Part of Middle Earth
First published 2005
In the quiet Shire, Bilbo Baggins is an unlikely adventurer—a comfort-loving hobbit content with his pantry and armchair. When the wizard Gandalf and thirteen dwarves arrive, they disrupt Bilbo's peaceful existence with a dangerous quest: reclaim the Lonely Mountain and its vast treasure from Smaug, a massive fire-breathing dragon. The dwarves need Bilbo as their stealth specialist, a role he never imagined for himself. Traversing treacherous wilderness, battling giant spiders, escaping elven dungeons, and confronting monstrous creatures, Bilbo must transform from a timid homebodies into a cunning survivor. Each challenge tests his courage and wit, pushing him far beyond the safe boundaries of his previous life. More than a mission to recover gold, this becomes a test of Bilbo's hidden potential and the true meaning of bravery.
Genres: classic-literature, adventure, fantasy, epic
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: chosen-one, fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Middle-Earth
Period: 20th-Century
1216 pages · Paperback · Houghton Mifflin Harcourt