Synopses & Reviews
“An admirable and thought-provoking consideration of the underlying themes of
The Hobbit, following the there-and-back-again progress from its famous first line on through to Bilbos return home at the storys end.” —Douglas A. Anderson, author of
The Annotated HobbitThe Hobbit is one of the most widely read and best-loved books of the twentieth century. Now Corey Olsen takes readers deep within the text to uncover its secrets and delights.
Exploring J.R.R. Tolkiens “The Hobbit” is a fun, thoughtful, and insightful companion volume, designed to bring a thorough and original new reading of this great work to a general audience. Professor Corey Olsen takes readers on an in-depth journey through The Hobbit chapter by chapter, revealing the stories within the story: the dark desires of dwarves and the sublime laughter of elves, the nature of evil and its hopelessness, the mystery of divine providence and human choice, and, most of all, the transformation within the life of Bilbo Baggins. Exploring J.R.R. Tolkiens “The Hobbit” is a book that will make The Hobbit come alive for readers as never before.
Review
“Succeeds spectacularly . . . Olsens highly accessible writing on such a beloved classic will appeal to Tolkien fans at all academic levels, while the detailed and thoughtful analysis of the original text will keep literary scholars and fantasy lovers engaged.” - Library Journal
Synopsis
This is the book on all of Tolkien's invented languages, spoken by hobbits, elves, and men of Middle-earth -- a dicitonary of fourteen languages, an English-Elvish glossary, all the runes and alphabets, and material on Tolkien the linguist.
Synopsis
Exploring J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" is an insightful companion volume to the original work, designed to bring a thorough and unique new reading of The Hobbit to a general audience. Corey Olsen, host of the popular podcast "The Tolkien Professor," takes readers on a compelling, in-depth tour of Tolkien's novel, illuminating the secrets and stories behind the characters within the enchanting prelude to The Lord of the Rings.
About the Author
J.R.R. TOLKIEN (1892–1973) is the creator of Middle-earth and author of such classic and extraordinary works of fiction as The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion. His books have been translated into more than fifty languages and have sold many millions of copies worldwide.
Table of Contents
Introduction 1A Most Excellent and Audacious Hobbit 17
In the Lone-lands 39
The Ridiculous and the Sublime 54
Over the Edge of the Wild 69
The Turning Point 84
Where the Wild Things Are 111
The Friend of Bears and the Guest of Eagles 127
The Stinging Fly 147
Burgling Faerie 166
The Return of the King 183
When the Thrush Knocks 196
Bilbo Earns His Reward 206
A Burglar Indeed 226
The Meeting of Opposites 238
To Sit on a Heap of Gold and Starve 248
A Leap in the Dark 258
The Sudden Turn 265
Snow After Fire 275
Under Cloud and Under Star 288
Acknowledgments 307
Index of Names and Places 309