Author: J. R. R. Tolkien
Narrator: Ensemble cast
Unabridged: 4 hr 13 min
Format: Digital Audiobook
Publisher: HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books
Published: 02/19/2009
Genre: Fiction - Classics
The original American full dramatization as broadcast on National Public Radio. Bilbo Baggins, a gentle hobbit who loves the comforts of home, reluctantly joins a company of dwarves on a journey to recover plundered gold from a fierce dragon. It's a tale of high adventure and astonishing courage-and a magical prelude to the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
I never read Tolkien when I was younger, and until the movies, had really no interest. I love the trilogy movies and after watching them, I wanted to read the book. I decided to get the Hobbit first because it had some background, and I knew they were making the movie. I discovered what I missed! After listening to all four books, this is, by far, the best of the bunch. The story is a lot more engaging, much more concise, and the writing was the best. I recommend listening to this book first, before the trilogy, and before the movie comes out. It will be your favorite after it is all over. It was mine.