Pre-Discussion Synopsis (no spoliers here)

[Paul]

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkein is a set in Middle-Earth at a time before The Lord of the Rings. In the neighborhood of The Hill lives Bilbo Baggins, The Hobbit of the book's title...a small good natured creature whose home is a cosy hole tunneled into the Hill itself, with all the rooms and furnishings that are needed to make a comfortable dwelling.

One morning, after Bilbo had not seen him for many years, a well-known Wizard, Gandalf calls upon Bilbo, and at Bilbo's surprise the next day he is host to a company of dwarves who visit his home and tell of a strong, greedy and wicked dragon named Smaug who, some time ago, brought terror to the mountain lands and stole much treasure from the dwarves. And so begins an adventure which will take Bilbo, along with the group of dwarves, far away from his warm and snug home, through distant lands in the quest to regain the dwarves' stolen treasure. But even before they are anywhere near Smaug, the way is not empty of other creatures, and Bilbo finds something that will be a turning-pont in his life and that of others...