First of all, there are two other Audio books I've listened to. The first is the unabridged reading by one speaker and the other is the abridged production by 5 or 6 UK voice actors, which is the best of all 3. Second, the style of this production (being reviewed) can be annoying. It's almost like the Audio CD of a play instead of a book -- not many Audio Plays on the market, are there? Third, the voice casting doesn't at all match what we've come to expect. After more than 50 years, we have movies, cartoons, video games, and other sources that have shaped our constructs and expectations for these classics to such an extent that we need confirmation of what we already know. Even so, I wouldn't recommend this audio book to anyone, not a new Hobbit reader, and not even to someone lacking all the previously formed expectations. It's just not one of the better Audio Books you might find on the Hobbit.

going to keep this short. excellent in all aspects. well acted, sounds, etc. brilliant. only bad thing was when its over. old speech style is great too and have listened to it many times so far since buying it.