Tolkien introduces the reader to his rich fantasy world peopled with hobbits, elves, dwarves, humans, goblins, orcs and wizards. The Hobbit is set in a time "between the Dawn of Færie and the Dominion of Men" and follows the quest of home-loving hobbit Bilbo Baggins as Gandalf the wizard persuades him to seek a share of the treasure hoarded by the dragon Smaug. Bilbo's journey takes him from light-hearted, rural surroundings into more sinister territory.

The Hobbit is a precursor to Tolkien’s extremely popular Lord of the Rings trilogy, the first of which was published nearly fifteen years later.