What is the first volume of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings called?
Answer
The Fellowship of the Ring
The first volume of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings is The Fellowship of the Ring.
The novel was published in 1954 as the opening part of Tolkien’s epic, followed by The Two Towers and The Return of the King. It introduces the One Ring, reveals its danger, and follows Frodo Baggins after Bilbo gives it to him.
The title refers to the company formed at Rivendell to help Frodo carry the Ring toward Mordor. Its members include representatives of hobbits, Men, an Elf, a Dwarf, and the wizard Gandalf. The Fellowship’s journey ends as a unified group after events near Amon Hen.
A common mix-up is treating The Hobbit as the first volume of The Lord of the Rings. The Hobbit is Tolkien’s earlier, separate novel and serves as a prequel in the same fictional world. The Lord of the Rings was originally issued in three volumes, although Tolkien regarded it as one novel.