# New Author-illustrated Edition of LOTR Coming



## Squint-eyed Southerner (Mar 25, 2021)

Yep -- another must-have, in October!










JRR Tolkien's own illustrations appear in Lord of the Rings for the first time


The author’s artwork is published alongside his text in new edition of the classic fantasy novel




www.google.com


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## Shadow (Mar 25, 2021)

Very exciting. I'm getting this.


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## Starbrow (Mar 25, 2021)

I know what will be on my Christmas wish list.


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## Erestor Arcamen (Mar 26, 2021)

Me too


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## 1stvermont (Mar 26, 2021)

Squint-eyed Southerner said:


> Yep -- another must-have, in October!
> 
> View attachment 9083
> 
> ...



why do they keep taking my money?


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## Olorgando (Mar 26, 2021)

Squint-eyed Southerner said:


> Yep -- another must-have, in October!


As this thing definitely looks like a brick, I'm assuming it's a single-volume edition?


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## Erestor Arcamen (Mar 26, 2021)

Olorgando said:


> As this thing definitely looks like a brick, I'm assuming it's a single-volume edition?


It's a brick......house

sorry, couldn't resist but yes, it looks like a single-volume


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Mar 26, 2021)

The cover looks similar to the 2004 "corrected" 50th anniversary edition.


I haven't found any further information on it yet. It may possibly incorporate the further corrections made by Hammond and Scull since that edition.


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## Elthir (Mar 26, 2021)

*Elthir* I'm torn. I have _The Lord of the Rings_ in its beautiful one-volume "Red Book" boxed edition, _and_ I have "old" calendars and newer books with JRRT's art in them . . .

*Ando* Just buy it!

*Elthir* Plus, I usually actually read the paperback versions . . .

*Ando* Shut up and buy it. You know it's going to happen.

*Elthir* You shut up.

*Ando* No YOU shut up . . .

*Elthir* Wait! I think a person just typed the name _Galadriel_ somewhere on the web . . .

*Ando* Great Glorfindels! There he goes again.

🐾

🐾

🐾


*Elthir* [shouting back] By the way . . . there's only one Glorfindel!

*Ando* God help me.


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## Olorgando (Mar 26, 2021)

Elthir said:


> ...
> *Elthir* Wait! I think a person just typed the name _Galadriel_ somewhere on the web . . .
> ...


And even here on TTF, in my most recent post; but I was provoked by the mention of the name in the previous post in that thread.

(Galadriel and Gandalf are quite "chummy", and not just in PJ's fanfics; not even Ando can help you with that ... 😂 )


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Mar 26, 2021)

Buy it, or Elth!


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## Elthir (Mar 26, 2021)

😂

And I almost caved with a "like"!


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Mar 26, 2021)

Take that!


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## Erestor Arcamen (Mar 26, 2021)

I'm definitely buying it....


































galadriel


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## Olorgando (Mar 26, 2021)

Squint-eyed Southerner said:


> Take that!


Why are you changing the topic to an English pop group that is over 30 years old? And one, at that, that helps define the category of ppp for me?
(That's shorthand for plastic poo pop. The Bay City Rollers were the first installment of that despicable genre that I am aware of - and I try to keep my awareness of the genre to an absolute minimum! 🤢 )


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Mar 26, 2021)

What?  

I just meant, buy it, or be thorry.


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## Elthir (Mar 26, 2021)

*EA* . . . I heard that! LOL!


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## Erestor Arcamen (Mar 26, 2021)

It's available now on Amazon for preorder





The Lord Of The Rings Illustrated Edition: Tolkien, J.R.R.: 9780358653035: Amazon.com: Books


The Lord Of The Rings Illustrated Edition [Tolkien, J.R.R.] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Lord Of The Rings Illustrated Edition



www.amazon.com


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Mar 26, 2021)

"Item weight: 1 pounds"

Whaaa?


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## Elthir (Mar 26, 2021)

The other pounds must be singular!


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## Ealdwyn (Mar 26, 2021)




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## Olorgando (Mar 26, 2021)

Just weighed my 2002 hardbacks illustrated by Alan Lee:

Fellowship: 1,495 grams
TT : 1,270 grams
RoTK : 1,515 grams

total 4,280 grams or 9.4 pounds.

Even my three mid-80's paperbacks total 855 grams or almost 1.9 pounds.

Has Amazon reverted to some arcane Sumerian weight system? 😵


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## Shadow (Mar 26, 2021)

I prefer LOTR in one volume as it’s one story.


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## Olorgando (Mar 27, 2021)

The most unwieldy book we own is an atlas of Germany published by our largest automobile club in Germany, ADAC, for some anniversary in 2001.
The format is 37.7 by 26.6 centimeters (and 5 cm thick), which translates to 14.84 by 10.47 inches (and 2 in thick).
Weight 4.6 kilograms, or just over 10 pounds. The scale is 1 to 100,000, which is why it needs 815 pages of thin but very high-quality paper to "get done".
Very certainly *NOT* useful for use in the car, not even while parked! 
Page-wise, we have a brick of 1,568 pages, which, though a trade paperback (also very thin paper), is also decidedly unwieldy, especially for reading in bed.
I mean, even each of my three separate volumes of the 2002 edition are uncomfortable for reading while lying on my back.
So such a one-volume edition would end up being decorative in my "library", but not much read ...


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## Ealdwyn (Mar 27, 2021)

I can't compete with that, Orlogando. The largest book I own is a folio edition of Clarissa by Samuel Richardson in 2 volumes, 980,000 words. It weighs 2.7kg, or a little over 6lbs. When I first read it it made my arms ache just to hold the book for any period of time! Eventually I read it on kindle instead.



Shadow said:


> I prefer LOTR in one volume as it’s one story.


I have a number of 3 and 1 volume editions, but my reading copy is a paperback edition that came out in 7 volumes (the 6 books plus appendices).


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## Aldarion (Mar 27, 2021)

Ealdwyn said:


> I can't compete with that, Orlogando. The largest book I own is a folio edition of Clarissa by Samuel Richardson in 2 volumes, 980,000 words. It weighs 2.7kg, or a little over 6lbs. When I first read it it made my arms ache just to hold the book for any period of time! Eventually I read it on kindle instead.
> 
> 
> I have a number of 3 and 1 volume editions, but my reading copy is a paperback edition that came out in 7 volumes (the 6 books plus appendices).





Olorgando said:


> The most unwieldy book we own is an atlas of Germany published by our largest automobile club in Germany, ADAC, for some anniversary in 2001.
> The format is 37.7 by 26.6 centimeters (and 5 cm thick), which translates to 14.84 by 10.47 inches (and 2 in thick).
> Weight 4.6 kilograms, or just over 10 pounds. The scale is 1 to 100,000, which is why it needs 815 pages of thin but very high-quality paper to "get done".
> Very certainly *NOT* useful for use in the car, not even while parked!
> ...


My largest books are Lord of the Rings by Tolkien (paperback, 3 volumes, 480+400+510 pages, so a total of *1390 pages*) and History of Croats by Vjekoslav Klaić (hardcover, 5 volumes, 378 + 430 + 380 + 456 + 732 pages, so a total of *2376 pages *numbered, *2398 pages* total). I suspect the latter could kill a dog if dropped from human height all together, though I don't have a scale to actually weight it. Thanfully, it _is_ split into five volumes, so not at all unwieldy... though reading it all is a summer project, especially as there are a lot of original texts and annotations in _Latin_, with no translation... apparently, Klaić didn't think humans would become unlettered barbarians they are today.


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## Elthir (Mar 27, 2021)




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## Shadow (Mar 27, 2021)

My copy of LOTR is old and worn, and looks like an ancient scroll you’d find at Minas Tirith. I like it that way. It feels appropriate.


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## Halasían (Mar 28, 2021)

Oh, _another edition_... I read the title wrong and was trying to figure out how a new author coud write and illustrate their own Lord of the Rings...


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Mar 28, 2021)

Perhaps I could have worded it better. . .


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## Elthir (Mar 28, 2021)

I first thought it meant that someone had illustrated pictures of Tolkien for a new edition of The Lord of the Rings.


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## Shadow (Mar 29, 2021)

I would like to see a faithful graphic novel adaption of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. That would take time to do, but would be very rewarding if done well.


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Mar 29, 2021)

This version of The Hobbit has been around since 1989:


It was given a new cover when the LOTR movies came out:


The style is not wholly to my taste, but you'd have to judge for yourself. A couple of pages:




However, I can say that it follows the story accurately, including all the scenes from the book, and using --IIRC -- only the author's own words.


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## Olorgando (Mar 29, 2021)

Halasían said:


> Oh, _another edition_... I read the title wrong and was trying to figure out how a new author coud write and illustrate their own Lord of the Rings...





Squint-eyed Southerner said:


> Perhaps I could have worded it better. . .


"Author-illustrated", what's ambiguous about that? 🤨
Don't tell me Middle-earth has attracted a bunch of hecklers along the lines of the "Shakespeare could never have written that!" bunch! 🤢


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## Olorgando (Mar 29, 2021)

Shadow said:


> I would like to see a faithful graphic novel adaption of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. That would take time to do, but would be very rewarding if done well.





Squint-eyed Southerner said:


> This version of The Hobbit has been around since 1989:
> View attachment 9098
> 
> It was given a new cover when the LOTR movies came out:
> ...


This has been discussed (in a few posts) in this thread:









TH as a comic strip


I recently came across a copy of TH in the form of a comic strip from 1990 - and a very good one too. I generally dislike comic strips but this work impresses with the quality of its narrative. It stays very very close to the original text (no Tauriel nor Alfrid at all, if you see my point...)...




www.thetolkienforum.com


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Mar 29, 2021)

I'd forgotten that thread. Thanks, Mr. O.


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## Olorgando (Mar 29, 2021)

Squint-eyed Southerner said:


> I'd forgotten that thread. Thanks, Mr. O.


Yer welcome. I do own a German translation three-volume hardcover comic of them, so that's an advantage.



Squint-eyed Southerner said:


> This version of The Hobbit has been around since 1989:
> The style is not wholly to my taste, but you'd have to judge for yourself. A couple of pages:
> However, I can say that it follows the story accurately, including all the scenes from the book, and using --IIRC -- only the author's own words.


Style is a matter of taste. I like it.
And it does not simply follow JRRT's book quite faithfully (textual compression being compensated by that "a picture is worth a thousand words" effect).
As far as I'm concerned, as to visual faithfulness one can throw PJ and even Bakshi (much better than PJ visually on the characters) in the dustbin.


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## Shadow (Mar 29, 2021)

I like the art style with that adaption. Getting LOTR in the same style would be incredible. Probably won't happen, though.


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## Halasían (Mar 30, 2021)

Olorgando said:


> "Author-illustrated", what's ambiguous about that? 🤨
> Don't tell me Middle-earth has attracted a bunch of hecklers along the lines of the "Shakespeare could never have written that!" bunch! 🤢


"*New* Author... it was the 'new' part that shouted 'New Author' to me ... and Valhalla Brewing's Aragorn West Coast IPA may have amplified it a bit.


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## Aldarion (Mar 31, 2021)

Halasían said:


> "*New* Author... it was the 'new' part that shouted 'New Author' to me ... and Valhalla Brewing's Aragorn West Coast IPA may have amplified it a bit.


But it is "New *Author-illustrated* edition". It is like math: you multiply before you add. I honestly don't understand what is so difficult to understand.


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## Erestor Arcamen (Mar 31, 2021)

Halasían said:


> Valhalla Brewing's Aragorn West Coast IPA


That sounds interesting, I'll have to look for it.


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Mar 31, 2021)

Aldarion said:


> But it is "New *Author-illustrated* edition". It is like math: you multiply before you add. I honestly don't understand what is so difficult to understand.


I have a feeling Halasían wasn't being _entirely _serious.  



BTW -- As far as I know, this will be the first edition to feature fore-edge printing. Any of our Tengwar experts care to explicate it for us?


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## Erestor Arcamen (Mar 31, 2021)

Squint-eyed Southerner said:


> I have a feeling Halasían wasn't being _entirely _serious.
> View attachment 9106
> 
> 
> BTW -- As far as I know, this will be the first edition to feature fore-edge printing. Any of our Tengwar experts care to explicate it for us?


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Mar 31, 2021)

And to follow up on the book-weight bragging digression, I wrestled my copy of the Random House Dictionary onto the scales.

12 and a half pounds.

Admittedly, it was my bathroom scale, so may not be completely accurate. Amazon lists it as 11 and a half.

On the other hand, it also lists it as containing "32 pages". 😀

I have to wonder if some of those descriptions might have the fingerprints of the old jokester himself. 🤔


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## Elthir (Mar 31, 2021)

I own this behemoth. According to Amazon it weighs -- *"one medium swine, acorn fed"* 
-- whatever that means.

All I know is that it mustn't be stored on the same side of my house as our (storing it for someone else) baby grand piano.


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Mar 31, 2021)

Kelmscott! 
(Yes, even a facsimile -- I could never afford the ones the Folio Society did).

Oh well -- I may as well continue dragging this thread off topic with a small historical anecdote. A couple of years after the first edition of the Random House Dictionary came out, someone came up with a bright idea for publicizing it, and so was born "The Random House Sweatshirt of the English Language". You could get one of around 30 different preselected words, and their definitions, or, for an additional fee, you could choose any word from the dictionary for your sweatshirt. As here:


Even "swine", I imagine.


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## Halasían (Mar 31, 2021)

Aldarion said:


> But it is "New *Author-illustrated* edition". It is like math: you multiply before you add. I honestly don't understand what is so difficult to understand.


Numenoreans ... always so damn serious... 🤣


Erestor Arcamen said:


> (Re: Vahalla Aragorn WCIPA) That sounds interesting, I'll have to look for it.


Yeah good luck with that. It's hard to get here in Melbourne without a trek to the taproom in Geelong. Fortunately Beer Moth manages to get their stuff for delivery on occasion.


Squint-eyed Southerner said:


> I have a feeling Halasían wasn't being _entirely _serious.



🤣 Indeed... it was pretty obvious, as in 2+2=4, that my comment was a 1st, as in initial and momentary, thought while buzzed on said lovely IPA. 

As for buying yet another edition of Lord of the Rings to sit on the bookshelf... well, we're currently downsizing so ... nop.


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## Elthir (Apr 1, 2021)

Halasían said:


> As for buying yet another edition of Lord of the Rings to sit on the bookshelf... well, we're currently downsizing so ... nop.



I once sold my car to buy a book.

Damn good story but I was always late for work.


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Apr 1, 2021)

Fully justified.

Unless, of course, it was a repair manual for your car.


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## Olorgando (Apr 1, 2021)

Elthir said:


> I once sold my car to buy a book.


Erm ... what does this reflect on?
Your car being way overdue for the junk yard, or your (successful) participation at a Sotheby's auction?


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## grendel (Apr 1, 2021)

Halasían said:


> "*New* Author... it was the 'new' part that shouted 'New Author' to me ... and Valhalla Brewing's Aragorn West Coast IPA may have amplified it a bit.


I'm sorry... did someone mention beer? 😀 🍻


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## Halasían (Apr 1, 2021)

grendel said:


> I'm sorry... did someone mention beer? 😀 🍻


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## Olorgando (Apr 2, 2021)

Halasían said:


> "*New* Author... it was the 'new' part that shouted 'New Author' to me ... and Valhalla Brewing's Aragorn West Coast IPA may have amplified it a bit.


"Aragorn West Coast IPA" - boy, would the Hobbits (say in the Green Dragon) have some comments about giving a beer a mile-long name!
But I suppose for every brand world-wide, after a "sufficient" number (depending on the "torque" of the brew, and the bar patron's resistance to it, both of which vary widely) the order to the barman degenerates to some variation of "gimmenuthr". 🥴


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## Halasían (Apr 2, 2021)

Olorgando said:


> "Aragorn West Coast IPA" - boy, would the Hobbits (say in the Green Dragon) have some comments about giving a beer a mile-long name!
> But I suppose for every brand world-wide, after a "sufficient" number (depending on the "torque" of the brew, and the bar patron's resistance to it, both of which vary widely) the order to the barman degenerates to some variation of "gimmenuthr". 🥴


"Another Schneider Weissbierre for the Gandolorian!"
Wait, Rosie Cotton with her Shire-issued RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol) accreditation has cut you off... you have hadd too many already. What do you think this is, some inn in Bree where they just hand out pints to Hobbits??


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## Olorgando (Apr 3, 2021)

Halasían said:


> "Another Schneider Weissbierre for the Gandolorian!"
> Wait, Rosie Cotton with her Shire-issued RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol) accreditation has cut you off... you have hadd too many already. What do you think this is, some inn in Bree where they just hand out pints to Hobbits??


As to Schneider: fading memory seems to indicate that I imbibed of that back when I served with the (West) German Army in 1977/78; you take what you get.
I later switched to the "Erdinger" brand of wheat beers ("Weizenbier"), and specifically the sort with a residue of yeast at the bottom of the bottle (to which the "Schneider Weisse", to give the correct name, also belonged); purists like myself shake the almost empty bottle to get the yeast in suspension, making the beer translucent. The transparent variety is known as "Kristallweizen". I clearly remember, probably from the early '80's, my dad finding a bottle of Erdinger in the fridge, probably thinking "whatever", then proceeding to pour himself that brew, not using the specialized glasses that are de rigeur for the variety, and later asking me if that beer had not been past its due date ...

Pints. Bah, humbug. In the Bavarian beer festivals I know (at least three major ones), they serve the stuff in *quarts*! 😎🥴


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## Crowfield (May 7, 2021)

My hardback The Complete Farside by Larson is 19.8 pounds, but there are 2 volumes so about 10 pounds each.
The Photography of GOT is 7.1 pounds, very wonderful book.
Magic weighs is 11 x 16 inches and weighs 11.6 pounds, my heaviest volume. It is the revised format edition. The original was larger and I believe over 25 pounds. Both out of print and prices skyrocketed from about 5-10 years ago when they were regular purchase items on Amazon.

The best of these books is Larsen's because every page is funny! Over 4,000 of his newspaper cartoons, all of them in fact. Including some that the newspapers did not print for various reasons.

Magic has small text sections on the most notable magicians for the last 600 years. But it puts the emphasis and space on the illustrations. For the last 200 years or so it features their show posters which advertised the show to passerby's on the street.


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## grendel (May 7, 2021)

Olorgando said:


> "Aragorn West Coast IPA" - boy, would the Hobbits (say in the Green Dragon) have some comments about giving a beer a mile-long name!


Just imagine if the Ents named the beers! You would have to include the story of the hops, the story of the malt, the story of the yeast... It would take so long to order another, you'd be sober again! Say.... 🤫


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## Olorgando (May 7, 2021)

grendel said:


> Just imagine if the Ents named the beers! You would have to include the story of the hops, the story of the malt, the story of the yeast... It would take so long to order another, you'd be sober again! Say.... 🤫


Would Ent-beer make you taller? I have the feeling adjusting my height to my weight is more promising than the standard procedure ... 😬


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## David Pence (May 8, 2021)

There's another 'slip-cased' version of this edition I'm personally eyeing ... https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lord-Rings-J-R-Tolkien/dp/0008471290


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (May 8, 2021)

Out of my league, I'm afraid. 😭


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## Olorgando (May 8, 2021)

David Pence said:


> There's another 'slip-cased' version of this edition I'm personally eyeing ... https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lord-Rings-J-R-Tolkien/dp/0008471290


That looks like an even *fatter* brick than the edition that started this thread.


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (May 8, 2021)

Given Amazon's original page listing on the OP version: 1, not surprising. 😂

But I see they've updated to show the same 1248 page-count as this one, so I expect the only difference is in the binding -- unless different paper is being used.


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## David Pence (May 8, 2021)

A little more detail from HarperCollins ... https://www.harpercollins.com.au/9780008471293/the-lord-of-the-rings-deluxe-illustrated-edition/


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## Olorgando (May 8, 2021)

David Pence said:


> A little more detail from HarperCollins ... https://www.harpercollins.com.au/9780008471293/the-lord-of-the-rings-deluxe-illustrated-edition/


Erm ... HarperCollins *Australia*?

A bit of Trivia from Wikipedia:
"Allen & Unwin Australia Pty Ltd became independent in July 1990 by means of a management buy-out when the UK firm was bought by HarperCollins. Now known simply as "Allen & Unwin" ..."
But A&U's portfolio no longer includes LoTR - which is, by some rumor, the *only* thing HC was after when they bought Unwin Hyman UK in 1990.


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## David Pence (May 8, 2021)

Yes, I noticed that too, that the HarperCollins UK site, as well as the 'official' Tolkien bookstore have nothing on this edition, but the AU site does.

I, for one, am not surprised. I spent years trying to sort out the various editions of Tolkien's works sold online. It can be a mess.

At any rate, I have the other 'slip-cased' editions from HC, and the quality is usually pretty decent.


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## Aukwrist (Aug 26, 2021)

Squint-eyed Southerner said:


> Yep -- another must-have, in October!
> 
> View attachment 9083
> 
> ...


From what Amazon shows of it, the Doors of Durin are still in black and white. But it looks well worth getting.


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Oct 7, 2021)

The publication date now seems to be November 1st.

Since I'm here -- I saw this on Reddit:

__
https://www.reddit.com/r/Damnthatsinteresting/comments/q39c54

Talk about fore-edge painting! 😮


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## Ealdwyn (Oct 8, 2021)

Squint-eyed Southerner said:


> The publication date now seems to be November 1st.
> 
> Since I'm here -- I saw this on Reddit:
> 
> ...


That is beautiful!.... and I notice the guy has an Etsy shop, if you want your own copy painting https://www.etsy.com/shop/brimariesells/


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## m4r35n357 (Oct 27, 2021)

Squint-eyed Southerner said:


> Yep -- another must-have, in October!


Unboxing: 




Ordered yesterday, arrived today from A******, no Prime, standard _free_ postage, £36!

I now have both this _and_ the 60th Anniversary Illustrated paving slab, total £70, the same price as the illustrated 4 volume set including Hobbit 

Not tempted in the slightest by the deluxe editions . . .

[EDIT] Much more compact and lighter than 60th, thinner paper, much easier to hold while reading! Broadly the same format as my hardback Silmarillion & UT. Any 3-volume deviants might like to investigate this, unless you can do better for £12 a volume, see above 

[EDIT 2] The outer blue box seems to be a thing of the past, unless I've been done!


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## m4r35n357 (Oct 28, 2021)

Still got that stupid grin on my face this morning, the red highlighting looks gorgeous (see Tale of Years!), and the red end papers, the red edges, the eye, and that inscription . . . this book has attitude!

Then started checking it out with the dust cover off; looks like it is about to start breathing fire any moment - a menacing red & black slab that seems to say "Sauron lives Here, so watch it!" 

Now to start reading the thing . . .


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## Olorgando (Oct 28, 2021)

m4r35n357 said:


> Then started checking it out with the dust cover off; looks like it is about to start breathing fire any moment - a menacing red & black slab that seems to say "Sauron lives Here", so watch it


My three-volume (but continuously paginated) 2002 hardcover edition, illustrated by Alan Lee, as well as my 2003 hardcover edition of Robert Foster's "The Complete Guide to Middle-earth", illustrated by Ted Nasmith, sans their dust covers all clearly convey "The Red Book of Westmarch"! 😁


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## Bunny (Oct 28, 2021)

Shadow said:


> I would like to see a faithful graphic novel adaption of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. That would take time to do, but would be very rewarding if done well.


I'd love that! I have the graphic version of The Hobbit, which is well done, though not without faults. I've got numerous editions of LOTR, with different illustrators, and a lot of Tolkien's art as well, but I well buy this new one.


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## Olorgando (Oct 28, 2021)

Bunny said:


> I have the graphic version of The Hobbit, which is well done, though not without faults.


I suppose you mean this one:









TH as a comic strip


I recently came across a copy of TH in the form of a comic strip from 1990 - and a very good one too. I generally dislike comic strips but this work impresses with the quality of its narrative. It stays very very close to the original text (no Tauriel nor Alfrid at all, if you see my point...)...




www.thetolkienforum.com


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Oct 30, 2021)

The Brewing Books guy does the "Deluxe" edition:


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## m4r35n357 (Oct 30, 2021)

Squint-eyed Southerner said:


> The Brewing Books guy does the "Deluxe" edition:


Nice as these things are, they never seem to be worth three times the price of the "standard" editions IMO.

I though he was harsh about the "paper separation" issues. I _expect_ to leaf through a couple of times at first whenever I get gold edged pages (or inscribed ones for the childish amongst us!). Paper colour difference seems off though! My standard edition seems to be coloured evenly, apart from the illustration pages which are _slightly_ whiter, as I would expect too.


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Oct 30, 2021)

Another take:




A couple of people complained about pages wrongly bound, so a careful inspection is advisable.

One comment on the standard edition took me by surprise: that the pages are glued in, rather than sewn. Is this true?


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## Olorgando (Oct 30, 2021)

m4r35n357 said:


> Nice as these things are, they never seem to be worth three times the price of the "standard" editions IMO.





Squint-eyed Southerner said:


> One comment on the standard edition took me by surprise: that the pages are glued in, rather than sewn. Is this true?


My 2002 three-volume definitely is sewn. Which one *would* be the standard edition, then? 🤔


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Oct 30, 2021)

The one in the video m4r posted; the one this thread is -- mostly -- about. 😀


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## Olorgando (Oct 30, 2021)

Squint-eyed Southerner said:


> The one in the video m4r posted; the one this thread is -- mostly -- about. 😀


Eh? That's much too new to be "standard" in any way. There seem to be more "special editions" (three-volume versions and single-volume bricks) around than the average dog has fleas! I would have guessed that the "standard edition" would have been the one that finally got the errors (in the appendices, mostly?) corrected that are still in my 2002 edition ...


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Oct 30, 2021)

Let me direct your attention to the thread-title. There are two editions of that now available: the "Standard" edition, and the "Deluxe" edition.

If it helps to clarify things in your mind, you can substitute "version" for "edition". 😉


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## Olorgando (Oct 30, 2021)

Squint-eyed Southerner said:


> Let me direct your attention to the thread-title.


"New Author-illustrated Edition" - I fail to find the word "standard" ...


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Oct 30, 2021)

I'll let you figure it out. 😂


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## Olorgando (Oct 30, 2021)

Squint-eyed Southerner said:


> I'll let you figure it out. 😂


Maybe if I get almost terminally bored for some reason ... 😩😎


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## Erestor Arcamen (Nov 1, 2021)

Mines coming tomorrow 😀. Amazon originally listed it for $75 but it's down to $45 now and preorders get the price at time of release so saved $30


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## m4r35n357 (Nov 1, 2021)

Squint-eyed Southerner said:


> One comment on the standard edition took me by surprise: that the pages are glued in, rather than sewn. Is this true?


They are definitely glued, perhaps stitched as well but I haven't seen any evidence so far. That _is_ a format change from the Silmarillion/UT.


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## Phantom718 (Nov 3, 2021)

Anyone else having shipping issues from Amazon? I preordered the book there several weeks ago, but when I check my order it just says "Order Received" with no shipping date.


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## Erestor Arcamen (Nov 3, 2021)

Yeah mine was supposed to come yesterday but is delayed to today.

Also, I saw some people on Reddit got theirs and several pages in the 700s are blank. Hope this is just a few bad examples and not super prevalent.

Seems to be ISBN 9780008471293

Edit: Actually, this doesn't seem to be the illustrated edition, sorry but still kind of annoying for those that had bought this one.

Edit:

Aaand Amazon delivered the book alright, there's a nice slice in the dust jacket though so I'm making them send another one. It's on backorder to 12/18 though...


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## Barliman (Nov 5, 2021)

Elthir said:


> *Elthir* I'm torn. I have _The Lord of the Rings_ in its beautiful one-volume "Red Book" boxed edition, _and_ I have "old" calendars and newer books with JRRT's art in them . . .


I wish I'd bought two copies when I gave one to my GF in '72
Funnily enough, she emailed me when the first movie came out and said she say my comments on a Tolkien forum and knew it was me. LOL
Said she still had the copy.


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## Barliman (Nov 5, 2021)

Erestor Arcamen said:


> Aaand Amazon delivered the book alright, there's a nice slice in the dust jacket though so I'm making them send another one. It's on backorder to 12/18 though...


I've had so many damaged books from Amazon that I always keep the first copy until I get the replacement. But since it's back ordered you may not have that option.


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## Erestor Arcamen (Nov 5, 2021)

Barliman said:


> I've had so many damaged books from Amazon that I always keep the first copy until I get the replacement. But since it's back ordered you may not have that option.


Yeah I don't have the option sadly. I prefer to order from bookshop.org normally but had some gift cards in this case and the book was $30 cheaper this time. I'll just have to be patient and re-read a non-illustrated copy until then 🙃


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## m4r35n357 (Nov 10, 2021)

m4r35n357 said:


> They are definitely glued, perhaps stitched as well but I haven't seen any evidence so far. That _is_ a format change from the Silmarillion/UT.


On reaching the Halls of the Golden King, where the binding is pulled open the most, I noticed a slight wavering in the pages where they met. I got a torch and investigated a few pages either side and found stitching.

So, stitched _and_ glued.


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Nov 13, 2021)

I wasn't going to buy it, but. . .I just discovered one in my mailbox -- as a gift! 

An "Unexpected Party" indeed. Thanks, Barliman!

You'll be getting that copy of "Tolkien's World" in return.

As soon as I find it, that is. 😂


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## Erestor Arcamen (Nov 14, 2021)

Want my address too? 😁


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## Phantom718 (Nov 15, 2021)

Received my copy last week. No complaints with it, seems to be without some of the issues stated in some of the reviews. Part of me thinks that it's not that different from the red leather version, except for the artwork and additional map of course. I like the black cover as well. I'm happy with it. Bought a copy for a friend as well.


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Nov 15, 2021)

I thought the deluxe version had the same illustrations., except the pages from the Book of Mazarbul came separately, along with the letter from the King.


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## Goku da Silva (Nov 20, 2021)

I received mine without a single scratch, no further issues with the book at all. This edition is really gorgeous and the sketches enrich the reading too (especialy with geography)! I've framed the maps and they look stunning on my walls!❤️


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## m4r35n357 (Nov 20, 2021)

Goku da Silva said:


> I received mine without a single scratch, no further issues with the book at all. This edition is really gorgeous and the sketches enrich the reading too (especialy with geography)! I've framed the maps and they look stunning on my walls!❤️


Especially the maps of Emyn Muil, the Hornburg, the crossroads in Itihilien, Shelob's Lair, and Cirith Ungol (whose Tower is perhaps the most significant _unnamed_ item in the entire legendarium, unless I have missed it yet again!).


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