The Hobbit, or, There and Back Again Resources

Links

The Tolkien Society

The Tolkien Society is an English charity dedicated to spreading the word about J.R.R. Tolkien and his many works.

Abiator's "The Hobbit"

This website contains some interesting trivia and artwork about The Hobbit. Our favorite part, though, are the quizzes – we got a perfect score! Woo!

TheOneRing.net

This absolutely extraordinary fan site is a wealth of information. But it also contains all of the latest details on MGM's (somewhat troubled) future film of The Hobbit. We're definitely keeping our eyes glued to this one.

Belomlinskiy's Illustrations of The Hobbit

These are just amazing. We especially like this artist's vision of Gollum.

Further Up and Further In: A C.S. Lewis and Inklings Resource Blog

The focus of this blog may be on Lewis and his creation of Narnia, there's plenty of material on that equally famous Inkling Club member, J.R.R. Tolkien.

Introducing J.R.R. Tolkien

A helpful biography of Tolkien's life, from his birth in 1892 to his death in 1973 at the ripe old age of 81. This is attached to the Inklings blog listed previously.

Tolkien-online.com

Another useful directory of biographical and textual information on J.R.R. Tolkien.

Official Tolkien Book Site

This directory is maintained by Tolkien's current published, HarperCollins. It contains a wide range of special editions not only of The Hobbit, but also of some of Tolkien's lesser-known works.

"The Tolkien Gateway"

Basically, a Tolkien version of Wikipedia. This is a fan-edited site filled with helpful articles tracing the terms and characters that appear in Tolkien's vast mythology.

The Mythopoeic Society

This society is an international literary group that organizes conferences and prizes for writers in the tradition of Tolkien and C.S. Lewis – in other words, fantasy writers. Some of the best scholarship we've read on Tolkien, such as Tolkien and the Great War and The History of the Hobbit, have received prizes from this society.

Tales Before Tolkien: The Roots of Modern Fantasy

This book is available in its entirety on Google Books. It reproduces tons of short stories and legends that have influenced Tolkien's work. Some of the fiction in this collection is great!

Movies or TV Productions

The Hobbit, 1977

Surprisingly, there has only been one completed film of The Hobbit so far (although there have been a ton of video games). This one is it.

The Hobbit (2012)

So it's just part one of a three-part series, but we kind of loved it. And yes, that says 169 minutes.

Documents

Maps From The Hobbit

This amazing collection of maps includes the map Tolkien himself drew, showing Thror's map with the side door indicated in moon-letters. But the site also contains a ton of other maps from the world of The Hobbit, often including what we know about the landscape of The Lord of the Rings.

Video

The Hobbit (1977)

Oh my gosh, the animation seems hilariously clunky. Make sure to click through all eight parts!

J.R.R. Tolkien Describing the Origin of The Hobbit

The man himself.

Sir Ian McKellen

He talks about the script of the new Hobbit.

Audios

The Hobbit, 1974

Arco Records Radio Adaptation (Sound Only) – Part One of Three.

J.R.R. Tolkien Reads

Listen as he brings Chapter 5 of The Hobbit, "Riddles in the Dark," to life. Dramatic!

Images

Gandalf From the 1977 Animated Hobbit

Sir Ian McKellen (the new Gandalf) is much better looking.

Illustration of the "Unexpected Party"

From Finnish illustrator (and Moomintroll inventor) Tove Jansson.

Gollum and Bilbo in "Riddles in the Dark"

An illustration by David Wenzel.

Tolkien as a Youth

Quite the responsible looking young lad.

Gravestone

And not just J.R.R.'s – his wife joins him in this grave. They were laid to rest in Oxford, England.