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[ManaByte]

It will be mine. Oh yes. It will be mine.

The Fellowship of the Ring, part one of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic masterpiece, fist reached these shores on October 21, 1954, arriving, as C. S. Lewis proclaimed, "like lightning from a clear sky." Fifty years and nearly one hundred million American readers later comes a beautiful new one-volume collector’s edition befitting the stature of this crown jewel of our list. With a text fully corrected under the supervision of Christopher Tolkien to meet the author’s exacting wishes, two large-format fold-out maps, a ribbon placemarker, gilded page edges, a color insert depicting Tolkien's own paintings of the Book of Mazarbul and exceptionally elegant and sturdy overall packaging housed within an attractive slipcase, this edition is the finest we’ve ever produced.

This is how Tolkien wanted the books to be originally published, but it just wasn't possible back in the post-WWII publishing world.

 

[methodman]

Damnnnnn how much is that?

I probably will have to buy it.

 

[ManaByte]

Amazon has it for $60.

 

[olimario]

$60?
I can get all 3 DVDs for that price.

 

[ManaByte]

$60?
I can get all 3 DVDs for that price.

Retail on it is $100

I just ordered that and the Complete Far Side:

 

[Prospero]

I prefer the 1991 hardcover edition to this one (it has sixty color plates by Alan Lee, who went on to be a conceptual artist for the Peter Jackson movies). I think that one's still around, as a reprint.

 

[teiresias]

I already have an edition of LOTR bound in a single volume, I can't find it on Amazon at the moment (I think it's the one Prospero is referring to because it has pictures in it that I believe were by Alan Lee, I'm not at home so I can't check at the moment), but in any case I really need to buy a hardback copy of the story bound into the three parts.

If I want to read the story and carry it around that huge edition is just a pain to carry (and I think it's starting to fall apart at the seams a bit after beings stuffed in a bag a few times). So maybe I'll buy this 50th anniversary edition to replace the old one and a new boxed hardback for a more "travel" friendly edition.

The Leatherett Collector's Edition of "The Hobbit" is also a nice way to own that novel, I really like that edition, and it's not hard to find nor expensive.

 

[Duck of Death]

I prefer the 1991 hardcover edition to this one (it has sixty color plates by Alan Lee, who went on to be a conceptual artist for the Peter Jackson movies). I think that one's still around, as a reprint.

That is the version I have. If I wasn't poor I might look into this classy new edition, but I am and food is more important. :lol

 

[ManaByte]

I prefer the 1991 hardcover edition to this one (it has sixty color plates by Alan Lee, who went on to be a conceptual artist for the Peter Jackson movies). I think that one's still around, as a reprint.

I have that one. I wanted to get it signed by Alan Lee last week, but I couldn't get up to Hollywood to do it.

I have multiple paperback editions, a couple copies of the movie-tie in hardcovers (I used this one as my reading and travel one. I take it on every trip I go on since I read it once a year), the Alan Lee one that was for Tolkien's 100th birthday, but this 50th Anniversary Edition is just too amazing to not have.

 

[Sriram]

The Uk edition is in red but when its listed on amazon at £70. Thats about $135 so Ill have to think about getting this.

 

[teiresias]

Is the 50th Anniversary edition going to be "limited" in any way. I mean if I wait to ask for it for my birthday in May will it be gone or unavailable by that time?

 

[Prospero]

That red UK edition looks sweet, but with a white cover you'll have to wash your hands every time you want to touch it.

 

[ManaByte]

Is the 50th Anniversary edition going to be "limited" in any way. I mean if I wait to ask for it for my birthday in May will it be gone or unavailable by that time?

Don't know, but I doubt it. I mean, if you really look you can still find the Alan Lee hardcover that was released for Tolkien's 100th birthday.

 

[border]

Are these any good?

Putting all the books together in one volume seems like a bad idea to me. To make it a decent size, you would end up with tiny print and that shitty thin-ass paper that they use for Bibles and Norton anthologies. I would much rather have the books in separate hardbacks....

 

[Sriram]

One volume editions are pretty damn big but they are mmore likely to fall apart. The bible paper editions are pretty cool too, I think there were only 1000 of them printed.

 

[ManaByte]

Are these any good?

Putting all the books together in one volume seems like a bad idea to me. To make it a decent size, you would end up with tiny print and that shitty thin-ass paper that they use for Bibles and Norton anthologies. I would much rather have the books in separate hardbacks....

I only read LOTR in a single volume.

 

[Shin Johnpv]

damn I hope this is still around after the holidays when I have money to actually get it

 

[maharg]

You also talk like an X-Files episode.

 

[ManaByte]

The Leatherett Collector's Edition of "The Hobbit" is also a nice way to own that novel, I really like that edition, and it's not hard to find nor expensive.

Yeah, I need to get that.

I also want to buy a hardcover of the Silmarillion that I will actually READ.

I have a first edition of it (sans dust jacket) and the binding isn't in perfect shape so I try not to handle it too much.

 

[border]

I only read LOTR in a single volume.

Yet you watch the LOTR movies and Star Wars films over the course of 3 -6 "volumes" of discs....even though they could probably fit on a videotape recorded in EP mode.

 

[ManaByte]

Yet you watch the LOTR movies and Star Wars films over the course of 3 -6 "volumes" of discs....even though they could probably fit on a videotape recorded in EP mode.

Not when HD-DVD arrives!

 

[Ramirez]

I've already got one of those 3 in 1 books,meh.

 

[dskillzhtown]

I'll wait for the extended edition.

 

[Mr Gump]

I'll wait for the extended edition.

:lol

 

[ManaByte]

Saw it today at the bookstore and it's very nice. It's actually more of a steel blue than what the picutre shows and it's bound in soft leather. Most impressive.

 

[nitewulf]

B&N has a red leather bound edition as well...
eh, LOTR is just not my thing, and I'd rather have 'em on seperate hardbacks as well...reading this huge thingie would just be a tedious undertaking IMO.

 

[teiresias]

I also want to buy a hardcover of the Silmarillion that I will actually READ.

Yeah, I need to actually read that thing. I have a paperback edition, but I've just never been able to get into reading The Silmarillion. Then again, it's hard for me to read books that are nothing but greek legends just because I get characters confused easily in anthology kind of works like that. I think I just connect better with works where characters are fleshed out, rather then "legend" kind of works that are mainly about story structure and symbolism of the legends - which is basically what Silmarillion is like.

 

[ManaByte]

Yeah, I need to actually read that thing. I have a paperback edition, but I've just never been able to get into reading The Silmarillion. Then again, it's hard for me to read books that are nothing but greek legends just because I get characters confused easily in anthology kind of works like that. I think I just connect better with works where characters are fleshed out, rather then "legend" kind of works that are mainly about story structure and symbolism of the legends - which is basically what Silmarillion is like.

The Silmarillion is basically backstory for LOTR as it's the creation of Middle-Earth. However there's some good things in there that reflect directly on the LOTR books and even the movies. Jackson, Alan Lee, and John Howe really used the history in the Silmarillion for the creation and design of the movie and it shows if you know that stuff.

I saw a nice illustrated hardcover of the Silmarillion today ($35) that I'll probably pick up after Christmas:

 

[Scrow]

hmmm... i've been meaning to read LotR again (a few months after i've watched all the EEs of the movies). maybe i'll do that with this book.

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

The Uk edition is in red but when its listed on amazon at £70. Thats about $135 so Ill have to think about getting this.

Y'alls is prettier than ours. I'm miffed. (Still, sales+1)

 

[luxsol]

Y'alls is prettier than ours. I'm miffed. (Still, sales+1)

Doesn't really make sense in context with the books though. =P
The white looks really nice, but the red just doesn't fit.

 

[Ramirez]

I made the mistake of making the Silmarillion a book I had to read in school for a computerized test,holy shit it was boring considering I had to read it in like 2 1/2 weeks :lol

I made like a 80 on the test tho