The Hobbit follows Bilbo Baggins, a quiet hobbit of the Shire, who is unexpectedly recruited by the wizard Gandalf to join a company of dwarves on a quest to reclaim their homeland from the dragon Smaug. Along the way, Bilbo encounters trolls, goblins, giant spiders, elves, and the creature Gollum, from whom he acquires a mysterious ring. Through courage, cunning, and unexpected resourcefulness, Bilbo transforms from a timid homebody into a hero of great import, bridging the ordinary and the fantastical in Tolkien’s richly imagined world.