Which volume begins J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings?

The Fellowship of the Ring begins J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.

It was published in 1954 as the first of the trilogy’s three volumes. The story opens in the Shire, where Bilbo Baggins leaves the One Ring to Frodo and departs for Rivendell. Gandalf eventually confirms the Ring’s identity and danger.

At the Council of Elrond, the characters decide that the Ring must be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom. Frodo accepts the task, and the Fellowship is formed to help him begin the journey.

The next volumes are The Two Towers and The Return of the King. The Fellowship of the Ring therefore establishes the central quest, introduces the main travelling companions, and moves the story from the Shire into the larger conflicts of Middle-earth.