The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún: Pre- and Reviews - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

davem · 05-05-2009, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aiwendil

The book has a very nice look and feel, and the wood-carving-style drawings preceding each section are a nice touch.

I'm assuming the Houghton Mifflin edition is superior to the Harper Collins 'hardback' (ie'paperback with thick card covers') production then - the HC glued binding is so bad (which I'd feared would be the case, sadly, after their 70th anniversary Hobbit 'hardback') that I'm afraid to open it to more than forty-five degrees in case it breaks in half

William Cloud Hicklin · 05-06-2009, 06:24 AM

It certainly seems to be the case over the last several years that H-M's North American editions are superior, physically, to the very cheap binding used by HC UK.

davem · 05-06-2009, 07:48 AM

Tom Shippey in the Times Literary Suppliment http://entertainment.timesonline.co....cle6232731.ece

Eomer of the Rohirrim · 05-09-2009, 04:39 PM

Went to buy it today but it's not available here yet. It will probably get here at the end of May or start of June. I realise I could order online but I like the old-fasioned way.

I think this is the first time I've been eagerly awaiting a book's release.

Lalaith · 05-12-2009, 11:42 AM

Just bought it today. One thing I'm wondering about...why is Gudrun spelt with the Icelandic ú but not also ð?

It should either be Gudrun (German) or Guðrún (Icelandic/Norse).

Mithalwen · 05-12-2009, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davem

I'm assuming the Houghton Mifflin edition is superior to the Harper Collins 'hardback' (ie'paperback with thick card covers') production then - the HC glued binding is so bad (which I'd feared would be the case, sadly, after their 70th anniversary Hobbit 'hardback') that I'm afraid to open it to more than forty-five degrees in case it breaks in half

I havent ordered this yet - I wonder if there is a way of getting an US edition shipped? Or would it have funky spelling...?

davem · 05-12-2009, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

I havent ordered this yet - I wonder if there is a way of getting an US edition shipped? Or would it have funky spelling...?

You can get it through Amazon UK Marketplace, or from the Book Depository http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book...urd-and-Gudrun

Mind you - I did read a review of HM's 70th Anniversary Hobbit hardback on Amazon.com complaining that the glued binding was terrible.....

I suspect we're now at the stage of having to buy the 'super-de-luxe' Harper Collins editions for £250-350 if we want decent Tolkien hardbacks (not that I'm planning to indulge myself.....). The only modern hardbacks that don't leaving me feeling ripped off are the Folio Society volumes I occasionally treat meself to. I can't help feeling that all publishers are trying to push us towards e-books by churning out the most attrociously produced, over-priced volumes they possibly can. I can't recall the last hardback I saw with a proper sewn binding that wasn't produced by Folio.

S&G, contents-wise though, is amazingly good.

Aiwendil · 05-12-2009, 08:05 PM

Quote:

I havent ordered this yet - I wonder if there is a way of getting an US edition shipped? Or would it have funky spelling...?

Well, the binding on the U.S. HM edition isn't that great . . . it's not about to fall apart or anything, but neither is it the sturdiest book I've ever owned. Paying for overseas shipping probably wouldn't be worth it unless the HC is truly awful.

No funky spellings, though - fortunately, HM doesn't inflict any 'Americanization' on us, unlike the U.S. publishers of certain other English books (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone? Oy vey!)

Bêthberry · 05-13-2009, 11:27 AM

Given these comments about the poor binding of the hardcover, I'm thinking of waiting for the paperback, although I am very interested in reading this.

Anyone have any info on when the paperback might be out?

Mithalwen · 05-16-2009, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aiwendil

Well, the binding on the U.S. HM edition isn't that great . . . it's not about to fall apart or anything, but neither is it the sturdiest book I've ever owned. Paying for overseas shipping probably wouldn't be worth it unless the HC is truly awful.

No funky spellings, though - fortunately, HM doesn't inflict any 'Americanization' on us, unlike the U.S. publishers of certain other English books (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone? Oy vey!)

Thank you ... I have had a look at the volume in the bookshop and wil probably risk the normal hardback unless I can find and amazing deal on the special edition.

William Cloud Hicklin · 05-17-2009, 12:40 PM

Oh, the HM isn't remotely a "high-quality" binding; simply that their mass-market bindings have remained essentially unchanged since the 70's, whereas HC (and other UK publishers) have been getting progressively cheaper and shoddier.

My ca. 1973 H-M trilogy after years of use/abuse suffered broken backs, and I had to rehang them; and the size and weight of the 1992 one-volume Alan Lee was too much for the binding to handle and didn't last long at all.

davem · 05-17-2009, 01:01 PM

Oh, I didn't want to pick on HC in particular (though even their 'de-luxe Collector's editions' of Tolkien's works are shoddy - 'quarter binding' is supposed to be either cloth or leather, not paper!). As I've stated, Folio Society editions are uniformly well produced, with sewn bindings, & often at half the price of the HC 'de-luxe'. Luckily their LotR, Hobbit & Silmarillion editions are widely available from dealers - often for less than the cost of the HC hardbacks. If only they produced editions of all Tolkien's works.....

If Folio can produce quality books at not much more than the cost of HC's 'standard' hardbacks & still turn a profit one has to ask why HC can turn out such poorly made volumes.

05-06-2009, 06:24 AM	#2
William Cloud Hicklin Loremaster of Annúminas Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 2,330	It certainly seems to be the case over the last several years that H-M's North American editions are superior, physically, to the very cheap binding used by HC UK. __________________ The entire plot of The Lord of the Rings could be said to turn on what Sauron didn’t know, and when he didn’t know it.

05-06-2009, 07:48 AM	#3
davem Illustrious Ulair Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties Posts: 4,240	Tom Shippey in the Times Literary Suppliment http://entertainment.timesonline.co....cle6232731.ece __________________ “Everything was an object. If you killed a dwarf you could use it as a weapon – it was no different to other large heavy objects."

05-09-2009, 04:39 PM	#4
Eomer of the Rohirrim Auspicious Wraith Join Date: May 2002 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 4,859	Went to buy it today but it's not available here yet. It will probably get here at the end of May or start of June. I realise I could order online but I like the old-fasioned way. I think this is the first time I've been eagerly awaiting a book's release. __________________ Los Ingobernables de Harlond

05-12-2009, 11:42 AM	#5
Lalaith Blithe Spirit Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 2,779	Just bought it today. One thing I'm wondering about...why is Gudrun spelt with the Icelandic ú but not also ð? It should either be Gudrun (German) or Guðrún (Icelandic/Norse). __________________ Out went the candle, and we were left darkling

05-13-2009, 11:27 AM	#9
Bêthberry Cryptic Aura Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 6,003	Given these comments about the poor binding of the hardcover, I'm thinking of waiting for the paperback, although I am very interested in reading this. Anyone have any info on when the paperback might be out? __________________ I’ll sing his roots off. I’ll sing a wind up and blow leaf and branch away.

05-17-2009, 12:40 PM	#11
William Cloud Hicklin Loremaster of Annúminas Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 2,330	Oh, the HM isn't remotely a "high-quality" binding; simply that their mass-market bindings have remained essentially unchanged since the 70's, whereas HC (and other UK publishers) have been getting progressively cheaper and shoddier. My ca. 1973 H-M trilogy after years of use/abuse suffered broken backs, and I had to rehang them; and the size and weight of the 1992 one-volume Alan Lee was too much for the binding to handle and didn't last long at all. __________________ The entire plot of The Lord of the Rings could be said to turn on what Sauron didn’t know, and when he didn’t know it.

05-17-2009, 01:01 PM	#12
davem Illustrious Ulair Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties Posts: 4,240	Oh, I didn't want to pick on HC in particular (though even their 'de-luxe Collector's editions' of Tolkien's works are shoddy - 'quarter binding' is supposed to be either cloth or leather, not paper!). As I've stated, Folio Society editions are uniformly well produced, with sewn bindings, & often at half the price of the HC 'de-luxe'. Luckily their LotR, Hobbit & Silmarillion editions are widely available from dealers - often for less than the cost of the HC hardbacks. If only they produced editions of all Tolkien's works..... If Folio can produce quality books at not much more than the cost of HC's 'standard' hardbacks & still turn a profit one has to ask why HC can turn out such poorly made volumes. __________________ “Everything was an object. If you killed a dwarf you could use it as a weapon – it was no different to other large heavy objects."