• Welcome to BookAndReader!

    We LOVE books and hope you'll join us in sharing your favorites and experiences along with your love of reading with our community. Registering for our site is free and easy, just CLICK HERE!

    Already a member and forgot your password? Click here.

Lord of the Rings: Favorite edition?

R

R.J.

New Member
Hello all, I recently bought myself a new Lord of the Rings that I've been coveting for a while, and thought it might be fun to shoot the breeze with other people about their favorite editions, out of the many many available in the wake of the movies. The one I picked up is the rather old-fashioned-looking one in faux red leather, with foil-stamped designs on the cover based on Tolkien's own designs (I believe). Inside, the paper is heavy, smooth and creamy, and has chapter headings printed in red ink, which contributes to the classic feel. And bound into the back is a large map of Middle Earth with place-names printed in red. I love it!

That said, though, I still feel a lot of affection for the first edition of LotR I ever read when I was a kid -- the three paperbacks from the '80s in blue, green and red, with cover illustrations by Darrell Sweet. For a long time, this was what I thought LotR was "supposed to" look like.

So -- anyone got any old or new favorite editions they'd like to talk about?

EDIT: For extra food for thought, I found this website featuring out-of-print editions: http://users.telerama.com/~taliesen/tolkien/oop-lotr.html
 
I want to replace my mass market editions (10 yrs old or so, and someone didn't return book 2) with something in hardcover, but am having some trouble deciding. I know I want a 3-volume rather than 1 for the trilogy as it's just too hard to read when it's that big. I think the one I've liked best is the pale cream and green edition, with runes around the outside.
 
Do you know, that there was a special edition and translation of The Lord of the Rings in Denmark in 1977, which was illustrated by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark?

She did it under the pseudonym of Ingahil Grathmer.

I, myself, have an English version, paperback, Harper Collins. Not very fancy and not illustrated. But I read once a year all the same...

Hobitten:)
 
Ashlea, stop looking, because I have what you are looking for. A year ago my girlfriend gave me a fantastic hardback edition of both 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of the Rings'. It's one box- set, containing both, and both are illustrated by famous Tolkien-illustrator Alan Lee.

Here's a picture:
aimages_eu.amazon.com_images_P_0007105029.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
This is the best hardback edition there is.

Cheers, Martin :D
 
Oh, thanks for that. Didn't know that.

I've only read 'The Hobbit' once, so I don't think I'll mind the changes much. But it does make you wonder, doesn't it?

Cheers, Martin :D
 
There was a very simple hardback version I checked out from the library sometime back in the '80s. Fine paper and end papers and sort of a tan colored jacket. It had The Sil, The Hobbit and all three of the LOTR series. Easy to read and fit my hand just so. Thats the set I'd like to have.
 
The folio soc do the one illustrated by the Queen of Denmark, which should be nice, but my sisters got the one made with bible paper thats always been my favourite, only about an inch thick really is a pleasure to thumb through. Also saves on the strain injuries usually associated with reading a 1 volume edition of LOTR.
 
I'm not sure what to compare it to since it's the only edition I own but I have a hardback that was released in '91 as a 100 year celebration of Tolkien's birth and it contains 50 "paintings" by Alan Lee & was published by the Houghton Mifflin Company out of Boston. I get a chuckle out of remembering my (ex) wife's expression when I bought it. It was the most expensive book I owned at the time.

Bill
 
I have about 3 different editions, two from the 60's and the one from the 80's mentioned above. Overall, I like the edition from the 80's, the artwork just seems "right". I read somewhere that the only edition with the full appendices is the classic ones from the sixties. That seems to be true with my editions, i was wondering if anyone else had noticed that too.
 
I read my sister's 3 book set (under penalty of death should one become damaged!). I am sure it is about 20 years old and the cover art looks alot like this set, the 1978 Houghton Mifflin trade paperback, with the exception that one volume was green, one blue (I think) and one tan. On second thought, it could even be a British edition since we may have been overseas when it was bought.
 
I have single hardback edition released in 1994:
http://www.tolkien.co.uk/books/default.asp?id=1331

Ive noticed that this appears to have been replaced the the 50th anniversary editon (they have the same ISBN numbers so they must be the same book):
http://www.tolkien.co.uk/books/default.asp?id=32369

Im guessing that they just have different paper covers over them as the ISBN's match... the actual book is plain dark green with silver writing. Anyway I've only just started reading it, and really into the book already - so much that I now want to get myself a copy of The Hobbit. Is there an editon of the Hobbit that 'matches' this version? ... (same style of cover)
 
I have Martin's edition in a box set; it's fabulous. I'm in the market for the Silmarillion in similar style too (though I believe it's illustrated by a different artist.) At £30, it's a little pricey, but worth it nonetheless.
 
My favorite editon I own was published in 1968. it was the first paperback complete trilogy, that included the the revisons made in 1966, signed by Tolkien. (No I am not that old, purchased it in a antiquarian shop).

Fantasybookspot.com
 
I have my favorite set complete finally- the 1966 Ballantine Books paperback series. I first bought 'The Two Towers' at a used book store and read the authors statement on the back which said that this edition was the only one published with his consent, so I started my quest for the rest of them. :)
 
I have been putting the red leather, 3 in 1 edition on my Christmas list for years now. I have fond memories of my 4th grade teacher reading to our class out of that book every day after lunch. She was an amazing teacher and introduced me to Tolkien. She got all the voices right too; a very talented teacher. So, for more reasons than one, this is my favorite edition. It's very beautiful. But, running at about $70.00 it's a bit above my price range. Someday though....;)
 
lorrekarloff said:
I have my favorite set complete finally- the 1966 Ballantine Books paperback series. I first bought 'The Two Towers' at a used book store and read the authors statement on the back which said that this edition was the only one published with his consent, so I started my quest for the rest of them. :)
Click to expand...

I have a boxed paperback set from Ballantine that also has The Hobbit in it and it says it is the only blah, blah, blah from Tolkien. I won't repeat it all. It has everything - maps, indices, etc. Pretty nice. I just recently found it at a little over $5.00. It is a first edition of the Ballantine printing of this set. I also found a first edition/first printing of
a hardback copy of The Silmarillion that I found at an estate sale for a whopping $1! I love finds like that.

I have several copies and I usually just read my newer paperback and don't touch the old stuff. I want to get a leatherbound set of them, too, though.

edited to add that I found it on the site of OOP editions: http://users.telerama.com/~taliesen/tolkien/oop/ballant_tolk_cov.html also, was yours the psychedelic painting by Barbara Remington. That would be a cool one to get.
 
I decided to retire my LOTR paperbacks and bought the hardcover omnibus with the dust jacket illustration by Donato Giancola.

awww.donatoart.com_paintings_lord.jpg


I wouldn't say that these are a favorite edition but are the only edition I have owned until my recent purchase and I have some affection for them as they were the first Tolkien I had read. The three volume paperback boxed edition published in the USA by Ballantine Books; purchased many moons ago in a rummage sale. I'll keep them in the box and display on my bookshelf.

awww.nytimes.com_images_2001_10_29_books_29tolkien_slide.10.jpg


I also bought The Silmarillion in hardcover and will probably get a HC version of The Hobbit.

awww.houghtonmifflinbooks.com_assets_product_0618135049.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top