The History of the Hobbit: One Volume Edition

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The company enters the dark forest of Mirkwood without Gandalf, who has other responsibilities. In Mirkwood, Bilbo first saves the dwarves from giant spiders and then from the dungeons of the Wood-elves. Nearing the Lonely Mountain, the travellers are welcomed by the human inhabitants of Lake-town, who hope the dwarves will fulfil prophecies of Smaug's demise. The expedition reaches the mountain and finds the secret door. The dwarves send a reluctant Bilbo inside to scout the dragon's lair. He steals a great cup and, while conversing with Smaug, spots a gap in the ancient dragon's armour. The enraged dragon, deducing that Lake-town has aided the intruders, flies off to destroy the town. A thrush overhears Bilbo's report of Smaug's vulnerability and tells Lake-town resident Bard. Smaug wreaks havoc on the town, until Bard shoots an arrow into the chink in Smaug's armour, killing the dragon. Tolkien, Christopher (1983). The History of Middle-earth: Vol 1 "The Book of Lost Tales 1". George Allen & Unwin. p.7. ISBN 978-0-04-823238-0.

Media Release". Harbourfront Centre. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017 . Retrieved 31 October 2017. The Hobbit". Boys into Books (11–14). Schools Library Association. Archived from the original on 8 September 2008 . Retrieved 4 January 2013. Carpenter, Humphrey (1977). J. R. R. Tolkien: A Biography. New York: Ballantine Books. ISBN 978-0-04-928037-3.Silvey, Anita (2002). The Essential Guide to Children's Books and Their Creators. Houghton Mifflin. p. 448. ISBN 978-0-618-19082-9. Tolkien's use of runes, both as decorative devices and as magical signs within the story, has been cited as a major cause for the popularization of runes within " New Age" and esoteric literature, [77] stemming from Tolkien's popularity with the elements of counter-culture in the 1970s. [78] Genre [ edit ]

This invaluable companion to one of the most treasured stories in English literature offers fascinating new insights to those who have grown up with this enchanting tale, and will delight those who are about to enter Bilbo’s round door for the first time. See also [ edit | edit source ]In December 1937 The Hobbit 's publisher, Stanley Unwin, asked Tolkien for a sequel. In response Tolkien provided drafts for The Silmarillion, but the editors rejected them, believing that the public wanted "more about hobbits". [51] Tolkien subsequently began work on The New Hobbit, which would eventually become The Lord of the Rings, [51] a course that would not only change the context of the original story, but lead to substantial changes to the character of Gollum. Tolkien's use of descriptive names such as Misty Mountains and Bag End echoes the names used in Old Norse sagas. [30] The names of the dwarf-friendly ravens, such as Roäc, are derived from the Old Norse words for "raven" and "rook", [31] but their peaceful characters are unlike the typical carrion birds from Old Norse and Old English literature. [32] Tolkien is not simply skimming historical sources for effect: the juxtaposition of old and new styles of expression is seen by the Tolkien scholar Tom Shippey as one of the major themes explored in The Hobbit. [33] Maps figure in both saga literature and The Hobbit. [30] Several of the author's illustrations incorporate Anglo-Saxon runes, an English adaptation of the Germanic runic alphabets.