When The Hobbit was first published in this country, the American Library Association's reviewer said in the ALA Bulletin: 'At the time of this writing, sill under the spell of the story, I cannot bend my mind to ask myself whether our American children will like it. My impulse is to say if they don't, so much the worse for them ...' By now, The Hobbit has become a classic, and the Horn Book's prophetic review gives some hints as to why: 'The background of the story is full of authentic bits of mythology and magic and the book has the rare quality of style. It is written with a quiet humor and the logical detail in which children take delight ... this is a book with no age limits. All those, young or old, who love a finely imagined story, beautifully told, will take The Hobbit to their hearts.'
The text of this edition of The Hobbit contains all revisions and corrections that have been made since the original publication and conforms in every respect to that of the British Fourth Edition published by George Allen & Unwin in 1978. |
