The Art of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien: The Complete Collection of Original Illustrations and Paintings for the Classic 75th Anniversary Edition

I confess that a large part of the charm of The Hobbit was Tolkien's own pen and ink or water color illustrations he did for the book. The value of this volume is that it takes us through many of the early drafts, sometimes as many as four full page illustrations, before reaching the final version. This is especially valuable with the many versions of the two key maps Tolkien did for the final printed edition of the book. Many of the pictures are an antidote to the picture we have been given of key scenes by Peter Jackson's LOTR and The Hobbit films. Perhaps the biggest difference we find is in the depiction of "The Last Homely House", later known as Rivendell. Tolkien did not imagine it as an elaborate art nouveau architecture. Rather, it was not much more that a cozy Swiss style chalet in the foothills of the Misty mountains. The depiction of the woodland elves' abode is also much less imposing than Jackson's rendering. This means there is much to be gained by reading the novel, with Tolkien's illustrations, before watching what it became in the very creative hands of Jackson and company. For those of you who have seen the companion book on the Art of Lord of the Rings, I must say this is a better book, because there is much more original work from Tolkien from which to draw (to coin a phrase.) If you have not already bought the LOTR volume, get this one first. The only disappointment with this volume is that while the illustrations for the Trolls done by Tolkien are presented, there is nothing said about them, unlike virtually every other series of illustrations. The reproductions of all illustrations on large fold out glossy pages is magnificent. Well worth the relatively modest cost for an art book.

J.R.R. Tolkien's prowess as a creative writer is now well known, but there may be some who do not yet realize that he was a gifted artist as well. In The Art of the Hobbit pre-eminent Tolkien scholars Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull have collected every known drawing and sketch made by Tolkien to illustrate The Hobbit and analyzed them with love and scholarly rigor. The result is a fascinating and beautiful book. Tolkien was painstaking both in his writings and in his artworks. Often there are several versions of a planned painting, meticulously covered with Tolkien's notes to himself about improvements and adjustments that needed to be made. Tolkien was also knowledgeable about and deeply interested in the physical process of book publishing, and he was heavily involved in the process of designing, printing, and finally publishing The Hobbit. Included in this book are the familiar paintings and drawings that have been included in most editions of The Hobbit, along with discarded variations, all with rich and fascinating descriptions and analyses by Hammond and Scull. There are several foldout pages that provide a wider view of how some drawings developed and changed as well. As a Tolkien fan for over 40 years I found The Art of the Hobbit to be a richly rewarding book to examine, and I intend to spend much more time poring over its pages. However impressive the artistic creations of others who have illustrated Tolkien's worlds, nothing matches the special beauty and love that he put into his own paintings and drawings. The Art of The Hobbit well displays that love and beauty, and it should become an absolutely essential part of the libraries of all lovers of Middle earth.

If you love The Hobbit then you owe it to yourself to buy this book. An absolutely beautiful dust jacket (the hardcover itself is wonderfully decorated as well) is a nice preview of what's in the book. Tolkien's 'The Hill: Hobbiton-across-the-water' in color (also an earlier b&w version is included)defines his vision perfectly for me. When I first read The Hobbit so many years ago (the 1970's) this is how I pictured Hobbiton. It was amazing to see Tolkien's landscape. There's many places the book has. Rivendell. Versions of Thror's map. Trolls! Sketches of the 'moon runes' (mirror-reverse of course.) The Misty Mountains. Beorn's House. Fanghorn Forest. Smaug himself. Sketches of Bilbo. The sketches for the original book's binding and spine are fascinating and shows how much care and attention Tolkien lavished on the physical book itself - including the dust jacket. (And kudos to the original publisher for presenting the book this way - having no idea how it might sell.) This is a large book (but not thick)with quite a few fold out pages - although these pages are not used to reproduce 'landscape' spreads - instead individual illustrations are on each page to better compare them side by side. This book would make the perfect companion if you re-read The Hobbit as often as I do. You will especially love this book if you're a hobbit or have some hobbit blood lines in your heritage.

Beautiful and well bound volume. I was lucky enough to be able to attend an exhibition of this artwork in Oxford, and this book brought back great memories. The accompanying text in this volume puts the sketches into context perfectly.

What a fantastic book. I feel like it was an absolute bargin at this price. I first read The Hobbit during Christmas break from 8th grade in 1975. My older brother got a Tolkien calendar, and it had so much original artwork. Years later I wish we would have thought I had to keep that. Seeing these images in this book brought back lots of fond memories, plus all the additional drawings and paintings I had never seen. Any fan of Tolkien will like this book, and it is well worth it

I had an original calender back in the day with much of the featured artwork on it. I was very glad to find this book. I love the details about Tolkien writing and illustrating his wonderful creations. The book just adds to my appreciation of his tremondous contributions. The price was very reasonable.

I bought this to go along with another book of JRRT drawings (J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator), and I got exactly what I was looking for. A lot of these drawings are sketches, and some of the value comes from seeing how the sketches become the finished product. And some of /that/ tracks the development of the story. So, in addition to their intrinsic value (which is considerable), these are also good companions to the History of Middle-Earth series and the two-volume History of the Hobbit

Absolutely one of the most beautiful books I've seen. This is a gift for my adult son who has been a Tolkien fan for many years. He is also a talented artist. The book will reach both of these characteristics very nicely for his birthday gift. The illustrations are primarily black and white. They are enhanced with color in approximately 40% of the illustrations. The narrative that accompanies the illustrations provides details from Tolkien's perspective and deepens the reader's understanding of Tolkien's story line. Again, I am so pleased with my decision to purchase this book. I am also extremely pleased with the quality of the book and the price through Amazon. Thank you.

Es war eine Offenbarung, Tolkien nicht nur als Schriftsteller zu sehen, der mit seiner wunderbaren Sprache seine Leser begeistert, sondern in ihm auch den Künstler zu sehen, der mit Stift und Feder Mittelerde lebendig werden lässt. Einfach ein Allroundgenie, ein großartiger Schöpfer einer Welt, die er durch Sprache und Bilder, die er Stück für Stück bis zu seiner Zufriedenheit verbesserte, zum Leben erweckte. Ein tolles Buch, dass ich nur empfehlen kann!

Lots of great images and information. Bought as a present for a LOTR fan. Present was well received.

Un bel ouvrage en fourreau qui fait le pendant à "The art of the lord of the rings". Même format donc parfait pour un set.

Per ogni appassionato, le tavole originali delle opere di Tolkien sono un must...un'opera davvero completa e ricca di dettagli.

My main problem: this book doesn't fit very well on my Tolkien shelves (it is quite large and square, and so sticks out much further than the rest of the tall books)! However, I would definitely say that it is worth the purchase for fans interested in the evolution of the pictures in the finished book. I have the previous Tolkien art collections ('Pictures by Tolkien' and 'Artist and Illustrator') and neither of these covers all the pictures in this book, so it is still worth buying for those who have the earlier collections. The book is extremely well presented, with a sturdy slipcase featuring the 'classic' cover design and then a white version of the Elvenking's hall picture printed onto blue-purple boards. The inside pages are glossy, with large, high-resolution pictures. There is a short introduction by the editors, giving some of the history and referring to the previously mentioned 'Artist and Illustrator', which they also compiled, as well as some text in each section describing the evolution of each artwork, referring to the enclosed numbered pictures. These are often on fold out sheets which can be quite hard to see if you aren't paying attention to the numbering systems, and folding these back in without creases can be a chore, but if you're used to messing around with the fiddly fold out maps at the end of the Tolkien's works then it shouldn't be a problem.