What do you think?
Rate this book
The History of the Hobbit #1
The History of the Hobbit, Part One: Mr. Baggins
A major new examination of how J.R.R.Tolkien came to write his original masterpiece ‘The Hobbit’, including his complete unpublished draft version of the story, and many little-known illustrations and previously unpublished maps by Tolkien himself. For the first time in one volume, The History of the Hobbit presents the complete unpublished text of the original manuscript of J.R.R.Tolkien’s The Hobbit, accompanied by John Rateliff's lively and informative account of how the book came to be written and published. As well as recording the numerous changes made to the story both before and after publication, it examines – chapter-by-chapter – why those changes were made and how they reflect Tolkien's ever-growing concept of Middle-earth.
467 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2007
About the author
John D. Rateliff
29 books39 followersJOHN D. RATELIFFmoved to Wisconsin in 1981 in order to work with the Tolkien manuscripts at Marquette University. He has been active in Tolkien scholarship for many years, delivering papers on Tolkien and the Inklings. While at Marquette, he assisted in the collation of their holdings with those Christopher Tolkien was editing for his History of Middle-earth series. A professional editor, he lives in the Seattle area with his wife and three cats, only one of whom is named after a Tolkien character.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
January 21, 2015
Mr. Baggins is a scholarly book and one more suited to the die-hard Tolkien enthusiast than the casual reader. That's not to say that it's dry or boring; quite the reverse, in fact.
This is a book about a book, or more precisely a book about part of a book, as it covers about 2/3s of the action of The Hobbit. Rateliff has taken a number of fragments and drafts of The Hobbit and presents them to us with copious notes and commentaries. Although the main plot is essentially the same as Tolkien's published story, there were many differences in detail and it's fascinating to see how the accumulation of such modifications affected the work as a whole.
The book is divided into the chapters of the published story that we're familiar with, although the draft version had no such divisions. Tolkien's text is annotated to highlight the variations. Each chapter is then followed by Rateliff's commentaries on what we've just read, providing fascinating insight into Tolkien's sources, inspirations and useful background information.
Thus we learn about Tolkien's fascination with "eagles-to-the-rescue"; the development of elves from Norse and Celtic folklore, through the Middle-ages and into the late Victorian and Edwardian era; Tolkien's likely source for Beorn the werebear; neolithic lake towns, etc.
That the commentaries are annotated, and frequently refer back to Tolkien's own invented mythology, makes the book wonderfully convoluted and recursive. And some nice illustrated plates are thrown in for good measure.
Next time I read The Hobbit, it will certainly be with this book, and the companion volume, The History of the Hobbit, Volume 2, by my side.
This is a book about a book, or more precisely a book about part of a book, as it covers about 2/3s of the action of The Hobbit. Rateliff has taken a number of fragments and drafts of The Hobbit and presents them to us with copious notes and commentaries. Although the main plot is essentially the same as Tolkien's published story, there were many differences in detail and it's fascinating to see how the accumulation of such modifications affected the work as a whole.
The book is divided into the chapters of the published story that we're familiar with, although the draft version had no such divisions. Tolkien's text is annotated to highlight the variations. Each chapter is then followed by Rateliff's commentaries on what we've just read, providing fascinating insight into Tolkien's sources, inspirations and useful background information.
Thus we learn about Tolkien's fascination with "eagles-to-the-rescue"; the development of elves from Norse and Celtic folklore, through the Middle-ages and into the late Victorian and Edwardian era; Tolkien's likely source for Beorn the werebear; neolithic lake towns, etc.
That the commentaries are annotated, and frequently refer back to Tolkien's own invented mythology, makes the book wonderfully convoluted and recursive. And some nice illustrated plates are thrown in for good measure.
Next time I read The Hobbit, it will certainly be with this book, and the companion volume, The History of the Hobbit, Volume 2, by my side.
May 20, 2013
Deeply fascinating and insightful this illuminating book is a must-read for all JRR Tolkien fans
Similarly to ‘The History of Middle Earth’ series (13 books in total) this book examines in detail ‘The Hobbit’ in regards to how this children’s story came into being and how it grew. First published on 21st September 1937, the Hobbit has become more than simply a ‘fireside story’ but something containing great meaning and value to many readers, both young and old. With the recent release of Peter Jackson’s film adaptation (part 1: the Hobbit ~ an unexpected journey), now more than ever people are interested in the details behind Bilbo’s journey to the lonely mountain and of Dwarves and Dragons. This is the first installment within a 2 volume collection, which presents the original manuscript of The Hobbit accompanied by John D. Rateliff’s lively commentary.
This book looks behind Tolkien’s tale to explore those themes hidden within, as well as noting those changes that have occurred over the years to the original publication. Ratecliff looks at each chapter in turn and looks at why changes were made and how they reflect Tolkien’s ever-growing concept of Middle-Earth. ‘Riddles in the dark’ with Bilbo and Gollum has to be one of the most significant parts of the Hobbit, and so I enjoyed reading into this part very much and finding out more about the finding of the One Ring. The enchanting tale of Hobbits is brought vividly to life in this enlightening guide to Tolkien’s spellbinding story, which delves into such detail and depth. Complete with full-color illustrations done by JRR Tolkien and photographs, this really is a beautiful book and something to treasure!
I value and rate this book very highly, due to its captivating content and exquisite cover and images inside. If you are looking for an assured, accurate read relating to J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘The Hobbit’ then the history behind it makes for great reading.
“...The road goes ever on and on…
Down from the door where it began”
Similarly to ‘The History of Middle Earth’ series (13 books in total) this book examines in detail ‘The Hobbit’ in regards to how this children’s story came into being and how it grew. First published on 21st September 1937, the Hobbit has become more than simply a ‘fireside story’ but something containing great meaning and value to many readers, both young and old. With the recent release of Peter Jackson’s film adaptation (part 1: the Hobbit ~ an unexpected journey), now more than ever people are interested in the details behind Bilbo’s journey to the lonely mountain and of Dwarves and Dragons. This is the first installment within a 2 volume collection, which presents the original manuscript of The Hobbit accompanied by John D. Rateliff’s lively commentary.
This book looks behind Tolkien’s tale to explore those themes hidden within, as well as noting those changes that have occurred over the years to the original publication. Ratecliff looks at each chapter in turn and looks at why changes were made and how they reflect Tolkien’s ever-growing concept of Middle-Earth. ‘Riddles in the dark’ with Bilbo and Gollum has to be one of the most significant parts of the Hobbit, and so I enjoyed reading into this part very much and finding out more about the finding of the One Ring. The enchanting tale of Hobbits is brought vividly to life in this enlightening guide to Tolkien’s spellbinding story, which delves into such detail and depth. Complete with full-color illustrations done by JRR Tolkien and photographs, this really is a beautiful book and something to treasure!
I value and rate this book very highly, due to its captivating content and exquisite cover and images inside. If you are looking for an assured, accurate read relating to J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘The Hobbit’ then the history behind it makes for great reading.
“...The road goes ever on and on…
Down from the door where it began”
November 3, 2010
The History of the Hobbit is a series similar to Christopher Tolkien's History of Middle-Earth, with Rateliff providing early manuscripts of the story, plot notes and his own commentaries, allowing fans to see how
The Hobbit: Or There and Back Again
was formed. While a few names differ from the published version, the story isn't so dissimilar from the published version we're used to. Indeed, the biggest change is probably the meeting between Gollum and Bilbo, which was only changed to the version everyone knows after Lord of the Rings was published. The plot notes, however, allow us a tantalising glimpse at different ideas Tolkien thought about including.
The commentaries are – to me – more readable and interesting than those in History of Middle-Earth. They trace possible inspirations to related material, including historic texts, but also to Tolkien's own legendarium.
On a shallow note, the presentation of the hardcover editions are absolutely beautiful.
The commentaries are – to me – more readable and interesting than those in History of Middle-Earth. They trace possible inspirations to related material, including historic texts, but also to Tolkien's own legendarium.
On a shallow note, the presentation of the hardcover editions are absolutely beautiful.
January 16, 2024
Стільки вдаль веде доріг-
Де стіна дерев чи скель,
Струмок до моря не добіг,
Не гріє сонце підземель;
Де зима посіє сніг,
А червень світом заселя,
Де каміння чи моріг
І місяць сяє з-за шпиля.
Стільки в даль веде доріг-
Хмари чи зірки встають,
Та вернеться на свій поріг
Той, хто вирушив у путь.
Той, в чиїх очах застиг
Меч, вогонь, печерний жах,
Узрить зелений переліг,
Дерева рідні на горбах.
Де стіна дерев чи скель,
Струмок до моря не добіг,
Не гріє сонце підземель;
Де зима посіє сніг,
А червень світом заселя,
Де каміння чи моріг
І місяць сяє з-за шпиля.
Стільки в даль веде доріг-
Хмари чи зірки встають,
Та вернеться на свій поріг
Той, хто вирушив у путь.
Той, в чиїх очах застиг
Меч, вогонь, печерний жах,
Узрить зелений переліг,
Дерева рідні на горбах.
November 28, 2008
Somewhat disappointing, unfortunately, especially compared to Christopher Tolkien's "History of Middle Earth." Most of the comments by Rateliff (the author) concern guessing influences on Tolkien's imagination or nit-picking small textual changes. It was good to read some of Tolkien's ideas of where The Hobbit might have gone, but I've been getting the feeling lately that we're delving a bit too much into Tolkien's creative process. Don't get me wrong, I love the Histories of Middle Earth, but there's only so much you can hack apart the process of a writing. Noting that Fili instead of Kili said such-and-such really has very little point for anything.
July 8, 2021
There is absolutely no way that 108,000 people have rated this thing on goodreads (especially when part 2 only has like 1,500 ratings). I'm assuming people got confused and mistook this for The Hobbit?
May 29, 2024
That was a lot.
July 12, 2016
Any history of Tolkein's writing is a history of the man himself and I would have liked to see it tied more closely to his own life. However various biographers and DVD special edition extras have done that to death already. What you're left with is a deep and scholarly dissemination of the writing process and how Middle Earth was built. A must read for anyone who considers themselves more than a casual fan, but a little dull for the rest of us.
June 17, 2014
Fantastic. Terribly dry, but if you love the Hobbit and you love history(as I do) you'll enjoy this. Must read for anyone who love's hobbit story!
November 15, 2015
I am 9 years old and this was hard to understand.
December 14, 2016
I love Lord of the rings and I think this is a good precuel.
January 2, 2025
This book is really only suitable for readers who are deeply, extraordinarily interested in J.R.R. Tolkien's work and career. Essentially, it's like reading a rough draft of The Hobbit together with copious notes and comments on how the book was created and how it changed during the writing and editing process. Think of it as the book version of a "bonus feature" DVD (although that comparison might understate the amount of scholarly work that went into putting The History of the Hobbit together). If this is something that you are interested in, you will find this book highly valuable. Otherwise, stick with the published version of The Hobbit.
A few interesting tidbits:
- Here you'll find Tolkien's original conception of the scene where Bilbo finds the Ring and has a riddle contest with Gollum. There were significant changes made even after the first edition was published, in order to make the nature of the Ring more consistent with how it's depicted in The Lord of the Rings.
- Some familiar characters (like Gandalf) initially had different names
- You will learn how the Silmarillion and other stories from Tolkien's legendarium inspired and influenced The Hobbit.
- There were major changes made to the climax and denouement of the book during the writing process (more on this in my review of the second part of The History of the Hobbit).
A few interesting tidbits:
- Here you'll find Tolkien's original conception of the scene where Bilbo finds the Ring and has a riddle contest with Gollum. There were significant changes made even after the first edition was published, in order to make the nature of the Ring more consistent with how it's depicted in The Lord of the Rings.
- Some familiar characters (like Gandalf) initially had different names
- You will learn how the Silmarillion and other stories from Tolkien's legendarium inspired and influenced The Hobbit.
- There were major changes made to the climax and denouement of the book during the writing process (more on this in my review of the second part of The History of the Hobbit).
October 1, 2019
This being the first of two closely-linked volumes, I shall keep my comments to a minimum here, reserving them for a full review of the whole when I finish reading Part 2.
Rateliff presents, with a fair plethora of apparatus (Introduction, text notes, chapter commentaries on divers topics, notes on the commentaries, appendices...), Tolkien's various drafts for _The Hobbit_, more or less chronologically as written. There are two of Tolkien's fairly typical false starts, followed by a long period of composition which takes us up to (and beyond) the end of this volume - the Lake-town episode.
The only other comment I will offer here is that this is much less "heavy" reading than the _History of Middle-earth_ volumes.
Rateliff presents, with a fair plethora of apparatus (Introduction, text notes, chapter commentaries on divers topics, notes on the commentaries, appendices...), Tolkien's various drafts for _The Hobbit_, more or less chronologically as written. There are two of Tolkien's fairly typical false starts, followed by a long period of composition which takes us up to (and beyond) the end of this volume - the Lake-town episode.
The only other comment I will offer here is that this is much less "heavy" reading than the _History of Middle-earth_ volumes.
August 19, 2017
This one-volume edition is absolutely amazing. The information in it is very detailed and Ratcliff has done an excellent job compiling and commenting on the various stages of The Hobbit creation. I definetely give it five stars. The book itself is of very high quality with a very pretty dustcover. If you take the dustcover off the book is also gorgeous to look at. The paper used for the book itself is matte with pictures in glossy paper. Certainly looks very well put together. Having everything in one edition instead of the original format of two volumes makes the book a bit heavier, but in my opinion, strengthens and makes for a better and far more presentable product. Fully recommend it!
January 3, 2025
The History of the Hobbit can be considered a companion to the History of Middle-Earth series. However, J. Rateliff's style of presentation is very different from that of C. Tolkien's. It is no less enjoyable, but the reader must be a real fan, ready to delve in to footnotes upon footnotes. Rateliff reveals J.R.R. Tolkien's literary influences such as Lord Dunsany and Kenneth Grahame, which C. Tolkien does not. I did enjoy the book and will continue to the second volume.
May 6, 2017
I found parts of this book good, but sometimes I didn't because it was written so long ago and it was written quite weird and old words. I took quite a while to read it because I wasn't really enjoying it too much and it was a relief to finish it. I really liked the movies though, so for me the movies were better
July 26, 2017
as a massive tolkien fan, i really enjoyed this. it takes parts of the book and adds a lot of obseervations and notes and for me at least gave a lot iof intereing insights into the hobbits that i wouldnt perhaps have looked at otherwise. some people might find it a bit dry and lecture-like but i think the style suits the format. will definitely appeal to tolkien fans everywhere
July 27, 2017
The Hobbit was magical and exciting. I read this book in 6th grade which is very rare for me. I was not much of a reader and this book had me dreaming about The Middle Earth... I would even paint and draw pictures after each chapter which has lead me to LOVE the movies series of the Lord of the Rings which I have yet to read.
April 9, 2018
Very interesting!
Wouldn't recommend unless you've read the hobbit a couple times, or just read it recently. If you've read even a bit of the history of middle earth, it makes it even more interesting. Glad I read this!
Wouldn't recommend unless you've read the hobbit a couple times, or just read it recently. If you've read even a bit of the history of middle earth, it makes it even more interesting. Glad I read this!
March 1, 2019
This doesn't have the personal touch that the History of LOTR books did, but since the Hobbit was written when Tolkien's children were still small, there probably isn't a lot of personal insight they could have added to it anyway.
December 6, 2024
The hobbit wasn’t my favorite. It had a TON of extra writing! That might just be of its old age but it still wasn’t in my interest. I wouldn’t recommend especially if you don’t like fantasy type books.
August 19, 2017
My favourite childhood book. Thought I found a secret Treasure in the library shelfs. Mind blowing. Brought me into the land of fairies and dragons.
September 6, 2017
A well written book. Enjoyed reading it.
September 6, 2017
A well written book. Enjoyed reading it.
Read
August 15, 2019IDK
May 6, 2020
Loved it
September 11, 2020
For fanatics like me.
December 8, 2020
great book but long and wordy
February 13, 2021
A well written book. Enjoyed reading it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews