The History of The Hobbit is broken into two volumes:
Mr. Baggins covers approximately the first half of the published novel and Return to Bag-End covers the second half.
Despite the complicated history of these volumes, the text itself is surprisingly readable (far more so, I believe, than Christopher Tolkien’s History of ‘The Lord of the Rings’) mainly because of its overall organization.
The History of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ is very fragmentary and disorganized. This is not a slight against Christopher Tolkien’s editorial abilities, but a reference to the complication of the early Lord of the Rings manuscripts.
The History of The Hobbit is much more linear in structure, meaning that it can be read, even in its early drafts, as a “story”. The early Lord of the Rings manuscripts often stop mid-sentence, backtrack, and create a general tangle.
In spite of later changes to the narrative, The History of The Hobbit holds together as a piece, and the editorial commentary occurs at the end of chapters, rather than breaking in amongst the text. This gives the piece an excellent flow and makes for far less difficult reading.
The editorial detail is highly detailed and fascinating. Rateliff’s knowledge of Tolkien’s other writings is impeccable, as is his research on the various references and sources for the book.
The books feature a very detailed step-by-step examination of Tolkien’s sources and the many scholarly and mythological texts that inspired parts of the storyline.
This is a readable and highly-suggested book for anyone interested in the history of The Hobbit, the creative process Tolkien used to write the story, and particularly how The Hobbit ties in with the rest of Tolkien’s “Legendarium”.
Click on either of the links below to read a more detailed review of each volume of The History of The Hobbit or an exclusive interview with the author.
Credit: http://www.tolkien-online.com/history-of-the-hobbit.html
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