Audiobook Sample
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- Title: Hobbit
- Author: J. R. R. Tolkien
- Narrator: Rob Inglis
- Length: 11:03:00
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 29/10/2015
- Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers UK
- Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Epic Fantasy
- ISBN13: 9.78E+12
There’s something magical about revisiting ‘The Hobbit’ as an audiobook that takes me back to my first encounter with Middle-earth. I was 14, backpacking through New Zealand’s South Island with my uncle, and he would read chapters aloud by campfire light. The way the flames danced as he voiced Gollum’s riddles made the story feel alive in a way I’d never experienced. Rob Inglis’s narration captures that same campfire magic, but with the polish of a master storyteller.
Inglis’s performance is nothing short of legendary. His voice carries the weight and warmth of Tolkien’s prose like a well-worn traveling cloak. When he voices Gandalf, you can practically smell the pipe-weed and feel the bristling of his eyebrows. The dwarves each have distinct personalities that come through in subtle vocal shifts – no small feat when dealing with thirteen distinct characters. But it’s his portrayal of Bilbo that truly shines, capturing that perfect balance of reluctant adventurer and unexpected hero that makes the character so endearing.
What struck me most during this listening experience was how Inglis handles Tolkien’s songs and poems. I remember staying with a family in the Scottish Highlands where after dinner, the patriarch would sing ancient ballads in a rich baritone that seemed to shake the rafters. Inglis brings that same tradition to Tolkien’s verses, actually singing the dwarves’ songs rather than just reciting them. The ‘Misty Mountains’ theme in particular gave me chills, transporting me to those New Zealand mountains where Peter Jackson later brought Middle-earth to visual life.
As a travel writer, I’m particularly drawn to how Tolkien builds his world through sensory details. Listening to Inglis describe the Shire’s rolling hills, I’m reminded of the Portuguese countryside I’m looking at right now – the way morning light filters through olive groves, the smell of earth after rain. When the company enters Mirkwood, Inglis’s voice drops to a whisper that makes you feel the oppressive weight of those ancient trees, much like the Amazon rainforest I once trekked through where sunlight barely reached the forest floor.
The audio production itself is clean and well-balanced. At 11 hours, it’s the perfect length for a road trip (I listened to large chunks while driving through Colorado’s Rocky Mountains last autumn). The pacing feels just right – leisurely when describing landscapes, urgent during the action sequences. My only minor critique is that some of the dwarf voices blend together in crowded scenes, but that’s an inevitable challenge with such a large cast of similar characters.
Compared to other fantasy audiobooks, Inglis’s performance stands with the greats like Stephen Fry’s ‘Harry Potter’ or Roy Dotrice’s ‘Game of Thrones’. There’s a timeless quality to his narration that suits Tolkien’s mythic tone perfectly. While some may prefer the more dramatic approach of newer narrators like Andy Serkis (who does an excellent version as well), Inglis feels like your favorite professor reading aloud by a crackling fire.
This audiobook is particularly special because it captures the oral tradition at the heart of Tolkien’s work. The author himself used to tell these stories to his children, and listening to Inglis, I’m reminded of those evenings in Oaxaca where the grandmother’s stories wove spells around us. There’s an intimacy to this performance that makes you feel like you’re sitting in Bag End with Bilbo himself, sharing a pot of tea and a grand tale.
For first-time Tolkien readers, this is the perfect introduction. For returning fans, it’s like visiting an old friend. The themes of courage, home, and the transformative power of adventure resonate just as strongly today as when Tolkien first wrote them. As someone who’s spent a life on the road, I particularly connect with Bilbo’s arc – that tension between the comforts of home and the call of the unknown path.
If you’re looking for an audiobook that will transport you completely, this is it. Whether you’re commuting, cooking, or curled up with a blanket, Inglis’s narration will make Middle-earth feel as real as the chair you’re sitting on. Just be warned – you might find yourself humming dwarf songs for weeks afterward (I certainly have).
As the sun dips below Lisbon’s red rooftops and I finish my third coffee, I’m left with that warm afterglow only a great story can provide. Much like the best journeys, ‘The Hobbit’ audiobook leaves you changed – a little braver, a little wiser, and with a renewed appreciation for the road ahead. Wherever your own adventures take you next, may they be filled with such wonderful stories. Until next time, keep wandering and wondering. – Marcus
Marcus Rivera
