Multiple choice general knowledge How many years did J.R.R. Tolkien take to complete the book? 6 8 11 12 Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself D Correct answer Explanation J.R.R. Tolkien worked on The Lord of the Rings from 1937 to 1949, taking approximately 12 years to complete. He began writing it after The Hobbit was published and it was finally published in 1954-55.