"The whole atmosphere of the book, the tone of 'The Hobbit,' is of a kid's adventure story, told in the first person by Tolkien, who is introducing young people to the notion of Middle-earth. A lot of it is very light-hearted."
Ian McKellen is an English actor known for stage and screen roles including Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings and Magneto in the X-Men films. He has received major awards and multiple Academy Award nominations.