Favourite Edition? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

mark12_30 · 08-23-2004, 05:38 PM

There are so many nice ones, it's quite hard to choose. I remember feeling very triumphant when I bought my second Red-Box Ballantine paperback set. Those (and several others) had Tolkien's own paintings on the cover: Hobbiton, The Forest, and Barad-Dur. But it was the Heraldry on the red box that (as a young teenager) hypnotized me for hours on end.

The much newer boxed paperback set with the illustrations of Frodo at the Ford, Sam & Frodo at the Emyn Muil, and Gandalf approaching Minas Tirith are another favorite. The Hobbit has Gandalf approaching Bag End which has been the Del Rey cover ever since.

Diamond, the Red Book is lovely! Have you seen the Green Book?

Saraphim, go ahead and get a new set-- just take good care of your old one and never throw it away (like I did, fool that I am. It was mildewed, more's the pity.) So don't store yours in a damp basement like I did...

Lhunardawen · 08-26-2004, 01:26 AM

My friend has an all-in-one copy of LotR and the Appendices, paperback, and has the picture of the Ring with the ashes of Sauron's cut finger in front. Despite the thickness, it was relatively light and does not get unsightly lines at the spine. I hope to get a copy of that. I forgot the publisher, though.

Diamond18 · 08-26-2004, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark12_30

Diamond, the Red Book is lovely! Have you seen the Green Book?

Yes, indeed. I have that one too.

Lalwendë · 10-03-2005, 06:16 AM

Thought I'd do a bump-up on this one seeing as we've been talking about different editions on the Books forum. Plus, I've got some rather ace links here - which I must add, davem actually found last night.

The Tolkien Library is a site which aims to detail all the writings available by Tolkien; it also has items about collecting the books, and some other good links.

This gallery of Book Covers is fascinating - and not so long ago (though I cannot now recall on which thread) I asked if anyone knew if there was such a thing as a gallery of cover art. Well, there is, and this is a pretty good one as it includes not only popular covers but some strange and freaky ones too.

Finally, Tolkien Books is my favourite of these three as it's focussed on UK editions and goes into detail with just about anything you might need to know about the many editions available (apart from prices

). I should imagine this would be really useful when browsing ebay... It also has a lot of useful info. I was on this for too long last night, mentally creating a shopping list...

Lalaith · 10-03-2005, 06:55 AM

Thanks for those links Lalwende, I just found my edition on the Tolkien Books site, it's the Harper Collins Millennium hardback edition, published in 1999.

Estelyn Telcontar · 10-03-2005, 07:00 AM

I've mentioned my one and only (and therefore, favorite

) LotR edition on other threads. [Esty has only one copy, Esty needs only one copy. One Book to rule them all!] It's the one that was given to me in 1973, Ballantine's red-boxed paperback edition. I love the fact that it uses Tolkien's own artwork for the covers! It has held up very well, though it's been used a lot these past years on the Downs and is underlined (in pencil - I never underline books in ink!) extensively. I've looked at some of the interesting new, illustrated editions, but have seen no immediate need for purchasing any of them yet. I have lots of Tolkien and related books, but only one each.

Hilde Bracegirdle · 10-03-2005, 10:26 AM

Oh Lalwendë, bless your heart for those links! I see my old copies, as well as my new set in the second link. I have been reading from the gold boxed edition with heraldary, the books are the last 4 in the 3rd row from the top in your 2nd link. They are now falling apart from traveling to work with me, and I have plans to retire them with honor at the end of CbC.

Also my old copy of The Silmarillion is there!!! The cover shows the mountains and is 4th after Mr. Bliss. Sadly, I have reluctantly declared it MIA as I can not seem to find it anywhere.

Some of the books in the last link seem to have come from M-E itself. How wonderful they are!

***Mister Underhill*** · 10-03-2005, 11:39 AM

Wow, great link, Lal.

I started out with the so-called "Hippie Edition" which was given to me by my uncle. I still have TT and RotK from that set, but Fellowship seems to have gone missing. They are yellowed with age and close to falling out of their bindings from many readings. I don't read them anymore.

I also had the "Silver Jubilee" editions back in the day, of which only The Hobbit, RotK, and the Silm have survived through the intervening years.

I'm currently making due with a Fellowship with Michael Herring cover art -- which I think is some of the worst cover art ev-er. Mine has the art on a black, not green, background, though.

I also have the "red leatherette" ("leatherette"?) boxed edition, but it doesn't travel anywhere with me, only sits on my nightstand for those few evenings when I have the luxury of reading time. I really like the maps in this one.

My UT is a trade paperback edition but looks exactly like the middle book in the top row. Or at least it did at one time. Now it looks like the Book of Mazarbul, yellowed with age, warped and stained from having once been soaked, falling out of its binding. I keep a rubberband looped around it to hold it together when I'm not reading it.

I recently saw the paperbacks with the John Jude Palencar art on them at the local bookstore and was quite taken with them. I've been thinking of picking them up and retiring all my other old mismatched paperbacks.

Mithalwen · 10-03-2005, 11:52 AM

My first set were Allen & Unwins with the eye surrounded by the verse of the ring in Elvish. A present from "Father Christmas" in 1980 they disintegrated leaf by leaf in 2001 when I lent them to my god-daughter. They were replaced by the film paperbacks (on offer...) . ROTK has now lost its back cover so my ideal edition would be an indestructable soft covered, three volume edition (one volume is too big ) . I would like a nice hardback set but I would still need a portable set...

08-23-2004, 05:38 PM	#1
mark12_30 Stormdancer of Doom Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Elvish singing is not a thing to miss, in June under the stars Posts: 4,349	There are so many nice ones, it's quite hard to choose. I remember feeling very triumphant when I bought my second Red-Box Ballantine paperback set. Those (and several others) had Tolkien's own paintings on the cover: Hobbiton, The Forest, and Barad-Dur. But it was the Heraldry on the red box that (as a young teenager) hypnotized me for hours on end. The much newer boxed paperback set with the illustrations of Frodo at the Ford, Sam & Frodo at the Emyn Muil, and Gandalf approaching Minas Tirith are another favorite. The Hobbit has Gandalf approaching Bag End which has been the Del Rey cover ever since. Diamond, the Red Book is lovely! Have you seen the Green Book? Saraphim, go ahead and get a new set-- just take good care of your old one and never throw it away (like I did, fool that I am. It was mildewed, more's the pity.) So don't store yours in a damp basement like I did... __________________ ...down to the water to see the elves dance and sing upon the midsummer's eve. Last edited by mark12_30; 08-23-2004 at 05:42 PM.

10-03-2005, 06:16 AM	#4
Lalwendë A Mere Boggart Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: under the bed Posts: 4,737	Thought I'd do a bump-up on this one seeing as we've been talking about different editions on the Books forum. Plus, I've got some rather ace links here - which I must add, davem actually found last night. The Tolkien Library is a site which aims to detail all the writings available by Tolkien; it also has items about collecting the books, and some other good links. This gallery of Book Covers is fascinating - and not so long ago (though I cannot now recall on which thread) I asked if anyone knew if there was such a thing as a gallery of cover art. Well, there is, and this is a pretty good one as it includes not only popular covers but some strange and freaky ones too. Finally, Tolkien Books is my favourite of these three as it's focussed on UK editions and goes into detail with just about anything you might need to know about the many editions available (apart from prices ). I should imagine this would be really useful when browsing ebay... It also has a lot of useful info. I was on this for too long last night, mentally creating a shopping list... __________________ Gordon's alive!

10-03-2005, 06:55 AM	#5
Lalaith Blithe Spirit Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 2,779	Thanks for those links Lalwende, I just found my edition on the Tolkien Books site, it's the Harper Collins Millennium hardback edition, published in 1999. __________________ Out went the candle, and we were left darkling

10-03-2005, 07:00 AM	#6
Estelyn Telcontar Princess of Skwerlz Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles) Posts: 7,500	Yesss, preciousss, but we has only one! I've mentioned my one and only (and therefore, favorite ) LotR edition on other threads. [Esty has only one copy, Esty needs only one copy. One Book to rule them all!] It's the one that was given to me in 1973, Ballantine's red-boxed paperback edition. I love the fact that it uses Tolkien's own artwork for the covers! It has held up very well, though it's been used a lot these past years on the Downs and is underlined (in pencil - I never underline books in ink!) extensively. I've looked at some of the interesting new, illustrated editions, but have seen no immediate need for purchasing any of them yet. I have lots of Tolkien and related books, but only one each. __________________ 'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...' Last edited by Estelyn Telcontar; 10-03-2005 at 11:47 AM. Reason: including link to illustrate

10-03-2005, 11:52 AM	#9
Mithalwen Pilgrim Soul Join Date: May 2004 Location: watching the wonga-wonga birds circle... Posts: 9,460	My first set were Allen & Unwins with the eye surrounded by the verse of the ring in Elvish. A present from "Father Christmas" in 1980 they disintegrated leaf by leaf in 2001 when I lent them to my god-daughter. They were replaced by the film paperbacks (on offer...) . ROTK has now lost its back cover so my ideal edition would be an indestructable soft covered, three volume edition (one volume is too big ) . I would like a nice hardback set but I would still need a portable set... __________________ “But Finrod walks with Finarfin his father beneath the trees in Eldamar.” Christopher Tolkien, Requiescat in pace

08-26-2004, 01:26 AM	#2
Lhunardawen Hauntress of the Havens Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: IN it, but not OF it Posts: 2,538	My friend has an all-in-one copy of LotR and the Appendices, paperback, and has the picture of the Ring with the ashes of Sauron's cut finger in front. Despite the thickness, it was relatively light and does not get unsightly lines at the spine. I hope to get a copy of that. I forgot the publisher, though.

10-03-2005, 10:26 AM	#7
Hilde Bracegirdle Relic of Wandering Days Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: You'll See Perpetual Change. Posts: 1,480	Oh Lalwendë, bless your heart for those links! I see my old copies, as well as my new set in the second link. I have been reading from the gold boxed edition with heraldary, the books are the last 4 in the 3rd row from the top in your 2nd link. They are now falling apart from traveling to work with me, and I have plans to retire them with honor at the end of CbC. Also my old copy of The Silmarillion is there!!! The cover shows the mountains and is 4th after Mr. Bliss. Sadly, I have reluctantly declared it MIA as I can not seem to find it anywhere. Some of the books in the last link seem to have come from M-E itself. How wonderful they are!

10-03-2005, 11:39 AM	#8
*Mister Underhill* Dread Horseman Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Behind you! Posts: 2,744	Wow, great link, Lal. I started out with the so-called "Hippie Edition" which was given to me by my uncle. I still have TT and RotK from that set, but Fellowship seems to have gone missing. They are yellowed with age and close to falling out of their bindings from many readings. I don't read them anymore. I also had the "Silver Jubilee" editions back in the day, of which only The Hobbit, RotK, and the Silm have survived through the intervening years. I'm currently making due with a Fellowship with Michael Herring cover art -- which I think is some of the worst cover art ev-er. Mine has the art on a black, not green, background, though. I also have the "red leatherette" ("leatherette"?) boxed edition, but it doesn't travel anywhere with me, only sits on my nightstand for those few evenings when I have the luxury of reading time. I really like the maps in this one. My UT is a trade paperback edition but looks exactly like the middle book in the top row. Or at least it did at one time. Now it looks like the Book of Mazarbul, yellowed with age, warped and stained from having once been soaked, falling out of its binding. I keep a rubberband looped around it to hold it together when I'm not reading it. I recently saw the paperbacks with the John Jude Palencar art on them at the local bookstore and was quite taken with them. I've been thinking of picking them up and retiring all my other old mismatched paperbacks.