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Books like The Hobbit

The Hobbit is a light-hearted adventure about an unlikely hero who joins a quest. These seven fantasies range from gentler and funnier to longer and more serious.

Books to read next

  • The Fellowship of the Ring

    J.R.R. Tolkien

    The next stop in Middle-earth: Frodo inherits a ring from Bilbo and sets out, in a longer and graver book.

  • The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

    C.S. Lewis

    Another classic children's fantasy, with siblings, a hidden land and a cast of talking animals.

  • A Wizard of Earthsea

    Ursula K. Le Guin

    A young mage sails a world of islands, in a spare, mythic tale that is more solemn than The Hobbit.

  • The Princess Bride

    William Goldman

    A tongue-in-cheek fairy tale of true love, sword fights and clever villains, framed as an abridgment of an older classic.

  • Legends & Lattes

    Travis Baldree

    A retired orc mercenary opens a coffee shop in a fantasy town, in a gentle cozy fantasy that puts warmth over battles.

  • The Name of the Wind

    Patrick Rothfuss

    A legendary figure turned innkeeper recounts his youth, from a performing troupe to a school of magic, in a long, more adult story.

  • Howl's Moving Castle

    Diana Wynne Jones

    A hat-shop worker turned old woman by a curse finds work in a wizard's moving castle, with a sharp-tongued cast.

How to choose

Decide how much of Middle-earth you want. The Fellowship of the Ring continues the world, but it is longer and more serious. For something shorter and gentler, try The Princess Bride or Legends & Lattes, both lighter in tone. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Howl's Moving Castle are children's fantasies that adults enjoy too. If you want depth, A Wizard of Earthsea is spare and mythic, and The Name of the Wind is long and more adult. That last one begins a trilogy that is still unfinished, so know that before you start. Most of these open a series, so a favorite can lead to more.

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