Should I read Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit first?
Emma Martin
Published Mar 13, 2026
Should I read Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit first?
Chronologically it comes before The Lord of the Rings, and it introduces major characters and lays the groundwork for LotR. You can skip The Hobbit or read it after LotR, but many things in LotR will make more sense if you read The Hobbit first. Once you’ve finished The Hobbit, read The Lord of the Rings.
Was The Lord of the Rings written before The Hobbit?
For the record, J.R.R. Tolkien published “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” in 1954. (“The Hobbit” was published several years earlier in 1937.) The first Harry Potter book, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” came out in 1997. Yep.
What came first Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit movies?
Image via Warner Bros. The Hobbit series was released a decade after The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and serves as its prequel. The films are based on the 1937 novel The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, and show the adventures of Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), Frodo’s uncle.
What order should I read The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings?
The Recommended Order to Read The Lord of the Rings Series The Hobbit. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
What is the correct order of the Lord of the Rings books?
Publication Order of The Lord of the Rings Books
| The Hobbit | (1937) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
|---|---|---|
| The Fellowship of the Ring | (1954) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
| The Two Towers | (1954) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
| The Return of the King | (1955) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Which Lord of the Rings book was written first?
the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” debuted July 29, 1954; the next two books were published separately in the next 15 months.
What Lord of the Rings is first?
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is a 2001 epic fantasy adventure film directed by Peter Jackson, based on the 1954 novel The Fellowship of the Ring, the first volume of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. The film is the first installment in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
What order do I watch Lord of the Rings?
Theatrical (release date) movie order
- The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
- The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003)
- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
- The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
- The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
What order are the Lord of the Rings books?
The Fellowship of the Ring1954
The Return of the King: Being the Third Part of The Lord of the Rings1955
The Lord of the Rings/Books
Which Lord of the Rings book is first?
Which book is first in Lord of the Rings?
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Fellowship of the Ring, the first book of the Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien, is a book that excels in a number of things.
