But while The Hobbit was undeniably written as a children’s book, it is far more than a mere prequel and its significance in modern literature, and fantasy in particular, cannot be overstated. I think I was 10 or 11 when I first read The Hobbit, and swiftly moved on to The Lord of the Rings. Unlike physics, which I quickly dumped, The Hobbit threw open the literary Doors of Durin to a whole universe of fantasy writing. When it first came out, one reviewer called The Hobbit “juvenile trash” that suffered “impotence of imagination”. So let’s raise a glass of ale to The Hobbit, 80 years young.

Source: The Guardian September 21, 2017 10:41 UTC