THE HOBBIT AND LORD OF THE RINGS—DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE SAME STORY?

THE HOBBIT AND LORD OF THE RINGS—DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE SAME STORY? THE HOBBIT is usually considered to be more light weight than THE LORD OF THE RINGS. This wikipedia article says that the book “is recognized as a classic in children’s literature”; and the book is featured on the Children’s Book Wiki site. This article by Richard Fernandez on the Belmont Club website (link via Instapundit) makes the point that THE HOBBIT and LOTR are different versions of the same story. He traces some of the parallels in the stories (“The Quest for Erebor clearly forshadows the Journey into Mordor; Smaug, the last of the old monsters, prefigures Sauron the destroyer of souls….”). Fernandez suggests that both books straddle two eras, just as Beowulf does. THE HOBBIT (though regarded as a children’s book) gives “a glimpse of trolls, Storm-giants, goblins, giant rabbits, oversized spiders, wargs, talking birds and giant eagles once more — before they finally disappear….” And I can think of few other books, and no other books for children, that are so pervaded by the sense that evil will prevail.