Listen to a sample
The Hobbit
- Author
- J.R.R. Tolkien
- Narrator
- Andy Serkis
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Publish Date
- 3 September 2020
- Run Time
- 10 hours 24 minutes
- Format
- x-book®
- Genre
- Myths and Legends / Mythic fiction, Classic fiction: literary and general, Adventure / action fiction, Fairy and Folk tales / Fairy tale retellings, Speculative fiction, Narrative theme: journeys and voyages, Fiction: inspired by or adapted from other media, Narrative theme: coming of age
- Rating
- 4.8 (27 reviews)
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What to expect
This brand-new unabridged audio book of J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved The Hobbit is read by the BAFTA award-winning actor, director and author, Andy Serkis.
Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely travelling further than the pantry of his hobbit-hole in Bag End. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard, Gandalf, and a company of thirteen dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day, to whisk him away on a journey ‘there and back again’. They have a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon…
The prelude to THE LORD OF THE RINGS, THE HOBBIT has sold many millions of copies since its publication in 1937, establishing itself as one of the most influential books of the twentieth century.
Critics Review
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‘The Hobbit belongs to a very small class of books which have nothing in common save that each admits us to a world of its own. Its place is with Alice and The Wind in the Willows.’ Times Literary Supplement
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‘One of the best loved characters in English fiction… a marvellous fantasy adventure’ Daily Mail
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‘Finely written saga of dwarves and elves, fearsome goblins and trolls… an exciting epic of travel, magical adventure, working up to a devastating climax’ The Observer
User Reviews
Book 4.8
Narration 5.0
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5.0 5.0
Wonderful from start to finish. An outstanding story, narrated perfectly.
PTfire 2026-02-25 -
5.0 5.0
Obviously JRR Tolkien’s work is outstanding. However, the narration of this book absolutely flabbergasted me. The fact that Andy Serkis mastered so many different accents to accentuate the entire story-telling (and -listening) experience. Love!
saarahanne 2026-01-05 -
5.0 5.0
Outstanding world creation, character development, story arc and narration.
Still brings me great pleasure over many years and rereads.VRS 2025-04-15 -
5.0 5.0
Fabulous! The Hobbit has been a favourite for many years. I first read it over fifty years ago. It was lovely to revisit it in this audio format. Andy read it magnificently and did the brilliance of JRR Tolkien justice.
Martin CAS 2024-03-22
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5.0 5.0
Andy serkis' narration is the only way to experience this book properly. I don't think Tolkien himself could've done better. Amazing book and have a new appreciation for the movie getting this so right.
everoutledge 2024-01-25 -
4.0 5.0
who would have thought after years of not reading fantasy books, thinking it too difficult to remember names and places, or taking too long to finish, that this would be my first and i would enjoy it so much.
i put it down for almost a YEAR after maybe three chapters, but when i picked it up again i finished the other 16 in under two weeks, even with only listening for less than an hour a day on average.
andy serkis does an impeccable with the voices and reading (reading along at the same time and his emphasis on lines that i had skimmed over made them read much easier and more natural that what i had imagined)
i don't doubt that without his narration i wouldn't have enjoyed it half as much.
as someone who had never read the books or seen the films, this enabled me to hear the characters, and also the pronunciation of names that i otherwise would have struggled with.erin. 2024-01-18 -
4.0 5.0
An interesting fable and moral tale brought vividly to life by Sarkis's varied and textured reading that includes singing and other sounds. A real treat!
JCC 2024-01-10 -
5.0 5.0
I love The Hobbit, and now I think my favourite way to read the story is to listen to Andy Serkis narrate The Hobbit.
elizabeth 2023-01-19 -
5.0 5.0
Brilliant.
What can I say?! (Andy Serkins) does a splendid job. Flawless movement between the many, many deferent character narration, making it so enjoyable. Giving new life to the jigs and songs, which was extremely lively and thus so much enjoyable. The dramatisation makes this age old tale come alive in the mind and stays there a long time after the last word has been uttered.
I’m not sure if it’s the story however, I would gather that, Andy doing the narration with Tolkien’s work was even better than (Stephen Fry) doing Harry Potter… and that in itself was fabulous. However this was better. Who would’ve thought?!?! Only my humble opinion of course, lol.
You will enjoy this one… it was simply marvellous.
Tahdah 💕💕💕💕Bri 2022-12-14
Details
- Author
- J.R.R. Tolkien
- Narrator
- Andy Serkis
- Duration
- 10 hours 24 minutes
- Release Date
- 3 September 2020
- ISBN
- 9780008433840
- Format
- x-book®
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Genre
- Myths and Legends / Mythic fiction, Classic fiction: literary and general, Adventure / action fiction, Fairy and Folk tales / Fairy tale retellings, Speculative fiction, Narrative theme: journeys and voyages, Fiction: inspired by or adapted from other media, Narrative theme: coming of age
- Rating
- 4.8(27 reviews)
- Narration
- 5.0(27 reviews)
Synopsis
This brand-new unabridged audio book of J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved The Hobbit is read by the BAFTA award-winning actor, director and author, Andy Serkis. Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely travelling further than the pantry of his hobbit-hole in Bag End. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard, Gandalf, and a company of thirteen dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day, to whisk him away on a journey ‘there and back again’. They have a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon… The prelude to THE LORD OF THE RINGS, THE HOBBIT has sold many millions of copies since its publication in 1937, establishing itself as one of the most influential books of the twentieth century.
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