This book is a critical introduction to J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit but it also advances an
argument about the novel in the context of Tolkien's larger literary and philosophical project.
Notwithstanding its canonical place in the fantasy genre The Hobbit is ultimately a historical
novel. It does not refer directly to any real historical events but it both enacts and
conceptualizes history in a way that makes it real. Drawing on Marxist literary criticism and
narrative theory this book examines the form and content of Tolkien's work demonstrating how
the heroic romance is simultaneously employed and subverted by Tolkien in his tale of an
unlikely hero quite a little fellow in a wide world who nonetheless makes history. First-time
readers of Tolkien as well as established scholars and fans will enjoy this engaging and
accessible study of The Hobbit.
