1995 Hobbiten (Knut Røe)

The Hobbit

Release Date: 1992.05.23
Readers: Knut Røe
Language: Norwegian (Bokmål)
Translator: Finn Åsen & Oddrun Grønnvik
Organisation: Cappelen Damm
ISBN: 9788278441961
Duration: 9 hours 23 minutes
Unabridged: Yes
Country: Norway
Licenced: Yes
Formats: Cassette, CD, Digital

Knut Røe, a Norwegian journalist and former NRK employee with a prominent career as a communications consultant. His reading has been described as clear, with a “charming” and slightly old-fashioned feel where listeners can occasionally hear him turning the pages adding to the atmosphere of a grandfather reading by a fireplace. The narration style is often described as specifically aimed at children. He uses a deliberate “fairytale” cadence that makes it a popular choice for Norwegian language learners.

The production uses the older 1972 translation by Finn Aasen and Oddrun Grønnvik, which has since been superseded by the 1998 Nils Ivar Agøy version. His reading is marked by a “Riksmål-adjacent” precision, avoiding heavy modern slang or overly aggressive dialect work, which fits the 1972 text. Before it became available on streaming platforms, this production was a staple in Norwegian libraries on CD and cassette, being the only available audio version for decades.