very helpful, and there are nice artworks/illustrations that are included as well. Otherwise, a very solid and beautiful hardcover book that I will cherish in my library for years to come.

The wide margin edition gives plenty of room to draw pictures and make notes in. I highly recommend this edition.

This is an excellent book and good value for the price paid. It is well illustrated, and gives the context for much of the content. I recommend this product.

Essential for secondary school teachers using The Hobbit. My first copy was stolen from my classroom (I suspect another teacher).

Along with the movies, this book makes me like the Hobbit even more than the trilogy. Apologies to LoTR fans.

I have always loved this wonderful book, but now that it is coming out in a movie with new format in 2012, I decided that I wanted the annotated edition. it is perfect!

And my life was easy . . . thank you. It was worth the money spent to get her something she would enjoy.

I'd never read a book with annotations beforfe but I really enjoyed this. I didn't feel like the side notes destracted from the story, but expanded on reason for certain things in the story. Enjoyed reading this very much!

More lengthy than the original but is nice to have all of the maps and history behind the story. Bought New.

I love the original and this edition is chock full of notes, illustrations from various editions from around the world. Really rich!

Bought this for my son, a big Hobbit fan and aspiring writer himself. Perfect gift.

This illustrated and annotated book on the Hobbit was recommended by a previous review and that review was very accurate.

Awesome annotations, I recommend. A total different experience compared to the normal edition, Douglas A. Anderson enlighten us with his Tolkien knowledge.

Well layed out. Lots of annotations

Classic for 10 y/o and up.

I am a Tolkein fan so I like all the extra notes this book has in it. It is great

Who wouldn't get the annotated version? The notes are so helpful in answering all those little questions that come up along the way.

My son loved this. He has been collecting these books so he was happy to get it as a Christmas gift.

I have read this book several times. I lost my collection in a recent divorce. It met all my expectations !!!!

Came in exactly as described. Thanks!

On my second Christmas, my uncle gave me a copy of this text. Understandably, it has taken me awhile to finally get around to reading it. The last time I heard “The Hobbit" was during fifth or sixth grade, when my teacher Ann-Mary went through it as a read aloud. I can recall the scene near the beginning with the three trolls around the fire, but not much else. Around that era, I also saw a clip of the animated film while at a friend’s place cutting down a Christmas tree; it was the goblin war near the end. After the Lord of the Rings films, I remember reading the Wikipedia page for the upcoming Hobbit film—this was about two years before it premiered. I ended up watching it in theaters with my friend Gracie; it was so terrible I didn’t watch another.; As a child, I remember thinking of “The Chronicles of Narnia” in the same genre as “The Hobbit.” In reading this annotated version, I’ve learned why: Tolkien and C. S. Lewis were both part of a Oxford literary group, the Inklings. Another notable member was Owen Barfield—a man worth looking up if you aren’t familiar. During the first half of the book, I felt as though Tolkien was being glib, maybe even ironic, especially regarding his humor. The book has a bit of self-deprecating silliness too it—from the songs, to the use of language. Also, the way the book moves encounter to encounter feels a bit formulaic. At times, the journey feels like less of a grand adventure, and more a string of moments. At the beginning of the book, I so expected Bilbo to be brought off on his adventure in the middle of the night. I was quite surprised when Bilbo got a good nights sleep, and then almost missed the departure; an inauspicious beginning. Aside from that, the dwarfs arrival is quite archetypal—reminiscent of Rumi’s “The Guest House." I become frustrated with Tolkien’s repeated refrain, “and at this point, your protagonist has a lovely time, so there is nothing much to report, and I’ll skip ahead a month to the next battle scene.” Is this some artifact of colonial plot-development? The book is supposedly about a hobbit—one of the most homely of creatures. Why does Tolkien willfully deprive us of basking in such a merry stupor? It is interesting to contemplate the relationship between myth and story. The mythologist Martin Shaw recommends that, in retelling a myth, we feed it and build a relationship with it, but take care not to modify any of the essence. Is Tolkien a defiler of indigenous wisdom? Potentially. Is there an appropriate way to remix traditional myths and themes into contemporary literature? Well, everyone does it. But I’m still contemplating the repurcussions. Disney is infamous for this. About half way through the book, my attitude and outlook changed; maybe this is some great work of literature? By the end of the book, I felt quite contented. Now I want to reread “The Lord of the Rings."

Love the presentation and annotations. There is a great variety of illustrations in this edition, as well; it is a true collector's piece.

Product was as expected

`The Annotated Hobbit', annotated by bookseller Douglas A. Anderson is published by J.R.R. Tolkien's American publisher, Houghton Mifflin (important because it means the cover of this book uses the same art as the cover of the most popular hard-covered American edition of the Hobbit, published in the 1960's). Let me be perfectly clear that this is first and foremost a review of the Annotation, not of the novel, `The Hobbit' itself. I have an almost reverential respect for the original novel, having bought my first copy of this work on a cold February day in 1965 in the Lehigh University bookstore. I began reading it on the bus on the way home from my college classes at about 1:00 PM, and simply could not put it down. I finished reading it at about 8:30 that evening. The experience is not unlike some cinematic versions of experiences like Dorothy's opening the door of her Kansas house to step out onto the grass of Oz. I am totally unsurprised by a statement in this annotation that says that the entire first page of `The Hobbit' has been reproduced in `Bartlett's Familiar Quotations'. There are few more magical or evocative openings to novels I have read in my whole life. And, while I can appreciate that there are adult readers, my Hemingway loving uncle being one of them, who simply `don't get it', I am often driven to the point of dispair when I can't interest young readers or listeners in `The Hobbit'. Like `Winnie the Pooh' and `Alice in Wonderland', I really think these are books designed much more to bring back memories of childhood in adults than to engage young readers. And oh how much I enjoy reading `The Hobbit' aloud! But back to this Annotation'. Like similar annotations to works of fiction such as `Alice in Wonderland' and the Arthur Conan Doyle stories of Sherlock Holmes, there are four different subjects for annotation. One is internal; where names and events are cross-referenced to other parts of the work to explain, elaborate, resolve, or point out inconsistencies. The second is external, where correspondences can be made to sources or, in the case of Conan Doyle or Carroll, events of the day that may have found their way into the fiction. The third is references to the author's unpublished notes and letters. Tolkien's works should be rich sources for all three types of annotation, as the world of `The Hobbit' and `The Lord of the Rings' is based on an enormous body of Norse, Celtic, and Teutonic mythology, fable, and epic literature. Also, standing behind `The Hobbit' is the great events of `The Lord of the Rings', `The Silmarillion', and over twelve volumes of Tolkien writings compiled and annotated by Christopher Tolkien. So why are the annotations in this volume so sparse? The author certainly does not limit himself to only one kind of annotation. There are examples of all three references to other Tolkien works, notes and letters, and other sources. The author does give us lots of illustrations of scenes from `The Hobbit' published in translations of the work from around the world. There are also a few illustrations from books that certainly influenced Tolkien, such as `The Marvelous Land of Snergs'. The one thing that all these illustrations tell me is that, on average, they are not very good, oriented primarily towards a children's audience rather than some of the more heroic art familiar to us from modern fantasy illustrators. It seems to me a lost opportunity also to not include Tolkien's own color illustrations for `The Hobbit', as they appeared on the very first `Tolkien' calendar in, I believe 1966 or 1967. I will give just a few illustrations of where I think the author may have disappointed his readers. By far the most interesting character in `The Hobbit' next to Bilbo and Gandalf is Smaug. And yet, the book has next to nothing to say about the fictional antecedents of that delightfully cagey old worm. One of my only fond memories of the rather insipid cartoon version of `The Hobbit' done several decades ago is the gravely voice of Smaug done by Paladin himself, Richard Boone. If you couldn't get John Huston, then Boone was certainly the next best thing. To the whole conversation between Bilbo and Smaug, there are but two notes regarding Smaug and dragons. At least we get a reference about the source of Smaug's name, a primitive Germanic verb, `smugan' meaning to squeeze through a hole. Tolkien confessed that this was `a low philological jest'. In the wider story culminating in the great events of `The Lord of the Rings' coming at the end of the Third Age, it is much more important to Gandalf to remove this great dragon from the field so Sauron could not use him as a weapon in the War of the Rings than it was to restore a small band of dwarves to their treasures. The book has practically nothing to say about this, or the fact that the character of the `necromancer' who takes up residence at the southwestern tip of Mirkwood forest is actually either the leader of the Nazgul or Sauron himself. I keep thinking, as I turn each page of ample, empty white margins, all the things that could have been included. In balance, this is not a bad book or even a poor purchase, especially if, like me, you simply must have a copy of every different version of Tolkien's works imaginable. It has a very nice bibliography and an Appendix of all textual changes between the 1937 and 1966 editions. For those notes it does have, it is great as a version to read to children where you can record your own notes with answers to their questions.

Every Tolkien fan/collector should add this book to their list of must haves. Even though delayed in publishing, it is well worth the wait. The quality of the work and time, research that went into it, is wonderful. Great illustrations and artwork. Included is the full text of THE QUEST OF EREBOR,which was omitted from the appendix to The Lord of the Rings.

An interesting read

I defo recommend this for subsequent rereads of The Hobbit--I think the first read (or few reads) are probably better served by just a "regular" iteration of the book, without the notes ... so this is really "perfect" for those of us who've read the book before and want to take our experience to the next level. I love the inclusion of extra material--notes, annotations, and such--along with the story of Thorin and Gandalf's meeting. So much win, on so many levels.

First things first: If you have NEVER read the Hobbit before, I do not recommend this version. Get

A Tolkien fan since childhood, I was very pleased by this annotated edition of one of my favorite books. Beautifully bound. The annotations are interesting and enlightening, but I found the overall presentation marred by the formatting. I disliked having to flip forward and backward a few pages every time I wanted to read a note - the margin notes often appeared three or four pages after the section of text that they reference. Perhaps the interjection of illustrations (often by illustrators OTHER than Tolkien) could have been moved to an appendix, allowing for more leeway in the placement of the marginal notes. I would have also preferred a side-by-side comparison of the heavily revised Chapter 5 ("Riddles in the Dark"), rather than a pages-long margin note that does not line up with the final text. All in all, however, a wonderful addition to any Tolkien enthusiast's library.

This newly published, annotated version of THE HOBBIT is excellent for fans of the book. It may be TMI ("too much information") for the first-time reader. The text of THE HOBBIT settles in the center of the book while Doug Anderson's notations appear in the outer margins. At times it's a bit busy - but there's always fascinating reading! Tolkien fans are sure to get excited over this one. Doug Anderson includes lots of sources in his notes. He quotes Tolkien's own letters, other fairy tales and legends that may have inspired Tolkien, as well as previous versions of the section he's noting. The Gollum section ("Riddles in the Dark") is interesting. Tolkien did some tinkering with the original Gollum story as its follow-up (LORD OF THE RINGS) was taking shape. Seems that George Lucas is not the only person who's revised previously released work! Tolkien was his predecessor. Also interesting are the many black and white illustrations that Anderson includes, many from foreign editions of THE HOBBIT. Some of the art is hilarious, as it does not resemble Tolkien's characters at all! There is a nice color section of illustrations in the center of the book. THE ANNOTATED HOBBIT is a handsome, interesting book to own if you're a fan of Bilbo and his adventures with the dwarves (or dwarfs? That's covered in the book as well!)

With Peter Jackson's movie, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, due to hit the theaters next weekend, I thought I'd do some homework and re-read the book. Normally I don't re-read books, because there's so many other stories I have yet to discover. Until now, I've only re-read two other tales, which were also in response to upcoming movie buzz: Starship Troopers and Lord of the Rings (which I count as one story). In this case, the version I chose to read was Douglas A. Anderson's The Annotated Hobbit, my sister gave me years ago. I first read The Hobbit way-back-when in junior high school and it was my first introduction to high fantasy literature. While I remembered the basic plot and all the major characters, there were a lot of details I've forgotten. Like The Hobbit was written for children in the UK back in 1937 (and was published a year later in the US). While the book is narrated as if it is being read aloud to children, the storyline is certainly one adults of all ages have enjoyed through the years--and continue to do so. This annotated version is especially interesting and helpful. There is a 28-page Introduction, which includes a short bio of J.R.R. Tolkien and a publishing history of the book (which makes up the bulk of the intro), along with some anecdotes on such things as runes and other mythological reference material. The narrative of The Hobbit itself is sandwiched between Anderson's copius footnotes. These sidebars contain information ranging from 1-sentence definitions to historical, literary and philological information, which can run for two or more pages. At first I was determined to read every footnote, so I could later brag about my scholarly knowledge of Middle Earth lore and Real Earth publishing history. But alas; I grew weary of having to step out of the story to read the sidebar stuff. So I limited my note-reading to only those items that interested me--and were a few sentences long. If I really need to know a piece of Tolkien trivia, I can look it up later.

Minuses: 1. Too many margin comments on the revision of the novel. 2. No index in the end of the book. Pluses: 1. Lots of drawings . 2. No other Annotated Hobbit available .

The Hobbit has always held a special place in my heart, even compared to Lord of the Rings. While The Hobbit obviously doesn't go as far in depth into the history of Middle-Earth as Lord of the Rings does, in many ways The Hobbit's simplicity is its charm. The book is quite simply the quintessential adventure tale. I love how the book begins quickly and follows with a series of short, ordered adventures. Tolkien handles the character of Bilbo brilliantly allowing him to become more adventurous, but also making sure that he doesn't lose his Hobbit roots. Best of all, Tolkien throws in a few twists that make the Hobbit far more interesting than most fantasy stories. The trouble doesn't end with the slaying of the dragon (for those few who haven't read the book yet, I won't spoil it). For readers wanting more than an adventure story, Tolkien also weaves a compelling commentary on the power of greed and the nature of adventures. No wonder this has become a classic. I can't wait for Peter Jackson's Hobbit movies to come out. A brief note about the annotations. There are a lot of them. Most of the annotations note changes from the previous versions, particularly changes made to account for discrepancies between the 1937 Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings. The "Riddles in the Dark" chapter underwent particularly dramatic revisions. Other annotations discuss the origins of words or concepts in the story. The book also includes dozens of illustrations from various versions of the Hobbit. Few of these sketches impressed me, except for Tolkien's, whose is surprisingly good. I'd definitely recommend reading the annotated version if this is your second or third read through this story, but for first time readers it might prove more a distraction than a help.

With the new and exciting Hobbit out on DVD, we may have become familiar with the story of Bilbo Baggins and his journey with Dwarfs for Thorin's family treasure under the lonely mountain. My husband read the book and frequently shared how great it was. I became very interested in the actual book but have had little time to read it until recently. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It reminded me of the stories my Dad would share when I was a little girl. It had adventure, and triumph over evil. It shared good qualities of valiant individuals. The book was written by J.R.R. Tolkien, a father, for his children. The Annotated Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien and annotated by Douglas A. Anderson, has extra writings to explain certain meanings to the Hobbit. An example is that the spiders, mentioned in the book, were put there because of fear one of Tolkien's children had of spiders. One weakness I thought it had was the ending. I was mainly disappointed it didn't end as I thought, but on the other hand, it gives it originality. I was impressed by the unique and thought out story. The annotation brings even more strength to the book. A quick quote from the book, "He (Bilbo) was quite content; and the sound of the kettle on the hearth was ever after more musical than it had been even in the quiet days before the Unexpected party. His sword he hung over the mantelpiece. His coat of mail was arranged on a stand in the hall...his magic ring he kept a great secret, for he chiefly used it when unpleasant callers came....years afterwards Bilbo was sitting in his study writing his memoirs--he thought of calling them `There and Back Again, a Hobbit's Holiday'."

This version of the Hobbit is a pleasure to long-time fans but will also serve new readers well. Anderson released the original "Annotated Hobbit" years ago but this new format with the annotations in the column most often directly next to the orginal book text is supurb. Included are Hobbit illustrations around the word, a rich addition, but the real joy of this book is learning background and details about The Hobbit, author J.R.R. Tolkien and The Lord Of The Rings. At times the footnotes are scholarly and at other times they are amusing gems. Anderson has compared all of Tolkien's revisions and has researched the 'whys' 'hows' and 'whens' that helps reveal to reader the meaning of the text and the personality of the author. My favorites are anecdotes about Tolkien's personal life that involve his family and personal history. They are facinating and at times touching. WIthout rambling on too much, I can confidently recommend this version of "The Hobbit" as the best available.

I highly recommend the Annotated Hobbit for any Tolkien fan. It is oozing with alternate information that makes reading "the Hobbit" more interesting than it all ready is. Great for reference.

Just fantastic.

By any measure this book is a fantasy classic and should be read by anyone interested in such subjects. This particular version is the most definitive version I have seen. The annotations are thorough and plentiful, even going so far as to include illustrations, photos, background info, and even differences between various printings of The Hobbit over the years. If this is the first time you are reading this story I recommend skipping all of the trivia. Just read the main text by itself, as some of the annotations may ruin certain plot points for you as well as break up the excellent flow of the main tale. The story itself is as charming and enjoyable as it has ever been. Tolkien wrote this story for his kids, and I can feel his enthusiasm coming through the words. His introduction of Bilbo, Gandalf and the dwarves is particularly well done. I wonder how much his children appreciated this story? I find it much more rewarding as an adult. A wonderful tale, beautifully told and one that I look forward to rereading many more times.

Okay, so I say that this is the best way to read The Hobbit. And I am dead serious. I know that annotated books can be difficult to navigate, filled with useless, pointless, or just plain boring information, and can be grossly oversized. That is not the case here. So - here's the scoop. The original story is very nicely presented, with all original illustrations in color when possible, and in black and white elsewhere. The type is nice and clear, very easy to read. (Many cheaper editions are also rather hard on the eyes. Check the print before you buy, folks!) The illustrations are printed very clearly, and with very good notes on what they are. And then the annotations - useful, engaging, and very well done. You will WANT to read these. We discover how the book was written, and what was changed between editions. (There were many changes made so that The Hobbit would conform more easily to the Lord of the Rings trilogy.) There are fascinating tidbits about Tolkien's life and the experiences that made their way into the story. The forward tells about the writing of the novel, and the appedices give additional details about the text. There are also many illustrations from other editions of the book. These are varied, from thought-provoking to not-provoking. And the book is not too big. Some editions are simply too big to be read, but this book is reasonably sized so that you can actually READ IT! In fact, I have not read any other edition of The Hobbit for years, since the original annotated version came out. The new edition is very much worthwhile. Enjoy!

The story and the book are both excellent. However, for me, the footnotes that line both sides of each page are a bit distracting. I guess my eyes have just been trained to automatically jump to find a numbered footnote when I see a referenced footnote number within the text and I've had to consciously avoid doing that because it's like going back to school rather than merely reading for enjoyment. The storyline can easily be understood without the footnote, making the footnote quite distracting. But going back and reading the footnotes at a time other than when the text is being read is quite enjoyable and enlightening.

This book is amazing. I love the depth of the details it offers, plus all the photos and illustrations... It gives a very interesting and deep perspective of the Hobbit's/Tolkien's world. However, all that extra info kinda gets in the way if you are reading the story and want to get lost in it. Really something you do not want when reading it for the first time. Highly recommended if you want to go deeper though :) For the rest of you, I would recommend the 70th Anniversary Edition [Hardcover]

I have read different paperback versions of The Hobbit, but a deluxe, annotated copy made a perfect gift for my scholarly minded husband. The numerous illustrations included from the different versions and translations of The Hobbit were an added pleasure in this special edition. The Hobbit is a classic well worth reading again and again. It is time to take the journey again and look for more landmarks along the way. Bilbo Baggins is an everyman character very easy to identify with. Perhaps you feel ordinary, don't let that stop you from having an adventure. Go with Bilbo on his journey and cheer him on. Treat everyone you meet with caution and courtesy--you don't always know if they will be friend or foe. For more travel adventures in Middle-Earth read the Lord of the Rings Trilogy--the reading level is somewhat harder than the Hobbit. For another fantasy travel adventure at an easier reading level, try The Horse and His Boy which is my favorite story in the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis.

I had not read The Hobbit in quite some time and was looking for a new edition when I found this version and was blown away by the different illustrations that it contains from all the versions of the book in all the languages that it has been published in since its initial release in 1937. The background information regarding some of the sources of inspiration for Tolkien while writing the story are most enlightening. If you read every footnote, you will find the difference between each edition which may be of interest if you have more than one edition and wondered why the text is not always the same. The history behind the writing of The Hobbit is as interesting as the story itself. I would recommend this edition to just about anyone interested in the story including those who may want to read it to young children to introduce them to Middle Earth. The great collection of illustrations on practically every page will help keep a child interested while the hear about a shy little person going "There and Back Again".

Not only does this excellent work contain a wealth of information about the influences and development of The Hobbit (as so ably described in other reviews), the large format and illustrations make it ideal for reading with your kids snuggled up next to you. Pulling this one off the shelf lets them know that there's something special in store.

I gave this as a gift to someone who already owns a copy of The Hobbit and he loved it. He really enjoyed the drawings and pictures that were included in this edition as well as the information provided in the annotations. He said it breathed new life into one of his favorite novels!

The annotations provide a lot of good background information on Tolkien and his writing methods, etc. I recommend this to anyone looking for a deeper understanding of how The Hobbit came together.

Sometimes annotated books can be a pain, references to sections 12 pages back, poor quality research, or too much relation... ...However - This was perfect, Anderson knows what he is talking about, having written the note on the text in the lotr as well; his knowledge is fantastic! It was wonderfully entertaining to see different culture attempts at interpretation. I have to say, the french illustrations are adorable, but the hobbit looks like a toddler, rather then a 50 year old halfling! Anyway, great stuff, the only other better version of this would be the Easton Press release, but c'mon that's like 100 bucks. Plus, this is about as official as you can get, it being Mifflin

"The Hobbit," J.R.R. Tolkien's classic of children's fantasy, is regarded as such for good reason - it is fun, light-hearted, full of adventure, episodic in nature and simply BEGS to be read out loud. All this combines for a perfect adventure tale. This annotated edition ads a slew of illustrations from throughout the world and dozens of annotations explaining the origins of names, details on early drafts and story ideas, and other interesting tidbits. The illustrations are wonderful, representing interpretations of Tolkien's text from a wide variety of cultures, and the annotations, while not providing knowledge vital to understanding "The Hobbit," are interesting. Before reading "The Hobbit," those fresh from "The Lord of the Rings" should know in advance, the tone here is much lighter than the `trilogy.' The writing is very much meant for children. That doesn't mean an adult can't enjoy this - adults read Harry Potter, after all - just that this is not cut from the same mold as "Rings." Be prepared to read a children's book, because that's what this is. For those willing to plunge into children's fantasy, "The Hobbit" is a pure delight. Bilbo Baggins, a homebody of a hobbit (a small humanlike creature), is pulled into an adventure with a wizard, Gandalf, and a group of dwarves. Their quest is to venture across dangerous mountains and dark forests to reclaim treasure stolen by a terrible dragon, Smaug. What follows is a series of adventures that have our heroes meeting trolls, goblins, wolves, giant spiders, elves and more. Each encounter is an adventure unto itself, with a thrilling climax that leads us to the next. The adventure is nonstop. Each chapter brings a new discovery. Fans of Middle Earth will find plenty to enjoy here. We see our first glimpses of Gollum and the One Ring. Elrond appears in Rivendell. We hear about Middle Earth's ancient lore, see the origins of famous swords like Sting, and meet dwarves who play a part in "The Lord of the Rings." The cross references will bring a smile to your face and will enhance your enjoyment of the famous trilogy. Just be prepared for the light, brisk tone. For those looking to explore Tolkien's world or simply looking for a good children's fantasy, "The Hobbit" is a no brainer. This Annotated Edition would make an especially nice gift for ardent Tolkien fans.

If you're a trivia buff or want to know more about how the book was written this annotated version of the Hobbit is an excellent choice. I love all the details included. There is almost more content in the annotations than in the book itself.

There is no other way to put it than what I wrote in the tittle of this review. If you're a Tolkien fan, this is a great way to learn more about this wonderfull book that I read or listen to almost every year. There's simply too much info in this book to even begin to cover in this review.

I've read many Books about J.R.R Tolkien and his creation, as well as the entire 12 books of the History of Middle Earth. The Annotated Hobbit is the best of them all. It is sheer example of a book that tells you a lot but don't confuse you with too much data. Every person that read the Annotated Hobbit will never again treat the Hobbit as a simple children's book. The Hobbit has depth and Anderson provides us with important insights, ideas and interesting data. The Annotated Hobbit also has the famous "missing chapter" that was included in the Hobbit's first edition. (i.e. the chapter where Gollum is showing Bilbo the way out and acts like an honest guy - Tolkien had to change that of course after he wrote the Lord of The Rings). Read this book and you will understand a lot more about The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings and J.R.R Tolkien himself.

Doug Anderson does a wonderful job fleshing out background information,explaining Tolkien's mythology, presenting a wide range of art works and much more in a format that is easy to read and easy to use. Reading all in this book will make anyone a minor Tolkien scholar. And the story of The Hobbit is a wonderful tale that should be read and shared not only with children but with all adults. This book is a must for any household.

I'd like to get this straight right off the bat.....this 'Annotated' version of the Hobbit is for readers who are already hooked on Tolkein. First time readers would be better served to get one of the non-annotated ones and familiarze themselves with Tolkeins world. Oh! And read 'The Lord of the Rings' as well before you attempt reading 'The annotated Hobbit'. I have read a lot of annotated books over the years and I have to say that this one is one of the most seamlessly done. Understandably, as you try to read the comments you lose some of the continuity of the text, but they are usually so informative that you gain more than you lose by reading them. Some of the notes are written for the more scholarly inclined, some are just plain amusing. A great bonus is the collection of illustrations from all over the world....giving an insight as to how different cultures see the same objects. That was the beauty of the old books...you had to imagine the scenes. That beauty is forever sullied now as everyone is going to see Tolkein's characters as they appear in the (very bad) movie adaptations of the 'Lord of the Rings'. All in all, if you already have a version of the 'Hobbit', buy this book. It is one of those books that will reward repeated readings.

Great condition. Awesome edition with so much extra information. Beautiful cover, looks great on my coffee table! Lots of art work from many interpreting this classic story.

I was invited to do a public radio talk show about what books to buy for the holiday season and I decided to play the Ghost of Christmas Past and argued for finding old beloved books to give as presents (or, in my case cards: I give books instead of cards). I also talked about the joy of rediscovering beloved books through annotated editions, and "The Annotated Hobbit" of J. R. R. Tolkien annotated by Douglas A. Anderson was my prime example. After all, "The Two Towers" was about to hit theaters and even as I write this I have learned that yesterday would have been Tolkien's "Eleventeenth" birthday. An annotated version of book involves much more than simply rereading a book. If that was all I want to do I still have my illustrated edition of "The Hobbit" will pictures from the Arthur Rankin, Jr./Jules Bass animated production of the story. The annotated edition of "The Hobbit" provides an explication of the sources, characters, places, and things that made Tolkien's novel a classic. The text is fully restored and corrected, for those who care about such things, with Anderson's notes placed alongside for easy reference. That along would justify adding this volume to your Tolkien library, but in addition there over 150 illustrations, including Tolkien's own original line drawings, maps, and color paintings. Those, of course, are treasures, but Anderson has also provided illustrations from around the world and the most fascinating part of this book for me was looking at how, for example, Bilbo and the Trolls were drawn for Portuguese, Slovakian, and Swedish edition of "The Hobbit." "The Annotated Hobbit" won the Mythopoeic Scholarship Award for Inkling Studies, which sounds very impressive (and I even have some inkling at the what it means). This is one of those treasures where you would give five stars for the story, five stars for the annotations, and five stars for the illustrations. Granted, this is not the first edition of "The Hobbit" anyone should read. But after you have read "The Hobbit" a few times and gone through "The Lord of the Rings" at least twice (the trilogy itself and not the movies), then it would be time to settle down and pour over this revised and expanded annotated edition.

I enjoyed Anderson's book, especially the background into Tolkien's sources and early writings that is invaluable. I must say I have read the Hobbit at least 100 times and yet I have never enjoyed reading it as much as when I read it with Anderson's anotations. I especially appreciated the philological background into the many proper names and archaic words that Tolkien used. What is a "carrock"or what does "confusticate and bebother" mean? Now I know! I also enjoyed the immense number of illustrations that were included, many of them sketches and pictures made by J.R.R himself. Alas, they are not in color, most are black and white prints of original color pictures. If more had been invested in the visual quality of this book, it would have greatly added to the level of pleasure in the words of Tolkien that Anderson's comments bring out. Still worth the money, hopefully Anderson will add color in the next edition

I would even give this edition to first-time readers, who will no doubt have many questions that Anderson attempts to answer. All the various illustrations will no doubt interest younger readers as well. Anderson does perpetuate a couple of myths (such as the notion that Tolkien's Elves had pointed ears) but his research is generally regarded as some of the best in the world and that is well-deserved praise. The book includes all the changes Tolkien ever made to The Hobbit in an appendix which is non-intrusive. There is also an extensive bibliography for further reading. But maybe the best reason to buy the book (if/when it is printed again) is its size. It's a nice, big cuddly book that is easy for an adult to hold, especially if you're reading to a child in your lap or beside you. The book also includes a biographical section on Tolkien that is interesting though short.

great

This is the second time that I have ventured into the mystical and mysterious adventure that is The Hobbit. Professor Tolkien's writing is nothing short of enchanting and informational. His incredible skill to create new languages, peoples, and settings is obvious as you follow little Bilbo Baggins on this curious adventure within the realm of Middle-Earth. This is one of the best fantasy novels that I have had the pleasure to read. Tolkien's follow-up trilogy, The Lord of the Rings, is just as captivating, and I would recommend it as well. Even though the plot twists and turns every which way, the basis of the The Lord of the Rings trilogy is none other than the age-old battle of all that is good and evil. I would highly recommend these works of J.R.R. Tolkien to anyone who enjoys getting lost in a good adventure.

Fabulous! Thanks!

I physically looked this book over in a store before purchasing it and thought that the vast amount of side notes, pictures, and historical footnotes would be a great accompanyment to a reading of The Hobbit. However, I ended up barely glancing at them once I hit the half-way point of the book. Most of them focused on Tolkien's literary inspiration for certain stories and characters and only a handful had the cross-referencing to the Lord of the Rings which I would have preferred. They also greatly impeded the pace at which the book can be read because there are so many...and some can put you to sleep.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Annotated Hobbit when it was first released in the late 1980s, and when I heard it was to be re-released at first I thought I wouldn't bother with another copy. Then I saw the new edition and was amazed. There are many, many more notes, pictures of different editions, and illustrations in general. So even if you have the first edition, this is well worth the price. The real joy of reading an annotated book, especially one as beloved as The Hobbit, is the additional insight one gets into the author's "creative juices" or as Tokien himself said "the leaf mould of the mind." The Annotated Hobbit is additionally valuable in this respect because Tokien was a painstaking and thorough author, who concerned himself with every niggling detail of his world and of the concrete details of his book's publication.

"The Annotated Hobbit" stands as the definitive edition to Tolkien's classic work. Douglas Anderson works from a simple premise - start with the final intent of Tolkien as can be reasonably determined and issue that as the main text, and then provide textual commentary, noting changes from previously published editions of the book, discuss possible sources and allusions, and frame characters, settings, and plot events in the context of Middle-earth and Arda at large. The book itself is a large, coffee table type book, featuring Tolkine's painting of Smaug set against the "Mirkwood" painting. Tolkien originally modelled the painting after a previous work, a color drawing, illustrating the elf Belg meetign Flindor (later renamed Gwindor) in the forest of Taur-na-Fuin. This watercoloured was first published in "Artist", No 54, and also appeared in the Tolkien Calndear 1974 under the title 1973. The back of the cover includes Tolkien's original description of "The Hobbit" from the original 1937 British edition. This edition contains Douglas Anderson's acknowledgements and thanks, Tolkien's "Preface to the Second Edition" and Anderson's extensive introduction to the book, and then obvioulsy the main text. There are two appendices: "A: The Quest for Erebor", "B: The Runes", then the Bibliography, and the Map of Wildernland. The introduction is an extensive essay on Tolkien, featuring information biographically and frames "The Hobbit" and its development and its sources in terms of its effects on Tolkien's mythology and also his writings for his children, even alluding to "The Oragog", an unpublished, unfinished story written by Tolkien in the early 1920s about a strange creature going through remarkable landsacpes. The intro also goes into detail regarding the composition of "The Hobbit", includes a facsimile of a page from one of the original manuscripts, and goes through the processes that led to the publication of the book, and also gives us extensive information on the revision history of the book as well as various foreign editions. The format of the book goes like this: there is the main text aligned so that is a large amount of white space on the left side of the left page, and the right side of the right page. [, with different sections of the text unobtrusively numbered at the end of the respective sentences. Then, onnumerall ] Different sections of the text unobtrusively numbered at the end of the respective sentences, with the annotations appearing on the aforementioned white space made available. The format works wonderfully as you can read the text uninterrupted and only refer to the annotations if you so desire. Unlike the 1988 edition of "The Annotated Hobbit", the annotations are in very close proximitiy to the text under discussion, so you can easily just read the annotation by looking right next to the text and then continue, and (in most cases) not have to flip pages and then return to the spot where you left off. Due to the length of some of the annotations, some [of the textual annotations] flipping will be required, but that is the exception, not the norm. Removing the textual annotations from appendicies in the 1988 edition and incorporating them in the main body of the book greatly assists in the ease and study of "The Hobbit" that this version actively accomdates and encourages. That is the key change between the original and the revised versions of "The Annoated Hobbit" in terms of format. In terms of content, there is not a lot of change, with one very significant exception. The second edition [also] features "The Quest for Erebor". Originally slated for publication in appendices "The Return of the King", this text was removed for considerations of space from the final product. The first text published was in "Unfinished Tales". Christopher Tolkien then published an earlier version in the 1996 book "The Peoples of Middle-earth", which was unknown to Christopher at the time of the 1979 "Unfinished Tales". The "Unfinished Tales" version is Text A. Then Tolkien wrote a typescript, Text B. Tolkien then wrote short, compressed version (most likely in order to retain this material in the final book). This is the third version (Text C). The version found in "Unfinished Tales" is an amalgamation of Text C with long extracts of B appearing after it, with Christopher's extensive commentary. The text in "The Annotated Hobbit" is Text B, which has never been published in its entirety before now. Although some previous reviewers have found this strange (which too me is odd, given the nature of annotated books), Anderson represents every single revision, and the original reading the revision replaced, in the form of annotation. Although some of these revisions are trivial, there is some highly interesting content present in the revision history of "The Hobbit". Most notably is the publication of the first edition version of Chapter Six, "Riddles in the Dark", where Bilbo first encounters Gollum. The first version radically differs from the 1947 rewrite that first appeared in 1951 and has become the definitive version of the chapter ever since. In the first version Gollum freely wants to give the ring away, and apologises profusely for not having the Ring to give to Bilbo after Bilbo wins the riddle contest, and shows Bilbo the way out in recompense for not having the Ring to give to him. Other interesting textual annotations are revisions where Tolkien brings consistency between his two major Hobbit books. He brings the geography of "The Hobbit" more into line with "The Lord of the Rings" (changing "One afternoon thney forded the river" to "a river"), and most interestingly changes the original 1937 reading "swords of the elves that are now called Gnomes" to "swords of the High Elves of the West, my kin". Tolkien used Gnomes as the name for the Elves tribe of the Noldor in the 1920s and 1930s, and associated iwth the Greek work "thought, intelligence". Tolkien stated he abandoned the name, because "it is quite impossible to dissociate the name from the popular associations of the Paracelsan gno-mus = pygmaeus" (Letters, No. 239). Both examples are from Chapter 3, "The Last Homely House". There are several more examples like this, including one where Tolkien changed "after the sack of the mines of Moria" to "after the battle of the Mines of Moria", due to Tolkien's changing conception of his mythology". Some more interesting annotations deal with the stone giants from "Over Hill and Under Hill", which never appear anywhere else in the legendarium, and likewise the older city upon whose foundations Lake-Town was built upon, likewise never elaborated on anywhere else. Also included is a previously unpublished poem from Chapter 3. In regards to artwork and various editions, "The Annotated Hobbit" includes numerous illustrations from forien editions of the novel, sprinkled liberally through out all ninteen chapters of the book. Due to space I won't list them all, with the exception of Josef Madlener's "Der Berggeist", a painting of an old man in a long hat sitting feeding a goat. Tolkien wrote on his copy of the picture that this was the origin of Gandalf. However, here is the artwork by Tolkien present, with page and chapter listed. I will also reference if the artwork appears in either "Pictures" or "J. R. R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator". Chapter 1: "An Unexpected Party "Bag End Underhill" - early pencil sketch, pg 47 "Thor's Map - Final Version" - pg 50 "Thor's Map - Early Version" - pg 51 Chapter 2: "Roast Mutton" "The Hill: Hobbiton Across the Water" - Early Sketch, 62, "The Hill: Hobbiton Across the Water" - Line drawing. 62. Appears in 1992 edition of "Pictures", No 1 left, and in "Artist" No 97. "The Hill: Hobbiton Across the Water": Colour illustration. Appears in 1992 edition of "Pictures", No 2 left, and in "Artist" No 98. "Sketch of Marching Dwarves" - pg 65. "Artist" No 103. "Trolls' Hills": pg 68, appears in "Artist" No 99 as a coloured reproduction of the original drawing. "The Trolls": pg 74, "Artist" No. 102, "Pictures" No. 2, left. A version colored by H. E. Riddett appeared in "The Hobbit Calender 1976" and "Pictures" No 2, right. "The Three Trolls are turned to Stone" pg 81, "Artist" No. 108

This beautiful version of Tolkien's The Hobbit is one of the best versions you can get of this book. The annotations and commentary of information make this a must for Tolien fans. The artwork of some artists and Tolkien himself is beautiful. I giive it a Two Thumbs up.

Having lived two years in Switzerland, I always suspected the valley of Rivendell was influenced by the Lauterbrunnen area beneath the Eiger, Moench and Jungfrau, near Interlaken, and that the Lonely Mountain looked a bit Matterhornesque. Nice to have these suspicions confirmed by this wonderful book, especially now that everyone thinks Middle Earth looks like New Zealand.

This is an excellent, informative and well researched work. There are details on Tolkien's life and many of the sources and inspirations for sections of the book. The best part for me was finding out what Bilbo's taunts to the spiders actually meant. It's costly but well worth every cent.

The annotated version of the familiar There and Back Again expands the book's value enormously. All of the archaic words that have boggled generations of readers have been explained, and the story can be seen in a new light due to the implications these words arouse. Also are included the illustrations from the foreign versions of the book (several are quite funny - like the way in which the various nations imagine the dwarves and Gandalf - especially those whose mythology includes neither dwarves nor wizards). A very eye-opening book, Annotated Hobbit is a quite interesting piece of work.

This is the best The Hobbit book I could find. I t contains a lot of great extra information and drawings, plus the book.

This book will probobly not interest those reading The Hobbit for the first time, but it's excellent for those who want the inside scoop on Tolkien's inspirations and drafts. A good resource for hard-core fans!

I will add a review when the gift is opened.

i love this edition of the Hobbit

The annotations are so interesting! You can’t miss this if you are a Tolkien Scholar. Love the cover by Tolkien

Shipping was very fast, item is in perfect condition.

Purchased this from G Deal Books, and it arrived within three days! My son and I were looking for the best version of The Hobbit and this is it. The history, the background, the annotations, the illustrations... we're thoroughly enjoying it!

Valeu cada centavo.

I must make it clear from the start that I will not review the story of The Hobbit, but just this (hardcover) annotated edition in particular: ISBN-10: 0007137273 ISBN-13: 978-0007137275 Publisher: HarperCollins; Revised edition edition (7 April 2003) It's important to note that Amazon unfortunately merges all the reviews from one story, regardless of each edition. The edition I pointed out looks similar to an American version with the same name, though I couldn't find the differences between them on the internet and I only purchased this British one. PRESENTATION: The build quality is superb, though I can't say I was expecting less. In fact, I was quite disappointed when I saw the book for the first time. The hardcover is quite solid but the fact that it is only a plain green front was quite unexpected. The illustration we see in the Amazon item is just the paper that comes wrapping the book (dust cover?), but the front itself has no illustration or writing at all. You could not tell what the book is only by looking at its front cover. The side of the cover is quite another story. It contains the title and some other marks you would expect in the front. It's all beautifully written in golden letters and that is the section that gives the book the "premium feel". The quality of the paper and the font are very good, so the reading is quite comfort. ILLUSTRATIONS: The book contains several illustrations scattered in the right places along the story. These illustrations are usually small-sized black/white drawings published in the various different editions of The Hobbit along the years. The different artists involved (including Tolkien himself) causes the book to lack an uniformity in style, but I think that is a good idea for an annotated version, because you have some sort of historical compilation of the art of The Hobbit. My huge disappointment about the illustrations is the lack of full-page prints and also the scarceness of colored drawings. Colored drawings do exist, but they are all grouped in the center of the book, forming a section completely separate from the context. That's even dangerous for someone who is reading the story for the first time, for if you looked at these pictures when you reach the middle of the story, you would be bombarded with spoilers. The way these colored pictures are presented makes me feel that it would be better that they didn't even exist, although I would love to see some of them in full-size in the right places along the book. ANNOTATIONS: I think the annotations are indeed the strength of this version, though it's important to note that they are really annotations about The Hobbit, not about Middle-Earth. You do have some notes linking to other stories such as Lord of The Rings, Silmarillion, etc, but they are not abundant. Most of the annotations are about the differences in previous editions of The Hobbit (including really small details) and also about the biographical facts behind Tolkien that must have inspired him at some parts of the tale. So I see the annotations as some sort of historical registry of the publications of The Hobbit as well as hints behind the story linking to Tolkien's reality. In that scope I feel safe to say that they are quite complete, but they must be too cold for just a casual reader that would probably prefer more notes about the mythology itself. CONCLUSION: I was unsure whether 3 or 4 stars would be fair for this edition. In the end of the day I removed only 1 star out of 5 to summarize all the "imperfections" I noted above. I think we can only judge a book by the success it got on its own objectives, not the objectives that we have. When our objectives are not the same of the book's, it's no fault of the book, but of the information that lead us to false expectations. I think reviews are important to align the expectations to the reality of the books. That said, I recommend this edition for people already familiar to The Hobbit and that probably won't have only this edition on their shelves. Tolkien's enthusiasts and collectors must have this book, but casual readers probably should look for other editions. This is the definitive guide of The Hobbit, not the best way to present the tale.

This is such a treasure for a Tolkien fan. Heavily annotated with trivia, history and so much information about the Hobbit. It makes re-reading the hobbit so much more enjoyable. This includes more than 150 black-and-white illustrations and quite a few colour plates from foreign editions and by Tolkien himself. In the annotations it has the history of the edits and changes that Tolkien made over the years to the various editions to make it more in line with the Lord of the rings. Also includes rare poems written by Tolkien several of which were previously unpublished. I am thoroughly enjoying reading this. One advice though, read this only if you have already read the Hobbit once. The annotations can be a distraction while reading this for the first time and tale away from the experience. Best enjoyed wile rereading the Hobbit. Thanks for reading. Hit the button and let me know if this review was Helpful to you.

This is a wonderful book and so much more than a definitive text if such could exist, as it contains a wealth of information in the annotations that make it a must read for anyone interested in folklore, mythology or the origin of obscure words and phrases. Tokein fans sould already have it on their shelves. It provides a wealth of background info on Tolkeins sources as well as details of various non-english editions including many illustrations that are unlikely to be seen anywhere else. The annotations are presented in a convenient way that does not interfere with a straight reading of the text but allows simple and straightforward reference to them without losing the flow of the text Far from detracting, as heavy annotations can so often do, the annotations here seem to bring the story even more to life and add depth and character and perhaps explains why Tolkeins tales are so popular as new dimensions are added to myths we are all to some degree already probably familiar with. As someone who used the phrase to 'bag off' when skipping off for an extra snack at lunchtime when younger I was delighted to discover the origin of the surname Baggins. An absolute delight.

This was in good order considering it was 2nd hand. Reading it at the moment. Very good. Interesting annotations.

Edizione ben curata e impaginata. Le note presenti contengono molte curiosità a retroscena dietro la stesura dell'opera, ma anche riferimenti utili alla comprensione della storia (estesi ovviamente anche alla trilogia del Signore degli Anelli). La grande dimensione del volume è pratica da un lato perché i caratteri sono molto ben leggibili, dall'altro è un tantino scomoda per la lettura a letto. Nonostante ciò, il piacere di leggere un'opera così ben scritta spazza via ogni "scomodità". La lingua è di facile comprensione per chiunque abbia studiato l'inglese e ne conosca un po' la grammatica. Acquisto super consigliato.

Man muss schon ein großer Fan der Tolkienschen Literatur sein um dieses fantastische Werk zu mögen. Für den Alltagsleser ist es nicht gemacht. Aber jedem der sich für Hintergründe der Welt Mittelerdes, Literatur, Tolkiens Biografie, etc interessiert ist der "Annotated Hobbit" DAS Standardwerk und ein absolutes MUSS. Liebevoll aufbereitet und vollgestopft mit Informationen und Fakten um die Entstehung des Hobbit-Buches. Als weitere Empfehlung dazu noch: "The History of the Hobbit" von Rateliff!

Von meinen ca. 5 Hobbit-Buch-Ausgaben bin ich sehr begeistert von der Ausgabe 0395177111 weil direkt der Hard-Cover-Einband bedruckt ist. Es erhöht für mich das Lese-Erlebnis und macht das Buch nochmal etwas wertvoller. Dieses Buch Annotated Hobbit 0007137273 hat als gebundene Ausgabe zusätzliches bedrucktes Papier als Umschlag (Dust-Cover). Also bin ich etwas enttäuscht, unabhängig vom Inhalt. (Bei Lord of the Rings habe ich leider nur 0261103202 gekauft. Die Ausgabe 0618517650 verspricht zusätzlich zum Inhalt noch das Erlebnis des Einbands.)