In this episode, we wrap up The Hobbit with “The Last Stage” and reflect on Bilbo’s road home, the petty (now less petty?) Rivendell elves, the unexpected return to Bag End, and how Tolkien so thoroughly captures the meaning of “home.” We also take an extended look at Tolkien’s 3 (THREE!) songs in this final chapter. Then, we examine why Tolkien might give so much attention to the aftermath and how Bilbo is changed forever (or maybe it’s just a bigger stronger Tookish side?).

We also cover:

• The Hobbit doesn’t even use the word “Shire”


• Fixing our capitalization 🙂


• Are the elves’ final songs belittling Bilbo’s journey, or highlighting true riches?


• The fate of Lake-town’s Master: Tolkien’s take on dragon-sickness and political corruption


• How Tolkien leaves almost no loose ends in this tale.


• Even in the penultimate paragraph, Tolkien nods at Bilbo’s luck… if luck you call it!

In our extended episode (available for our members) we talk about:

• Member comment: Maybe the Arkenstone’s DID influence the Battle of Five Armies?


• Member comment: The deeper meaning of “Bilbo the Magnificent”.


• What one thing did we discover in this extremely deliberate reading of The Hobbit?

🔗 Episode Links

The History of The Hobbit

The Annotated Hobbit

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🔍 If You Like Tolkien

The History of The Hobbit

The Expanded Letters of JRR Tolkien (audiobook)

The Expanded Letters of JRR Tolkien (book)

The Silmarillion

The Children of Hurin

The Atlas of Middle-earth

Make Tolkien Great Again – Tengwar Hat