Written for J.R.R. Tolkien's own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when first published more than sixty years ago. Now recognized as a timeless classic with sales of more than 40 million copies worldwide, this introduction to Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf the Wizard, and the spectacular world of Middle-earth tells of the adventures of a reluctant hero, a powerful and dangerous ring, and the cruel dragon Smaug the Magnificent. (goodreads)I read this book long ago, but remembered only small bits and pieces. What a joy it was to read again. What fun in having such a small insugnificant creature as a hero. I love hobbits! The story is full of action as Bilbo accompanies 13 dwarfs on a quest to reclaim their family treasure and home from Smaug the horrible dragon. I really loved it and will likely read the Lord of the Rings series again as I find that I have indeed missed Middle-Earth.
I also wonder how much of dragon lore and elf and dwarf lore came first from Tolkien? I've built a bank of collective knowledge about certain mythical creatures. Example: there are only two ways to kill a dragon because they're scales are inpenetrable. 1. find a place where a scale is missing, or 2. a spear or arrow dipped in dragon's Bane right into the dragon's mouth. I'm not sure the original sources of this knowledge, but most fantasy novels seem to follow these rules. Just a random wondering by me.
