Now I'm sure you intelligent folks already knew this, but just in case some of you didn't, I thought I'd share this. I came across it by accident while trying to find a list of the riddles used in the Riddles in the Dark chapter, and I discovered that the original publication of The Hobbit had a very different Gollum... so, enjoy

http://www.ringgame.net/riddles.html

Wow, very interesting. Never knew there was a alternate version, I gotta saw I like the rewrite version better than the nice Gollum. Great find!

That's right. In fact the version of The Hobbit we read was rewritten after Lord of the Rings. This is why there is mention in the preface about Bilbo lying to cover up how he won the ring and that some versions of the Red Book of Westmarch still contain that story.

I didn't go over to read the blog, so in case it wasn't mentioned there, you can read the full 1937 version in The Annotated Hobbit, which contains everything revised from the first edition along with Tolkien's sources for the riddles, etc etc.

It even points out typos found in later editions. Good book.

Its also in the History of the Hobbit, which is also a great book.

Yeah the History of the Hobbit is a great book, it really gives you insight into Tolkien's creative processes.

I really like the bit about the rewrite he started to bring it more in line withe the LotR, it's a shame he abandoned the project (He only got three chapters in).

I still wouldn't classify Gollum as "nice" in the original version. He still wanted to eat Bilbo, after all. It's just that there was a line he wouldn't cross, probably because he wouldn't break a taboo (violating the "sanctity" of the Riddle game), which people used to take a lot more seriously than they do today. Besides, Bilbo also had his sword, which he would undoubtedly use to defend himself.

This was the first time I could read the two versions side by side.

I knew about it, most likely reading a paraphrased revision and understood the allusions to "Bilbo's silly false story" implied in LotR, but I never read the original version of The Hobbit.

Thank you!