Which Tolkien novel begins with Bilbo Baggins’s eleventy-first birthday party?

The Lord of the Rings begins with Bilbo Baggins’s eleventy-first birthday party.

The opening chapter, “A Long-expected Party,” introduces Bilbo’s 111th birthday celebration in Hobbiton. The event also marks his planned departure and the transfer of the One Ring to his heir, Frodo Baggins.

In Tolkien’s fictional chronology, Bilbo’s birthday is especially notable because he shares it with Frodo. Bilbo uses the party as the public setting for a dramatic farewell, while the narrative gradually reveals that his magic ring is far more dangerous than most guests understand.

The Hobbit is a frequent wrong answer because it also centers on Bilbo and the Ring. However, The Hobbit begins with Gandalf visiting Bilbo and recruiting him for a journey; the birthday-party opening belongs to The Lord of the Rings.