On This Day: J.R.R Tolkien’s 'The Hobbit' is published

On Sept. 21, 1937, the first copies of “The Hobbit,” subtitled “There and Back Again,” appeared in English bookstores. With its illustrations and maps drawn by Tolkien, the book gained immediate popularity. By Christmas the publisher had sold out of its first printing. The book crossed the pond in 1938 and the American version sold 3,000 copies in the first two months.

During the summer of 1928, J.R.R. Tolkien was an English professor at the University of Leeds and was grading test papers. He scribbled the words, “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit” on a student’s blank answer sheet. Tolkien had no idea he had just created an imaginary world that would reshape the entire fantasy genre and captivate millions of readers.

The first review of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit,” was written by a 10-year-old boy and was five sentences long:

“Bilbo Baggins was a hobbit who lived in his hobbit-hole and never went for adventures, at last Gandalf the wizard and his dwarves persuaded him to go. He had a very exciting time fighting goblins and wargs. At last they got to the lonely mountain: Smaug, the dragon who guards it is killed and after a terrific battle with the goblins he returned home—rich! This book, with the help of maps, does not need any illustrations. It is good and should appeal to all children between the ages of 5 and 9.”

It was this review, written in 1936 by young Rayner Unwin, that inspired his father, the chairman of the publishing house Allen & Unwin, to first publish Tolkien’s fantastic tale.

In “The Hobbit,” Tolkien developed the intricate and fascinating world of Middle-earth, complete with its own species, rules of nature, languages and legends. The book’s main character, Bilbo Baggins, is a diminutive, hairy-footed homebody who is persuaded by a wizard named Gandalf to embark on a quest to kill a dragon in its mountain lair.

After the first book’s popularity, Tolkien’s publishers demanded more. They were forced to wait for quite some time, but their patience paid off. The popularity of 1954 and 1955’s  three-volume epic “The Lord of the Rings” far outpaced that of “The Hobbit.” After gaining wide appeal in the 1960s, “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy is ranked among the most-read literary works of the twentieth century.

For a little guy who didn’t like to venture far from his hobbit-hole, Bilbo Baggins has certainly found himself in a lot of odd places. Along with special editions, annotations and dictionaries, “The Hobbit” has been the subject of plays and many a multimedia adventure. In 1968, the BBC brought it to radio in an eight-part series. An animated television movie debuted in 1977, although it is rather unpopular with Middle-Earth purists, due to deviations from the original plot. “The Hobbit” has also inspired various video games.

In 2011, Mr. Baggins and his companions will hit the big time with a major film release. “Pan’s Labyrinth” director Guillermo del Toro is directing the movie, with “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson working as producer and cowriter. A sequel is planned for 2012, which will take place in the time between “The Hobbit” and “The Fellowship of the Ring” and will expand storylines hinted at in both books.

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa, on Jan. 3, 1892. He graduated from Exeter College with a degree in English Language and Literature in 1915, after which he fought in World War I. He then worked for the Oxford English Dictionary for several years, before joining the faculty at Leeds University. From there, he moved to Oxford University, which would be his home for the rest of his academic career. At Oxford, he befriended C.S. Lewis and completed “The Hobbit” and his “Lord of the Rings” trilogy.

Tolkien’s four children were a great inspiration for him; some of his earliest creative works were letters he wrote them from Father Christmas. “The Hobbit” and other books were derived from stories he told his children at bedtime.

Tolkien died Sept. 2, 1973, at the age of 81. He is buried in the same grave as his wife, Edith, with the inscription “Beren” below his name, and “Lúthien” below her name, in honor of a pair of tragic lovers from his Middle-earth mythology.