There is something for everyone in this annotated edition of one of the most popular books of this century. General readers, fans of children's literature, and devotees of fantasy will appreciate this comprehensive gloss on The Hobbit, which delves into its scholarly roots in folklore, mythology, and language. Many of Tolkien's own illustrations embellish the text, and numerous illustrations from foreign editions exhibit a fascinating range of visual interpretation. For hardcore Tolkien fans and scholars and appendix details all of Tolkien's revisionsmade at various times to the published text and provides an uncommon glimpse into the specialconcerns of an exceptional and painstaking writer. The Hobbit is an ideal book for annotation, for it can be enjoyed on many levels. Foremost, it is a wonderful story, and yet it is only a small part of the vast history of Tolkien's imagined world of Middle-earth, more fully realized in The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion. Itis the showcase of a man who annused himself during the writing of a story for his children by drawing on his own scholarly erudition. --front flap Source: OpenLibrary