Hobbit
... An unassuming and rather plump hobbit (as most of these small, furry-footed people tend to be ), Baggins finds himself unwittingly drawn into adventure by a wizard named Gandalf and 13 dwarves bound for the Lonely Mountain, where a dragon named Smaug hordes a stolen treasure. ... Wizards, dwarves and dragons may seem the stuff of childrens fairy tales, but The Hobbit is in a class of its own--light-hearted enough for younger readers, yet with a dark edge guaranteed to intrigue an older audience. In the best tradition of the archetypal heros quest, Bilbo Baggins sets out on his fateful journey a callow, untested soul and returns--tempered by hardship, danger and loss--a better man--er, hobbit. This book is the predecessor to Tolkiens masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings, and though that trilogy can be thoroughly enjoyed without first reading The Hobbit, much that happens in the later novels is foreshadowed here. ... • The Greatest Book ever I first picked up The Hobbit after i was instructed to do so before i read the acclaimed Lord of the Rings. ... The ring comes into play alot during the second half of this book after Gollum (a lil freakish Hobbit whos been eaten away by the One Ring) loses the ring to Bilbo.