Eighty-One Years Of Bilbo Baggins In Print

Today marks the 81st anniversary of the publication of The Hobbit. For all Tolkien fans who have come to love the book and stories to follow, Corey Olsen wrote a history of The Hobbit for its 75 anniversary in 2012. Here is a post he wrote about the book and the evolution of its main character, Bilbo Baggins, for The Daily Beast. 

Olsen included seven illustrations Tolkien drew for the book, one of them being the dust jacket, proving he was not only a superb writer, but also an accomplished artist.

I first read The Hobbit over fifty years ago. It was an instant favorite, and like all of Tolkien's fantasy, an armchair adventure to be enjoyed over and over again.