Happy Birthday, Hobbit!
 

70 years ago today, The Hobbit was published. What began with "In a hole in the ground..." has become a worldwide phenomenon. It was not the first written of Tolkien's works, yet it paved the way for his masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings. Without the Hobbits, that could not have been what it became. More than that, The Hobbit itself is a worthy work to read and discuss.

Perhaps the best way to celebrate this occasion for for us to share our personal experiences with "There and Back Again". When did you read it? What did it mean to you then? And how has that changed - what does it mean to you now?

Holey ground, Thuringwethil!
 

To this day it makes me sad that no amusement park has ever devised a barrel ride as exciting as the one Bilbo took.

It has also become a powerful justification for the fine art of doodling in the margins.

What a wonderful book :) Happy anniversary. This book started it off and led to everything we have today.

From the Tolkien Library site Allen & Unwin's Spring & Summer 1937 catalogues, announcing the publication of The Hobbit.

http://www.tolkienlibrary.com/dmiller/000432.htm

http://www.tolkienlibrary.com/dmiller/000433.htm

A lovely find, davem, although I must say the prize is a bit steep for a catalogue. Still, fascinating to see the company TH kept back then.

Also fascinating is the description of TH. One wonders if Tolkien himself had a hand in it?

just a brief snatch: The period is the ancient time between the age of Faerie and the dominion of men when the famous forest of Mirkwood was still standing and the mountains were full of danger.