What was J.R.R. Tolkien’s first published novel about a hobbit called?

J.R.R. Tolkien’s first published novel about a hobbit was The Hobbit.

The Hobbit, or There and Back Again appeared in 1937 and introduced Bilbo Baggins, a comfort-loving Hobbit drawn into an expedition to the Lonely Mountain. Tolkien wrote it in a comparatively light, conversational style aimed partly at younger readers, although its themes and mythology connect to his larger legendarium.

The book’s journey begins when Gandalf and thirteen Dwarves arrive at Bilbo’s home. Their goal is to recover treasure from Smaug, who conquered the Dwarves’ former kingdom. Along the way, Bilbo meets Gollum and finds the Ring, an episode that became central to the later story.

The Lord of the Rings followed as a sequel, but it expanded into a much larger work with more complex history and darker stakes. The Silmarillion, by contrast, was published after Tolkien’s death and is primarily a mythological history rather than a conventional quest novel.