1. The Hobbit is a Children’s Book
That’s right, although The Hobbit and the related Lord of the Rings novels are adored by many adults, the Hobbit is actually a children’s story! The novel is considered a classic in the children’s literature genre. And why wouldn’t it be! With the core values of friendship and adventure being a major part of the novel.
2. The Hobbit is a Banned Book
It might seem hard to believe that a widely known and very popular book, such as The Hobbit, could also be a banned book. But it’s true! Over the years the Hobbit was banned multiple times.The book was even burned during a protest in New Mexico in 2001.
3. The Hobbit was Successful Right Away
When The Hobbit was released 84 years ago today, there were about 1,500 copies put into circulation. By December though, the book was completely sold out. Right after its release,The Hobbit was nominated for awards like the Carnegie Medal and was given a New York Herald Tribune prize.
4. Tolkien Created the Word “Hobbit”
Though there is some controversy around this particular fact. Some people think that Tolkien found the word somewhere, which there is evidence to support. However, Tolkien said that he didn’t know of any texts that contained the word. After some back and forth, the Oxford Dictionary has credited Tolkien for the creation of the word since the 1970s.
5. Many changes were made to the Hobbit
This is very evident in the second edition of the novel. The reason for said changes was to make the story fit better with the Lord of the Rings novels. The scenes that were especially changed, were the scenes between Gollum and Bilbo Baggins.