The History of the Hobbit

The History of the Hobbit

by John D. Rateliff [823 TolYr]

Those who have enjoyed Christopher Tolkien's "History of Middle Earth" series will also enjoy this book. Rateliff employs a similar format to present the extant drafts and stage-by-stage revisions made by J.R.R. Tolkien as he developed "The Hobbit". Along the way, he also offers insights into the amazingly diverse sources Tolkien drew on in creating his own secondary world, and demonstrates that this work has substantial merit in its own right, apart from being a preliminary to "The Lord of the Rings." Particularly interesting are parts of vol. 2, describing how Tolkien began (post-LOTR) a complete rewrite of "The Hobbit" which was later abandoned. This book can be challenging to read because of its format, with much crucial information relegated to extensive endnotes (many of which also have their own footnotes), but the rewards of working through it all are great. -- recommended by Peter J. - Virtual Services Dept.

[ History of the Hobbit page at Tolkienlibrary.net ] [ John Rateliff page at Tolkiengateway.net ]

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