It is unusual for a modern work to become a classic so quickly, but JRR Tolkien’s “ring” stories, which began with The Hobbit are clearly in this very special category.

The “ring” stories stir the imagination and intellect of everyone they touch.  Bilbo Baggins, one of the most conservative of all Hobbits, is asked to leave his large, roomy and very dry home in the ground in order to set off as chief robber in an attempt to recover an important treasure. It’s the last thing that any sensitive Hobbit would want to do, but great benefit eventually results—not only for Bilbo but for all of the Hobbits who inhabit Middle Earth—and the hearts of those children and adults who continue to enjoy this kind of magic.