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The Hobbit cover art

The Hobbit

By: J. R. R. Tolkien
Narrated by: Martin Shaw
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Publisher's Summary

Smaug certainly looked fast asleep, when Bilbo peeped once more from the entrance. He was just about to step out onto the floor when he casught a sudden thin ray of red from under the drooping lid of Smaug's left eye. He was only pretending to sleep! He was watching the tunnel entrance!

Whisked from his comfortable hobbit-hole by Gandalf the wizard and a band of dwarves, Bilbo Baggins finds himself caught up in a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon.

©1937, 1951, 1966, 1978 George Allen and Unwin (Publishers) Ltd. (P)1993 HarperCollins UK

What listeners say about The Hobbit

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Abridged

Nowhere on the store page is it stated that this is the abridged version. more than half the book is cut out.

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7 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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fantastic story even after 50 reads.Great narrator

i have read the Hobbit many times growing up and listened to this exact audio on tapes as a kid. The story is still just as good. Somewhat less of an information overload like LOTR books but no less enjoyable.

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3 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Abridged - WHY?

It’s very disappointing to discover that the book is abridged,
Such a delicate piece of fantasy, withers under the editorial eraser,
I wonder - to what end?
Certainly not as an improvement.
Ron


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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Best rendition

Such a great reading by Martin Shaw. Brilliant. I have been waiting to hear this for 10 years!

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Magical, transforms you into the book!

This book is an absolute classic of course & the reader is amazing, he reads this book so brilliantly. His voice is so suited to the Hobbit & brilliantly performs all the characters, like being transformed into the book 📖 😍

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1 person found this helpful

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Love this book & Martin Shaw

Great edition and presentation. I love Martin Shaw and his reading of this was great.

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cool 👍 different to most other Adventure book in a good way

different from other Adventure books in a good way and 👍👍😭😭⚔️🛡️🔑🪦🗡️ great super greater good

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Great Story

I really enjoyed this story. It was well written and well told. Better than the movie.

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    3 out of 5 stars

Love Martin Shaw, but VERY abridged

it is not stated in the title deatils of this that this book is heavily abridged. still very much worth it but it would've been nice to know before purchase as about half the book is cut out. disappointing because I love Martin Shaw's performance and characterisations of the book's cast. it makes the story more real and engaging to listen to, so I wish we had an more unabridged version by Martin Shaw.

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not the full story

very disappointing to much left out bought and paid for he hobbit not condensed version

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