The “Accidental Bestseller”: How J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit Started as a Bedtime Story
It’s hard to believe, but The Hobbit — the book that gave us Middle-earth, Bilbo Baggins, and dragons like Smaug — didn’t start as a grand, world-changing epic. It started with one man, telling a bedtime story to his kids. J.R.R. Tolkien wasn’t sitting down to write a bestselling novel. He wasn’t trying to change the face of literature. He was just a tired dad, spinning a tale to make his children smile.
And yet, this simple bedtime story turned into one of the most beloved books of all time.
1. It Started With a Hobbit… and a Blank Page
Picture this: it’s the early 1930s. Tolkien — an Oxford professor of languages — is sitting at his desk, probably surrounded by stacks of papers and half-finished work. He’s grading exams (as professors do) when, out of nowhere, a single sentence pops into his mind:
“In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit.”
That’s it. One line. A spark. Tolkien, without really knowing what a “hobbit” even was yet, scribbled it down and went back to his day. But the line stayed with him. Eventually, he started weaving it into a story for his children — something simple, fun, and full of little adventures to keep them entertained at bedtime.
The kids loved it. They were hooked. “What happens next, Dad?” they asked, night after night. Tolkien kept telling the story — about a quiet little hobbit who gets dragged into an adventure he never asked for, facing trolls, goblins, elves, and a dragon guarding a treasure hoard.
He was creating Middle-earth without even realizing it.
2. The Push to Publish
At first, this was just a family thing — a dad telling a good story to his kids. Tolkien didn’t think of it as something “serious.” But friends (including C.S. Lewis, who would later write The Chronicles of Narnia) read the manuscript and encouraged him to publish it.
In 1936, he handed the story to a London publisher, George Allen & Unwin. A staff member’s 10-year-old son read the draft and gave the most glowing review Tolkien could have asked for: “This book is better than anything else.”
And with that, The Hobbit was published in 1937.
3. The Unexpected Success
When the book hit shelves, Tolkien didn’t expect much. It was just a charming story for children, after all. But readers fell in love — adults and kids alike. The Hobbit sold faster than anyone anticipated.
The story of Bilbo — this small, humble hobbit who just wanted to live quietly but got swept up into a world of treasure, danger, and dragons — resonated with people. It was a story of courage, friendship, and adventure told with a wit and charm that readers couldn’t resist.
Before Tolkien knew it, The Hobbit was a hit. Publishers started asking, “So… what happens next?”
At first, Tolkien wasn’t sure. He had never planned to write a sequel. But the book’s success was undeniable, and soon, his little bedtime story turned into something far bigger.
4. From Bedtime Story to a Literary Legacy
Tolkien’s attempt to “write a follow-up” to The Hobbit spiraled into a much larger, darker, and more epic story: The Lord of the Rings. What started with a little hobbit in a hole became the cornerstone of fantasy literature, giving us a world of elves, dwarves, rings, and epic battles that would inspire countless stories for generations to come.
But The Hobbit was where it all began. What makes it so special is that it doesn’t feel like a “grand” story. It’s simple, cozy, and timeless — like someone sitting at the edge of your bed, telling you a tale about adventures in far-off lands.
It’s about an ordinary character who discovers extraordinary courage. It’s about leaving home, finding friends, and realizing that you’re braver than you ever thought possible. That’s why readers still love it, nearly a century
later.
5. A Story Born from Love
At its heart, The Hobbit wasn’t written for fame or fortune. It wasn’t carefully planned or meticulously marketed. It was born from love — a father creating something magical for his children.
And maybe that’s why it feels so human, so warm, and so enduring.
Sometimes, the most extraordinary things come from the simplest places. A spark of imagination. A quiet bedtime story. A single line scribbled on a piece of paper.
“In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit.”
Who could’ve guessed that one little sentence would change the world of storytelling forever?
