Tolkien's The Hobbit

Tolkien's plans with respect to the MiddleEarth universe he created in both the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings weren't so easy to codify. He wrote both forwards and backwards on his timeline, employing tones and techniques suited to a variety of different audiences, from the children who would enjoy a fairy tale, to scholars who might be interested in the development of a fictional language.

In a Hole in the Ground

Tolkien's The Hobbit was published in 1937, but was begun much earlier, with one sentence written on the back of a paper. "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit." At the time, Tolkien had only the vaguest of ideas what a hobbit even was. But soon, as we readers discovered, he clarified that hobbits weren't den beasts that dug out burrows to house their litters, but little people who built their homes underground. These homes were as cozy as an English country cottage, and very similar in furnishing and details, all lavishly described.

Our hero is one Bilbo Baggins. He is a hobbit of means; at least, no occupation is ever specified, so we are left with the impression of a 'gentlehobbit' that need not work for a living. He is surprised one day to be visited by a wizard, Gandalf the Grey, and thirteen dwarves. For reasons never sufficiently explained, Gandalf has decided that Bilbo is just the one they need to become their band's 'burglar', and without understanding how it happens, Bilbo finds himself swept up in their adventure, on his way to a place over the mountains to slay a dragon and reclaim an ancient dwarven hoard of treasure.

The Road Goes Ever On

Hitherto very much an observer of life, pottering about his house and reading books to satisfy his longing for adventure, Bilbo discovers that real-life (well, fantasy-life) adventure is often uncomfortable and even scary. The dwarves run afoul of goblins, are captured by elves, meet a shapeshifter in the wild woods, and in general have a lively time in their attempts to reach the mountains of their ancestors.

Throughout, Bilbo discovers what he's made of, and it's sterner stuff than what he had previously any inkling. The dwarves come to respect him as a clever companion and useful friend. Along the way, Bilbo serendipitiously acquires a magic golden ring that can make the wearer invisible. A truly useful tool for a budding burglar, indeed.

It is this magical artifact that forms the basis for the quest saga, the Lord of the Rings.

A Children's Intro to MiddleEarth

Tolkien's The Hobbit is definitely a children's book, not a 'prequel' for mature readers. The tone is often jokey, even slightly condescending. The story is a straight-forward journey, and although the main character achieves growth and change, there isn't anything in the way of shades of grey or complexity to entrance an older reader.