September 21, 1937 saw the first publication (1,500 copies!) of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. While it’s been 75 years, the book still inspires many, including director Peter Jackson; the first of Jackson’s film adaptations comes out in December.

I fell in love with The Hobbit when a middle school teacher read it aloud to us (Thanks, Miss Maddie! (I repaid her kindness by insisting on speaking like Gollum, asking classmates what they had in their pocketsesss)).

Later I received a box set of the Lord of the Rings as a gift (Thanks, Mom and Dad!) which cemented my affection for Tolkien and his Middle Earth. I was the total Middle Earth geek – memorizing pronunciations and lineages; thank goodness there weren’t hobbit feet or elven ears to wear back then or I’m sure I would’ve been sporting them.

I can’t wait to see how Martin Freeman works his understated actor magic on the role of Bilbo. I do have to admit that after watching and re-watching Sherlock, it’s going to seem odd to watch Freeman without Benedict Cumberbatch  (wouldn’t BC be perfect as an arrogant elf?).

Trailer for The Hobbit.