J.R.R. Tolkien: The Hobbit

Bilbo Baggins the Hobbit would never have described himself as the adventurous type, indeed he much prefers to be sitting by his fire smoking his pipe and enjoying a nice glass of beer.

However, that changes overnight when the wizard Gandalf arrives at his door with a company of adventure-hungry dwarves. Suddenly Bilbo is off on an adventure to raid the treasure horde of the dragon Smaug the Magnificent, a large and dangerous creature.

The journey starts fine enough but the company soon jumps from one tight spot to the next _ from hungry trolls and vicious goblins to large talking spiders. And poor Bilbo is well in the midst of this action and often alone.

In the grim caves of the goblins Bilbo meets the sinister creature Gollum, with whom he has a thrilling riddle contest to try to secure his freedom. And although Bilbo is full of fear during the journey, he proves his worth time and again _ not only does he find a magic ring deep in the caves under the Misty Mountains but he also saves the dwarves from life imprisonment in the depths of Mirkwood in the wood elves' dungeons.

When they finally reach the Lonely Mountain where Smaug slumbers upon his treasure, Bilbo ventures into the mountain alone to face the dragon and test his wits once again.

The Hobbit is a great tale and a true fantasy classic, fast-paced and humorously told.

Commonly referred to as the prequel to The Lord of the Rings, this novel does set the scene for these later books. The reader is introduced to the world of Middle Earth and given some idea of the races that inhabit it and also some of the background history of these people.

We also come to understand Hobbits very well through Bilbo's unexpected heroism and quick wit throughout the story.

Lastly, and possibly most importantly, we learn how Bilbo comes across the Ring of Power _ the destruction of which is the focus of The Lord of the Rings.

While it is not essential that The Hobbit is read before The Lord of the Rings, it does provide good background information and is a fantastic fantasy adventure in its own right which should not be overlooked.

J.R.R. Tolkien, born in 1892 in South Africa, served as a lieutenant in World War I. He went on to have a distinguished academic career and became well respected for his skill in philology. However he is best known for his classic fantasy epics of which The Hobbit was his first published work.

Originally a story to entertain his children, it met with instant success upon its publication in 1937. It has had several editions published since, with some significantly revised portions contained in the second edition to bring the book in line with the developing story of The Lord of the Rings on which Tolkien was working when this edition was published.

Tolkien's popularity has never subsided over the years and he remains one of the most popular fantasy writers of all time.

With any luck The Hobbit may soon be given a modern cinematic treatment, but until then, the book is sure to satisfy any fantasy fan and keep the reading audience spellbound.

Publisher: HarperCollins

Price: $16.99

Age: 10-plus