Contradictory Descriptions of the Black Gate.

[narfforc]

I decided to get out Hammond and Scull's Readers Companion and here is what it says:-

The two vast iron doors of the Black Gate under its frowning arch were fast closed.-As first published this sentence read: 'The three vast doors of the Black Gate under their frowning arches were fast closed'. It was revised in the second printing (1967) of the Allen and Unwin second Edition, to accord with the description of a single gate in Book IV, Chapter 3.

the door of The Black Gate-Prior to the Houghton Mifflin edition of 1987 and HarperCollins edition of 1994, these words read 'the middle door of the Black Gate'

I hope this helps.

[JeffF.]

I see. the mystery of the door is that there is none, it's just a typo.

I have the hardback editions but never knew there were differences in the text.

thanks

[narfforc]

As a matter of interest JeffF, how old are the books you are quoting from, and have you read only those copies?.

[JeffF.]

I do my research with my 1973 Ballantine paperbacks (the set with the original Tolkien art on the covers) because I heavily highlight (with a color code for different types of information no less!) and I write notes in the margins. I've owned different hardback sets but since my wife bought me the single volume beautiful red (fake) leather bound edition with the similar green The Hobbit I've kept only those hardbacks.

In fact I'm on my third set of the 1973 paperbacks, as they wear and tear I buy an identical set from a used book store and meticulously copy my previous highlights and notes on the appropriate pages. I even have a pristeen set unmarked and carefully stored in case I am no longer able to find them.

I do read my beautiful hardbacks but carefully and sparingly. For my purposes (which you can tell from my posts) and interests which are almost wholly the military aspect of LotR these books are fine.