Exactly 80 years ago, in 1937, was an unusual story, which was destined for a long and happy life. Called the novel “the Hobbit, or There and back again”. And it was about the journey of a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins of the company of bearded dwarves and the untold riches krait terrible dragon Smaug. Wrote “the Hobbit” J. R. R. Tolkien was still not knowing that this book, he issued a ticket to immortality.
BIRTH
“The hobbit” was born from… fatigue and lack of money. Here is what he wrote to Tolkien, who held the position of Professor of Anglo-Saxon language at Oxford University, the appearance of the book in light: “All I remember about where I went “the Hobbit”, I was checking the school examination papers, in the power of enduring fatigue from this annual labor, which falls on the shoulders of cash-strapped children’s teachers. On a blank leaf I scrawled: “hole In the ground lived a hobbit”. Why, I did not know; I do not know now.”
Later meticulous scholar Tolkien was trying to figure out how much time the Professor went on writing books. But until now, common opinion in this matter. The most realistic is the version based on the memories of his sons, the writing of the tale was begun in the summer of 1930. That is, the work on the story lasted for a minimum of five years, of which nearly two years has taken a rough edit of the manuscript.
EDITION. Who knows, I dared myself an intelligent Professor to propose to someone in his manuscript, but helped a blind case — in the face of a former student of Tolkien’s, Elaine Griffiths, who recommended the “amazing tale” one of the employees of the publishing house Allen & Unwin. There have requested the story, carefully familiar with it, and asked for an aspiring writer to make some changes that the last did. After that, the publishing Director of the Stanley ANVISA decided to test the book for 10-year-old son who, after reading the tale, delivered its verdict: “the Book is fascinating, and children will enjoy.” When the novel was adopted into print.
CRITICISM. The first edition of the novel consisted of only 1500 copies. But the book was liked by the readers so that they grind the circulation for a couple of months. Had to release additional — in the amount of 2300 copies. Harsh criticism was also left in awe of “the Hobbit” — say, the author managed to create a real magical world “in which we believe.” As a result — the publisher, nose scenting profit, addressed to the author asking for a sequel. This continued and became a novel called “Lord of the rings,” and which in the end all the parameters exceeded “There and back”.
THE HOBBITS ARE TRAVELING. As is often the case, outstanding idea, as a banner picked up by all and Sundry, and happily use it. So there is nothing surprising in the fact that the hobbits from Tolkien’s books gently “stomped” in the works of other authors. So, the protagonist of “Ring of Darkness” nick Perumov was the hobbit Falco, Brandybuck. In a series of novels about the Witcher Geralt of Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski are the characters belonging to the race of halflings, “senior” or elven speech called “Perian” — a direct reference to the hobbits of Tolkien.
CARTOONS. A big way in the cinema began to “the Hobbit” cartoon. So, in 1966, came the eponymous short film, Gene Deitch, and in 1977, a feature — length cartoon (dir. Arthur Rankin and Jules bass). In 1991, the year the Soviet Union was begun shooting animation “the Treasure under the Mountain”… Nikolay Karachentsovu in the role of Gandalf! But completed cartoon was not. And then, years later, there was Peter Jackson’s famous trilogy. But that’s a different story.
Cartoon. The animation could not pass up “the Hobbit”
FAKE AND AMICI
The book “the Hobbit, or There and back again” can literally get rich its owner — unless, of course, he got lucky and he has raritetnye first edition. Can bring to court (as in China), and may bring together two supersenses: Mama Carlson Astrid Lindgren and the mother of all Moomins, Tove Jansson! Here’s three stories.
RARITY. Not long ago, the first edition of “the Hobbit”, 1937 recording, made by the Elvish language by Tolkien was sold at auction in London for $350,000. Thus the record was broken the previous auction, when the book was sold for $240 000.
The first edition of “the Hobbit”
FAKE. In 2002, China was issued a “new” book about Harry Potter from an anonymous author under the title “Harry Potter and Bao Zulong”. The fake was a accurate translation… Tolkienesque “the Hobbit” where all the characters were replaced by characters from the works of J. K. Rowling. Only in the beginning of the book was added a few paragraphs about turning Harry into a hobbit, when he took a bath, and in the end — the opposite of metamorphosis. Then, of course, Rowling’s lawyers filed for a Chinese publishing house to court, demanding compensation of several million!
Potter from the world of Tolkien
THE PROJECT OF THE CENTURY. Few people know that the great storyteller Astrid Lindgren not only wrote books for children, but for many years he worked as an editor in the children’s Department of the publisher Rabn & Sjgren. In preparation for the printing of “the Hobbit” that Lindgren decided to book Tove Jansson (who was not only a brilliant storyteller but also an artist) illustrations for the book of Tolkien. Astrid modestly called their joint project: “the Best children’s book of the century that will live long after we die and be buried.”
Tuva pretty quickly complied with the order book was close to her in spirit. “I really like your beautiful little hobbit. It is impossible to describe with words. Small, smart and cute — the way it’s supposed to be, and how he hasn’t been e
has no one edition” — with great delight, wrote Astrid Tuva.
Edition Tove and Astrid
THE FIRST FILM ADAPTATION IN THE WORLD WITHOUT THE ELVES AND TROLLS
Amazingly, the first film adaptation of the book Tolkien made in… the Soviet Union. In 1985, Director Vladimir Latyshev put the drama “the Fabulous journey of Mr. Bilbo Baggins, the Hobbit” Zinovy Gerdt in the role of a Professor who tells the story. Baggins was played by Mikhail Danilov. Today to watch this “movie” without tears it is impossible: for example, a dragon and giant spiders “played” with dolls, and elves and trolls all thrown out of the narrative. But the dialogue in the film is very close to the text of the story.
Bilbo. The hobbit was played by the actor Michael Danilov (left)
Gerdt was the narrator
“I DREW A HOBBIT YEVGENY LEONOV”
In my home library is kept amusing instance of “the Hobbit” by John Tolkien, published by Soviet publishing house “Detskaya Literatura” in 1976. I remember in my childhood, flipping through the pages and looking at the most atmospheric illustrations by artist Michael Belomorskogo, I could not help thinking that the hobbit is the spitting image of actor Yevgeny Leonov! Here he is comfortably chugging along the tube, and here it cautiously, sideways, comes to the dragon’s cave…
Many years later I learned that the hobbit-Leonov is not my invention and that the artist really used the face and a comfortable figure of Evgeny Pavlovich for their drawings. That’s what it told the artist: “the Main character, Bilbo Baggins, I’ve painted with my favorite actor Yevgeny Leonov, for this is right: a good-natured, plump. But then my wife suddenly said, “You without permission stole the image of Leonov portrayed him paunchy, with shaggy legs. Maybe it is stirred up?” In General, I was scared and waited for trouble. But then Leonov arrived in Petersburg in House of cinema, which hosted the premiere of the film with his participation, and my wife and I were also invited to view. At the Banquet, plucking up courage, I approached him: “Evgeny Pavlovich! You are my favorite artist. I’m even in the book you drew, without your really permission.” Here he is, in spite of all my fears, came to the indescribable delight, directly laughed, looking at the pictures. And then suddenly so confused asks: “Oh, and where would I get this book, because it’s probably difficult?” And I gladly gave him the copy.”
The hobbit. Cozy and homely
A TYPICAL HOBBIT
If “knock out” all available information about hobbits, you can make a portrait of the “typical representative” of this glorious folk.
CHARACTER. Hobbits in the home calm and good-natured, like comfort. Rarely show interest in the great Affairs, but its small things very carefully. Hard to find a more peaceful people than hobbits, but they are still able to fend for themselves. Perfectly own bow and a sling. Know how to move quietly — they were great scouts.
APPEARANCE. Hobbits are the Little people. Their growth is approximately the same as in gnome — 0.9 to 1.2 meters. Because of their small stature they are also called halflings or polovinkami (eng. Halflings). They are rather chubby, rosy-cheeked and always neatly dressed (I love all shades of yellow and green). Their hair is usually curly, most often shades of brown, but the beards in the hobbit does not happen almost never. Hobbits prefer to walk barefoot: the fur protects their feet from the cold more reliable any pants. Hobbits live on average about a hundred years.
SOUL. In the hobbit there is no evil. Exactly. The settled hobbits tend to order and law, they like it when everything goes according to plan, but in life there are no surprises. To religion are quite small interest.
HOUSING. Simple hobbits love a temperate climate and hilly, with fertile soil and small forests. They preferably settle in a neatly dug and well-furnished burrows, sometimes in a squat wooden huts with sod roof. Cities they love living in cities hobbits can be counted on the fingers.
WEAKNESS. Hobbits are engaged in farming: tobacco (very much they love to smoke), grapes, and barley (and drink). Beer of hobbits is highly valued throughout the earth. Also hobbits love to eat: can eat up to six times a day. The majority of afraid of adventure. In the words of Bilbo Baggins: “We are simple people, adventure complaining. B-R-R… they even have lunch in no time”.
Fashionable. Hobbits love bright clothes — especially respect for yellow and green
SUPERNOTE: OR WOOL — ALL OF US!
Dwarves beard, elf ears. But hobbits are a special sort of pride — hairy legs!
Martin Freeman (who plays hobbit Bilbo in the trilogy of Peter Jackson’s “the Hobbit”) complained: “My working day began at five o’clock in the morning.” And he started early so inhuman just because of these legs: the process of grimirovaniya lower limbs every day took an hour and a half! Took it all like this: the actor’s feet smeared with glue, then put on the foot, then further up when the glue. And all this time Martin had to stand because sitting position, his feet were glued wrong, and on the run just fell away.
Since the leg was glued, to remove them without damage was impossible, so each pair of legs could be used only once. As a result, for Bilbo had done a total of 300 pairs of artificial feet.
By the way, when after the premiere of paintings sold off the props, one of the unencumbered pairs of “Slippers” (as on the ground playfully called the artificial legs) was sold to one of the fans, fetishists over $ 700!
Freeman-Bilbo. And his false “Slippers”
