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Rating: 
Summary: Dramatization of the Hobbit with a medieval flavor
Review: As with the BBC production of the Lord of the Rings, the acting and sound effects in this dramatization of "The Hobbit" are excellent. The story follows the book closely, and I was impressed at how well BBC adapted and condensed Tolkien's work into this radio drama. The only disappointment was the soundtrack. I love medieval music, and have appreciated much of David Munrow's work, but the music in this production is a little too discordant. The elvish music is good, but some of the instruments of the dwarves are a little harsh. Other than that, this was a great version of Tolkien's classic.
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful memories - glad to have on CD
Review: Back in the late 1970's, in an era when radio drama was disappearing from public radio, the American prodcution of "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" were created with a full cast of voice actors along with music and sound effects. Reminiscent of the radio dramas of the 1940's and 50's, these productions were usually aired on Sunday afternoons, when a family could listen and enjoy the week's story. Released on Jabberwocky Audio on cassette tapes, I remember the Christmas when I received the entire collection of Jabberwocky's stories on tape. From "The Hobbit" to "Alice in Wonderland" to "The Red Badge of Courage," all were classic tales. They even re-released on cassette some of the original radio productions, such as "War of the Worlds" and "The Gift of the Magi." These stories were designed to get the listener interested and promote reading the books the productions were based on. They were not designed for an adult audience, but rather for children and families to share. Wonderfully edited and masterfully performed, many modern audiences find these old productions a little silly or even perhaps dated, but play it for a child, and they will listen in rapture, just as I did 25 years ago when they were new. Of all my collection of the Jabberwocky tapes, "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" are the only ones that I have trouble playing today, because they have been played so many times over the years that they are worn out. We would play them in the car on road trips, I would play them in my room while putting together a puzzle, and I played them for my friends, who enjoyed them as much as I did. I am delighted to have it on CD to listen to over and over again. At seven years of age, I had not yet read the books when I first listened to the tapes. But the tapes were perfect for a small girl just getting interested in reading. If only all the rest of the old radio dramas were also on CD! I would buy them all. It was unfortunate to come to this website and see the poor reviews written by people who have no understanding of the history of the production or what demographic it was originally intended for. I look forward to the day when I can play these CD's for my own children and see the wonder and delight in their faces when they hear the same stories that I grew up with.
Rating:
Summary: Audio brings the Classic to life!!!
Review: EVERYONE SHOULD READ 'THE HOBBIT' AND LISTEN TO THIS AWESOME AUDIO RENDITION. I cannot praise BBC enough. Their dramatizations are incredible! The sound effects and music in 'The Hobbit' especially deserve to be lauded ~ Gollum, the trolls, the elves, the eagles are all given the kind of sounds and voices we tried to contrive as kids. Everything the characters are doing - climbing mountains, riding in barrels down river, running, marching, drinking/eating - is captured with a multitude of sounds. Put on your headphones and you will disappear to Bilbo's discovered world. Parents who are sick of bad programming and dumbed-down childrens' books should try this one out! They're great for long car rides. There are tons of other great titles from BBC - The Lion The Witch & The Wardrobe, Great Expectations, The Lord of the Rings, etc. They all measure up to the same kind of superior quality!
Rating:
Summary: Classic
Review: I can barely believe there are those that think this book too boring & pointless. First off, the book is barely 300 pages long, if that. Secondly, it has a point, and that's to tell a engaging story. I guess some people just don't get it or go in for this kind of thing. Pointless and boring? You haven't seen such till you read certain volumes of Robert Jordan's Wheel Of Time series. For me, this book is like a doorway into another world. A wizard, a hobbit and a group of dwarves go on a quest to oust a dragon from their mountain and run into orcs, wolves and spiders on the way? Jeez, what could be cooler? I found it engrossing every step of the way. The only criticism I would have for the book might be that the latter part of the book takes an abruptly more serious tone than the first half of the book, but that's only fitting since it prepares for the more serious tone of Lord of the Rings. This book is Classic Fantasy. For the number of reviews that wanted to give this book 0 stars, even if they are only a handful, I give this book 10 stars.
Rating: 
Summary: Not anything to jump at...
Review: I recommend the Mind's Eye dramatization of this. At least Mind's Eye gets the pronunciation of names correct. GahLOOM for Gollum? All it takes is listening to Tolkien himself reading "Riddles in the Dark" (I recommend the Tolkien Audio Collection) to know that these producers didn't do their homework. Also, the split narrative is a bit distracting, and Bilbo's constant hemming and hawing makes him sound like he has a mental condition. The voice casting leaves MUCH to be desired as well. Gandalf (or GawnDAWLF as they mispronounce it) sounds awful! This actor would be interesting as Wormtongue in LOTR, but as Gandalf - PTOOIE! The script is not badly written, although they emphasize some WEIRD things in the plot, like an overlong description of Elrond.
Rating:
Summary: Not anything to jump at...
Review: I recommend the Mind's Eye dramatization of this. At least Mind's Eye gets the pronunciation of names correct. GahLOOM for Gollum? All it takes is listening to Tolkien himself reading "Riddles in the Dark" (I recommend the Tolkien Audio Collection) to know that these producers didn't do their homework. Also, the split narrative is a bit distracting, and Bilbo's constant hemming and hawing makes him sound like he has a mental condition. The voice casting leaves MUCH to be desired as well. Gandalf (or GawnDAWLF as they mispronounce it) sounds awful! This actor would be interesting as Wormtongue in LOTR, but as Gandalf - PTOOIE! The script is not badly written, although they emphasize some WEIRD things in the plot, like an overlong description of Elrond.
Rating:
Summary: Worthwhile listening to
Review: The story itself is on four CDs, the fifth CD contains several songs. This audio production won't replace reading the book, but may serve as an overview of the book. The sound effects at times seem a bit overdone - you'll hear a lot of huffing and puffing. As a previous reviewer noted, children may enjoy this set of CDs more than adults and the sound effects can help to hold their attention. Gollum sounds rather spooky, and Bilbo sounds as if he were out of breath most of the time.
Rating:
Summary: Hard to follow...
Review: this book is very good especially for the type who love action thrillers and i would suggest it for the young and old alike
Rating:
Summary: A Delightful Trip into the Misty Mountains!
Review: This wonderful set of audio CDs has been a delight in my family. About 10 years ago we got rid of our television, and we spend a lot of time listening to audio drama and reading to each other. My five children have spent countless hours listening to this series, with its fantastic dramatizations of Tolkien's characters. The music and sound effects are also a real treat. It's also a great companion to the BBC's other Tolkien series, "The Lord of the Rings." It's my precious!!
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