What is the title of J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1937 children’s novel?

J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1937 children’s novel is titled The Hobbit.

The book follows Bilbo Baggins, a comfort-loving hobbit who leaves the Shire with the wizard Gandalf and thirteen dwarves. Their quest is to reclaim the Lonely Mountain and its treasure from the dragon Smaug. Bilbo’s journey introduces readers to characters and places that later became central to Tolkien’s wider mythology.

Tolkien originally wrote the story for his children, and it was published by George Allen & Unwin on 21 September 1937. Its success led publishers to request a sequel, which eventually developed into The Lord of the Rings rather than remaining a simple children’s adventure.

The Hobbit is sometimes treated as a shortened introduction to The Lord of the Rings, but it has a distinct tone and narrative style. Tolkien revised parts of the text, especially material connected with the Ring, to align it more closely with the later trilogy.