Description
The Second Edition of The Hobbit, published in 1951, is particularly notable because it marked a significant shift in Tolkien’s vision of Middle-earth. By this time, Tolkien was deep into the writing of The Lord of the Rings, and he began to see connections between his original children’s story and the larger, more complex world he was building. As a result, he made revisions to the The Hobbit text, especially in the “Riddles in the Dark” chapter where Bilbo first encounters Gollum.
In the original version, Gollum was more benign, even offering to give Bilbo the One Ring as a prize for winning their riddle game. However, in light of the darker themes emerging in The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien reworked this scene to reflect a more sinister relationship between Gollum and the Ring. Now, instead of offering the Ring, Gollum is deeply attached to it, and Bilbo finds it by chance. This change created a more dramatic and fitting setup for the events in The Lord of the Rings and set the tone for Gollum’s tortured relationship with the Ring. The 1951 edition also included minor updates and tweaks throughout the text, but this fundamental change in Bilbo’s encounter with Gollum is what makes it historically significant, as it bridges The Hobbit with the epic scope of The Lord of the Rings.
