J.R.R. Tolkien reads from 'The Hobbit: Riddles in the Dark'

[@jackcoughlan9793]

This is very soothing. Tolkien's voice calms me down.

[@lavmorc]

The fact that this is online is one of the reasons I love the Internet.

[@Nyxiebunny]

I can't overstate how much it means to me to be able to hear Tolkien's voice. Through his books, I almost feel he is a dear friend.

[@PatriaFinlandia]

He reads very emotionally. Like grandparents read to their grandchildren. Simply magical. Tolkien speaks to us behind all those years. Rest in peace John

[@Tim_Climie]

I am, not resting.

[@HeartlessRandomguy]

Tolkien has been gone for almost 50 years now, but still inspires many people nowadays

[@artemisrawr]

This is the voice of the man that came right out of the Middle Earth, where he lives now.

[@tamannagolshani1290]

The man who changed my life... 💖

[@joebarker3386]

Are you a Christian?

[@tamannagolshani1290]

@@joebarker3386 We should be Christian to learn from Tolkien?

[@joebarker3386]

@@tamannagolshani1290 Oh no, not saying that at all

[@joebarker3386]

Just wondering if the fact that he was a devout Christian was what changed your life. Didn't mean to offend.

[@joebarker3386]

I mean, lotr and the silmarillion in particular have obvious Christian parallels.

[@evilyig]

What I wouldn't give to have all of his Middle Earth literature read by the man himself, he brings the written words to life. He understood the power of a word in a way that is so rare.

[@JosephDungee]

I listened to this when in was in High School. Loved these recordings.

[@blakerichardson8237]

this is absolutely amazing. It sucks that the video stops right before the time riddle though.

[@mangamadde]

It's so wonderful to hear Tolkien's voice. He really sounds like a true storyteller. Thanks for sharing!

[@loukes116]

The man whose impacted my life beyond words. Warms my heart to hear his voice. Thank you.

[@dow2961]

Thanks for posting these. This is there first I've ever heard his voice. Tolkien really is the best!

[@OneTrueVikingbard]

“I don’t know where he came from.” Necc minut... “Long after, but still very long ago, there lived by the banks of the Great River on the edge of Wilderland a clever-handed and quiet-footed little people.”

[@igor20igor]

Consistency!

[@cuhlioo5]

CAN NOT WAIT to see this on the big screen this winter

[@Jurr]

J.R.R. Tolkien is a legend (: Thnak you very much for making my childhood so many times more awesome!

[@Callithyia]

Skeptics, this was done ages ago. It was on vinyl records-- folks still have them. I remember listening to it as a kid on an old player. Apparently chamberofrecords was kind enough to convert it for us to enjoy. Many thanks to them! :-)

[@dpx1080]

WOW this is a real gem! I only wish the good professor had read the whole book for us to enjoy on KZbin!!!

[@adolfolicious]

This is an unforgettable chapter I remember reading it when i was younger

[@mysteriousfleas]

Andy is a talented actor, his interpretation of Gollum is nothing to sneeze at, but forever Tolkien's will be the voice of Gollum which I think rings the most true.

[@thereefshark]

Well, people are still mystified and dazzled by his life's work. So thankfully his legacy is very much alive. He defined fantasy stories for many new generations of readers.

[@mithrandir1210]

Hands down my favorite author...I can read through the series and by the time i'm done, i can start over and read it again. Amazing to hear him read his own work!

[@4271Dreamer]

His voice is so...soothing...I can just let go of every distraction here, by my laptop, and just get lost in his voice and brilliant work.

[@theallseeingoracle]

I used to have this on cassette, but I accidently recorded over it. Thank you so much for uploading this.

[@GodSaveOurTeam]

Tolkien seems to have envisaged Gollum as being from south Wales, from the voice :)

[@DoctorInk20]

I've always preferred the idea of *Gollum* just being this inexplicable... _thing_ living deep in the Goblin caves. How he ties into _Rings_ is perfect, but as a standalone idea, he's utterly horrifying. O_o

[@sudiin]

So nice to hear the great master himself! Material like things must be saved for the future! Respect for uploading this (:

[@KeyboardKarate]

THE GOLLUM VOICE O_O

[@MissGrapeNehi]

4:15 - "We EATS it, my preciousss!" :D

[@pilouuuu]

Great! Thanks for posting this. I never heard his voice before and he was a good reader as well as a good writer. Cool thing that Peter Jackson's Gollum sound very much like Tolkien speaking like the character.

[@KuramaYoko10]

Thanks dude for this awesome recording... it is so incredible to listen him reading the book!! I wish I had the complete tapes, to read while listening.... xD

[@vindog360]

its really brillant to hear a section of one of the best books be read by one of the greatest authors of all time

[@spider-man5294]

11 years wow

[@shadowmare97]

Nobody can discribe the scenes in a book better then the author himself/herself. And Tolkein was truly an amazing author, no exceptions

[@CommieApe]

The Gollum voice is so cool Tolkien was a master of his craft.

[@Ichirou989]

@Angelo Lorenzo - The reason for the inconsistency is that The Hobbit was, according to Tolkien, a transcription of The Red Book of Westmarch, specifically the part titled There and Back Again which was Bilbo's tale of his adventures. When Bilbo wrote the book, he really didn't know where Gollum had come from and wrote it as such. It wasn't until many years later that Gandalf learned the true tale of Gollum's history and passed that on to Frodo. And that's how Tolkien handled the change.

[@capnhawkins]

Wow. I feel like Sam being told a tale by Bilbo. And I wouldn't be surprised if Andy Serkis got influence from Tolkien's Gollum voice. Perfect.

[@JARHuygebaert]

It's strange, but sometimes you can hear Gandalf in his voice:D

[@MST3KLives]

Good reply. I always say Tolkien's works are like plays. . they are meant to be spoken, not read. He used those grammatical tics in the same way songwriters write "e'er" or "somethin' ".

[@sarahw.6075]

My life is complete.

[@SouthernFriedFreak]

I had a couple of tapes that had Tolkien reading from his books, and some of the associated poetry. He also had a chap sing some of the songs, such as the "Let Them Pass" song (not sure of the title) and "Namarie", it is beautiful stuff.

[@Spagoo.Aka.TheBlackKnight]

As a linguist, semantics are very important in literature.

[@Airtayjay]

This is one of the coolest books i've ever read.

[@Squeege85]

Tolkien, one of the true masters of fantasy. There will never be another like him.

[@OneTrueVikingbard]

1:55 Best Gollum voice: 1) Professor Tolkien 2) Andy Serkis 3) Phil Dragash 4) Bluefax 5) Peter Woodthorpe

[@FamiliarEvils]

awesome author i have read the hobbit 6 times if you can believe it usually once a year but i read it twice this year.

[@BronzeTheSling]

Oh my word! His accent sounds like an Early Modern English accent! Doesn't it?

[@thegreenmage6956]

Absolutely not. That’s a South Wales accent. Observe the accentuation of the second-to-last syllable.

[@featherweight]

i don't think you can "mimic" a voice you created , but yes awesome, very awesome

[@hamsikElavezzi]

this man was a genious!

[@FinarfinNoldorin]

I absolutely agree Mr. Murray :)

[@SterlingHancock]

this is magical.

[@Mooseboy018]

out of all the voices of Gollum i've heard, in the different movies and videos games. Andy Serkis's is actually the closest and the way he says gollum in his throat too. his voice isn't exactly like tolkien's obviously and he does less of the ssssssssss-ing, but it's still a lot closer than others.

[@obarlao]

@PoetsLight I think you can get one on itunes for about 30 or so. I don't know if it's the entire book but I know it does have him singing the bend the forks and crack the plates song. You might want to check that out

[@jakesbrain]

In the first editionpf THE HOBBIT, Gollum promises the Ring as a prize if Bilbo beats him; when he can't find the Ring, he offers to show Bilbo the way out instead. According to Tolkien, this was the story Bilbo originally told Gandalf to explain how he got the Ring. The "real" story shows up in the 3rd edition of the book; both versions of it are referred to by Gandalf in LOTR.

[@Mooseboy018]

yeah, I noticed that too when I was listening to Tolkien reading a part from the Shadow of the Past chapter.

[@colorconnection]

hobbit-o's, hobbit-o's, they're scrumptously crunchable!

[@BumboJumboOriginal]

In addition, the story is a "translation" from the accounts of Bilbo Baggins, who being a hobbit and dweller of Middle Earth, spoke a very poetic prose. It's a tale, not a text.

[@dragonfiremalus]

"Sometimes he took a fancy for fish from the lake, and sometimes neither goblin or fish came back." Good line.

[@CHRIS1974100]

one of the best scene in The Hobbit

[@mara.luthien]

5:22 this always confused me while reading this

[@muffin6369]

My apologies! I was sure I read somewhere that he didn't read/record his own works. And I also thought it sounded like Rob Inglis. Someone else e-mailed me and said he didn't think it was Rob Inglis so I stand corrected all the way around. AND I am so thrilled to know that it IS Professor Tolkien. I also agree with everyone who has said how exciting it is to hear him! I am going to go back and listen with new ears. Thanks for setting me straight!

[@Indeed999]

@miketokles Funny you should say that; Ian McKellen, who played Gandalf, actually based the way he spoke in the LOTR films on the way Tolkien speaks himself.

[@Mooseboy018]

you people that actually get to read good books like the hobbit in school are so lucky. : )

[@spider-man5294]

ikr

[@aa-zf4vm]

His Gollum voice is so similar to Andy Serkis. :O

[@impendingdoom7920]

I think the way his dialogue is written implies that voice. Just another example of Tolkien being an absolute legend of a writer

[@blackwidowstudio]

awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! "Since I am sitting comfortably at home and have not the danger of being eaten to disturb my thinking." then what worries me most particularly is - "what have I got in my pocketses?" and what happens next. Oh yes I know but it's not the same...

[@55zodraz]

Awesome!

[@RGBRYN]

Nice i love these stories

[@Len124]

Tolkien's awesome! lol I like how he mimics Gollum's voice.

[@Shmook1]

Flummoxed! WHere's the next part? Altogether an amazing work of art.

[@CarlTheTacticalHoser]

Omg I have this on CD it came in this wicked ass Hobbit edition with maps and postcards and a pocket sized hordcover of the hobbit.

[@Geekus]

Wait, wait, wait... how do you dislike this? Not, seriously, how in the name of all the Valar can you dislike this? IT'S THE VOICE OF TOLKIEN HIMSELF!!!!!!

[@smonoco]

theres also the animated version however that doesnt compare with the book, and btw gullermo del toro will be directing the hobbit

[@666xXxSLAYERxXx666]

One word: Legendary! Nuff said :)

[@LynnHermione]

Tolkien's Gollum voice is amazing.

[@Ms2BeOrNotToB]

@JARHuygebaert :) yes, i heard that Ian McKellan listened to Tolkien read for a long time, and tried to literally copy his way of speaking in order to play Gandalf. So I guess you and Ian agree!

[@plaidpantsglory]

I always love hearing authors read their own works, but Tolkein is by far...I can't even...gah, I love Tolkein.

[@maadjuh1900]

Love this !!!

[@captainlucy]

I love that Gollum, in Tolkien's reading, seems to be Welsh! :D

[@Jonnyjy]

@jonnyATchantry yes.i totally agree with you.

[@vovka8308]

@wren1024 Ok, maybe, but I know that both variants are now in Use in English and are not considered mistakes even in the Standard Language.

[@Spagoo.Aka.TheBlackKnight]

Smeagol was not a hobbit, he was of the Riverfolk (essentially an offshoot species). And if I remember correctly, Gandalf does tell Frodo what happened to make Gollum in The Fellowship of the Ring.

[@muffin6369]

One other comment You said at the end of your comments "Why you would doubt it is beyond me?" I have to say this. If I believed everything that people say on the internet, people that I don't know and about the provenance of something I have no way of checking out I would be in deep trouble. For instance I have studied Egyptian history for many years and if I had a dollar for every incorrect comment I have read I would be a wealthy woman. I definitely wasn't trying to impugn anyone's character.

[@firecad2006]

remember watching the movie on disny and it scared the shit out of me but after a few years i relly like the movie

[@Mer.Saloon]

@muffin6369 I don't know, the merchandise says Tolkien.

[@cloudcamo7412]

what has roots that nobody sees taller than trees up up it gose but never grows.

[@ASuspiciousCrab]

Easy, mountain I suppose.

[@hamsikElavezzi]

A genious...!

[@Mer.Saloon]

@newaver64 I mean, why was Tolkien's voice different here than in his other recordings?

[@Flatscores]

I couldn't help but hearing diddly cold. lol. But otherwise - awesome. Good to hear the grandmasters voice.

[@ZemplinTemplar]

Funny hearing Tolkien impersonating Gollum... :-)

[@tirapet]

Did Tolkien read the whole book? Or any of the other books? I'd like to hear them in their entirety!

[@VeknesWaran]

did you know in most of stphen kings novels, the master of horror always makes remarks on tolkiens booksand characters. i think king was a fan of tolkiens work.

[@3rdof7sons]

You also have to remember that The Hobbit was written well before LOTR, and it is meant to be somewhat from the point of view of Bilbo, so he certainly wouldn't know where Gollum came from. In the years between the Hobbit and LOTR, Tolkien developed Middle Earth much more and probably 'learned' where Gollum came from if he hadn't decided yet when he wrote The Hobbit.

[@andysim232]

"its like listening to an angel."

[@Erikjust]

I wonder if theres a complete recording where Tolkien reads the entire book from beginning to end?

[@lynxord]

I'm rather supprised that the film portrayed gollum the way Tolkien appearantly wanted him to be portrayed.

[@dragonangel6]

Is anyone else wondering how exactly this scene is gonna go down in the upcoming film? Would like to see how they portray Golem crying out riddles

[@Mer.Saloon]

@newaver64 Since I don't have those tapes, care to explain?

[@warrioroftheworld01]

He was. He states that if he hadn't already been into the writing of the horror genre when he read Lord of the Rings for the first time, he would have been a fantasy writer, but if you read The Stand, his Dark Tower books and stuff, they are all tribute to Tolkien. Don't think there is any writer who isn't influenced by the great Tolkien!

[@bobdonda]

after hearing this, I'm nearly certain that Andy Serkis must have heard it while researching his role.

[@msknathan]

You know you're in trouble when your comment about poor grammar ends with "All your comment is useless." .

[@anneplotzlich]

Amazing. *-*