Which 1937 novel by J.R.R. Tolkien introduced Bilbo Baggins?

J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1937 novel The Hobbit introduced Bilbo Baggins to readers.

The story follows Bilbo, a comfort-loving hobbit who is persuaded by the wizard Gandalf to join Thorin Oakenshield and a company of dwarves. Their goal is to reclaim the Lonely Mountain and its treasure from the dragon Smaug. During the journey, Bilbo finds a mysterious ring in the Misty Mountains and meets its owner, Gollum.

The Hobbit began as a children’s fantasy adventure, but it also established important elements later developed in The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien expanded the significance of Bilbo’s ring after deciding that his mythology needed a larger story about power, possession, and corruption.

The book was first published in London by George Allen & Unwin on September 21, 1937. Its success led Tolkien’s publisher to request a sequel, eventually producing the much longer Lord of the Rings novel.