J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy novel published in 1937 before The Lord of the Rings is The Hobbit.
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, follows Bilbo Baggins as he joins Thorin Oakenshield and a company of dwarves on a journey to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from the dragon Smaug. Tolkien originally wrote it as a children’s story, but its setting and mythology connected it to the larger legendarium he had been developing for years.
The book was first published in London by George Allen & Unwin on 21 September 1937. Its success led the publisher to request a sequel, which eventually became The Lord of the Rings. The two works differ in tone: The Hobbit is more directly shaped as a children’s adventure, while the later trilogy develops a darker, more expansive narrative.
The novel has also been adapted into films, radio productions, stage works, and illustrated editions.