Updated Info on the Forthcoming The Hobbit + The Lord of the Rings Illustrated Editions
I had previously reported that HarperCollins will be (re)publishing Alan Lee's illustrated editions of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. In this post, I'll provide the cover art, ISBN info (key to ordering those exact copies) and the official product description. Remember that these are UK editions - the US won't be getting them. Buy from Amazon UK, Blackwell's, Waterstones, etc using the ISBN's to ensure you get them.
THE HOBBIT
ISBN: 9780008376116
Publication date: May 14
"A great modern classic and the prelude to The Lord of the Rings.
THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING
ISBN: 9780008376123
Publication date: May 14
"The Fellowship of the Ring is the first part of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic adventure, The Lord of the Rings.
THE TWO TOWERS
ISBN: 9780008376130
Publication date: May 14
"The Two Towers is the second part of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic adventure, The Lord of the Rings.
THE RETURN OF THE KING
ISBN: 9780008376147
Publication date: May 14
"The Return of the King is the third part of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic adventure, The Lord of the Rings.
Boxed set:
ISBN: 9780008376109
Publication date: May 14
The covers of The Lord of the Rings books is exactly the same as the 1992 illustrated hardbacks by Alan Lee. The Hobbit, meanwhile, always showed Alan Lee's Smaug on the cover. I wish that the covers of these, were also the same images used previously for the illustrated editions: Smaug for The Hobbit, Dwarrowdelf for The Fellowship of the Ring, Orthanc for The Two Towers and Minas Tirith for The Return of the King.
These also look to match Alan Lee's Great Tales hardbacks (The Children of Hurin , Beren and Luthien and The Fall of Gondolin). Because of this (and the size dimensions), these will not be 'oversized' hardbacks, but rather standard hardback size. Also, I have a feeling that it will be a 'mix' of paper type - standard for text and any pencil sketches, with photo-paper ('plates') used for the illustrations. Speaking of illustrations, I'm also curious if The Fellowship of the Ring illustrated frontispiece illustration of the Nazgul will appear as a three-page foldout sheet, the way it did for the 60th anniversary illustrated one-book edition. And, to go further, could we also expect foldout maps? The Children of Hurin and The Fall of Gondolin had them - but not Beren and Luthien for some stupid reason.
These questions will be answered in time once these books are published and we've had a chance to look at them.
...but what about The Silmarillion?
The Silmarillion was illustrated by Ted Nasmith, rather than by Alan Lee. In 1998, the original edition appeared with 18 illustrations Then, in 2004, a second edition appeared with about 50 illustrations - I think the exact number was 48. There was also a paperback edition in 2008 which had some, but not all, the illustrations - 16 in total. But, why I mention The Silmarillion is this - there's no new 'matching' edition to go with The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings! The oversized edition from 2004 is still in print/back in print, though due to the size dimensions; it won't 'match' with the new editions The Hobbit and Th Lord of the Rings.
Another thing to think of, if there was a matching edition of The Silmarillion which one would it be? These editions of The Lord of the Rings appear to be quite similar to the original ones from 1992. Would The Silmarillion be similar to the 1998 edition ('Maglor Casts a Silmaril into the Sea' as the cover, and has 18 illustrations), the 2004 edition ('White Ships to Valinor' as the cover, 48 illustrations) or the 2008 paperback ('Ships of the Faithful' as the cover, 16 illustrations)? One final thing to bear in mind is this - the editions from 1998 and 2008 featured a mix of paper (regular for text, photo style for the illustrations), while the 2004 edition was printed entirely on photo paper (like the 2002 illustrated editions of The Lord of the Rings); thus allowing the capability to include more images.
THE HOBBIT
ISBN: 9780008376116
Publication date: May 14
"A great modern classic and the prelude to The Lord of the Rings.
Smaug
certainly looked fast asleep, almost dead and dark, with scarcely a
snore more than a whiff of unseen steam, when Bilbo peeped once more
from the entrance. He was just about to step out on to the floor when he
caught a sudden thin and piercing ray of red from under the drooping
lid of Smaug’s left eye. He was only pretending to sleep! He was
watching the tunnel entrance!
Whisked away from his comfortable, unambitious life in his hobbit-hole in Bag End by Gandalf the wizard and a band of dwarves, Bilbo Baggins finds himself caught up in a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. Although quite reluctant to take part in this quest, Bilbo surprises even himself by his resourcefulness and his skill as a burglar!
The text of this edition has been fully corrected and revised in collaboration with Christopher Tolkien and is accompanied by a wealth of beautiful watercolour paintings and delicate pencil drawings from Alan Lee."
Whisked away from his comfortable, unambitious life in his hobbit-hole in Bag End by Gandalf the wizard and a band of dwarves, Bilbo Baggins finds himself caught up in a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. Although quite reluctant to take part in this quest, Bilbo surprises even himself by his resourcefulness and his skill as a burglar!
The text of this edition has been fully corrected and revised in collaboration with Christopher Tolkien and is accompanied by a wealth of beautiful watercolour paintings and delicate pencil drawings from Alan Lee."
THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING
ISBN: 9780008376123
Publication date: May 14
"The Fellowship of the Ring is the first part of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic adventure, The Lord of the Rings.
Sauron,
the Dark Lord, has gathered to him all the Rings of Power – the means
by which he intends to rule Middle-earth. All he lacks in his plans for
dominion is the One Ring – the ring that rules them all – which has
fallen into the hands of the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins.
In a sleepy village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task, as his elderly cousin Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must leave his home and make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose.
The text of this edition has been fully corrected and revised in collaboration with Christopher Tolkien and is accompanied by nineteen watercolour paintings from Alan Lee."
In a sleepy village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task, as his elderly cousin Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must leave his home and make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose.
The text of this edition has been fully corrected and revised in collaboration with Christopher Tolkien and is accompanied by nineteen watercolour paintings from Alan Lee."
THE TWO TOWERS
ISBN: 9780008376130
Publication date: May 14
"The Two Towers is the second part of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic adventure, The Lord of the Rings.
Frodo
and the Companions of the Ring have been beset by danger during their
quest to prevent the Ruling Ring from falling into the hands of the Dark
Lord by destroying it in the Cracks of Doom. They have lost the wizard,
Gandalf, in the battle with an evil spirit in the Mines of Moria; and
at the Falls of Rauros, Boromir, seduced by the power of the Ring, tried
to seize it by force. While Frodo and Sam made their escape the rest of
the company were attacked by Orcs.
Now they continue their journey alone down the great River Anduin – alone, that is, save for the mysterious creeping figure that follows wherever they go.
The text of this edition has been fully corrected and revised in collaboration with Christopher Tolkien and is accompanied by sixteen watercolour paintings from Alan Lee."
Now they continue their journey alone down the great River Anduin – alone, that is, save for the mysterious creeping figure that follows wherever they go.
The text of this edition has been fully corrected and revised in collaboration with Christopher Tolkien and is accompanied by sixteen watercolour paintings from Alan Lee."
THE RETURN OF THE KING
ISBN: 9780008376147
Publication date: May 14
"The Return of the King is the third part of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic adventure, The Lord of the Rings.
The
Companions of the Ring have become involved in separate adventures as
the quest continues. Aragorn, revealed as the hidden heir of the ancient
Kings of the West, joined with the Riders of Rohan against the forces
of Isengard, and took part in the desperate victory of the Hornburg.
Merry and Pippin, captured by orcs, escaped into Fangorn Forest and
there encountered the Ents.
Gandalf returned, miraculously, and defeated the evil wizard, Saruman. Meanwhile, Sam and Frodo progressed towards Mordor to destroy the Ring, accompanied by Sméagol–Gollum, still obsessed by his ‘preciouss’. After a battle with the giant spider, Shelob, Sam left his master for dead; but Frodo is still alive – in the hands of the orcs. And all the time the armies of the Dark Lord are massing.
The text of this edition has been fully corrected and revised in collaboration with Christopher Tolkien and is accompanied by fifteen watercolour paintings from Alan Lee."
Gandalf returned, miraculously, and defeated the evil wizard, Saruman. Meanwhile, Sam and Frodo progressed towards Mordor to destroy the Ring, accompanied by Sméagol–Gollum, still obsessed by his ‘preciouss’. After a battle with the giant spider, Shelob, Sam left his master for dead; but Frodo is still alive – in the hands of the orcs. And all the time the armies of the Dark Lord are massing.
The text of this edition has been fully corrected and revised in collaboration with Christopher Tolkien and is accompanied by fifteen watercolour paintings from Alan Lee."
Boxed set:
ISBN: 9780008376109
Publication date: May 14
"Boxed gift set of Tolkien’s
classic masterpieces, fully illustrated throughout in watercolour by the
acclaimed and award-winning artist, Alan Lee, Conceptual Designer on
Peter Jackson’s THE HOBBIT films.
Since they were first published, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings have been two books people have treasured. Steeped in unrivalled magic and otherworldliness, these works of sweeping fantasy have touched the hearts of young and old alike. Between them, nearly 150 million copies have been sold around the world. And no editions have proved more popular than the two that were illustrated by award-winning artist, Alan Lee – the Centenary edition of The Lord of the Rings and the 60th Anniversary edition of The Hobbit.
Now, the new hardback editions of these beautifully illustrated works have been collected together into one boxed set of four books. Readers will be able to follow the complete story of the Hobbits and their part in the quest for the Ring – beginning with Bilbo’s fateful visit from Gandalf and culminating in the dramatic climax between Frodo and Gollum atop Mount Doom – while also enjoying over seventy full-page colour paintings and numerous illustrations which accompany this epic tale."
Thoughts:
These look to be quite lovely! I always thought that a one-book illustrated edition of The Lord of the Rings to be utterly stupid - how do the publishers expect readers to read the book? It's too impractical! A one-book edition of The Lord of the Rings without illustrations is cumbersome as it is! With illustrations, 3 books makes much more sense.
Since they were first published, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings have been two books people have treasured. Steeped in unrivalled magic and otherworldliness, these works of sweeping fantasy have touched the hearts of young and old alike. Between them, nearly 150 million copies have been sold around the world. And no editions have proved more popular than the two that were illustrated by award-winning artist, Alan Lee – the Centenary edition of The Lord of the Rings and the 60th Anniversary edition of The Hobbit.
Now, the new hardback editions of these beautifully illustrated works have been collected together into one boxed set of four books. Readers will be able to follow the complete story of the Hobbits and their part in the quest for the Ring – beginning with Bilbo’s fateful visit from Gandalf and culminating in the dramatic climax between Frodo and Gollum atop Mount Doom – while also enjoying over seventy full-page colour paintings and numerous illustrations which accompany this epic tale."
Thoughts:
These look to be quite lovely! I always thought that a one-book illustrated edition of The Lord of the Rings to be utterly stupid - how do the publishers expect readers to read the book? It's too impractical! A one-book edition of The Lord of the Rings without illustrations is cumbersome as it is! With illustrations, 3 books makes much more sense.
The covers of The Lord of the Rings books is exactly the same as the 1992 illustrated hardbacks by Alan Lee. The Hobbit, meanwhile, always showed Alan Lee's Smaug on the cover. I wish that the covers of these, were also the same images used previously for the illustrated editions: Smaug for The Hobbit, Dwarrowdelf for The Fellowship of the Ring, Orthanc for The Two Towers and Minas Tirith for The Return of the King.
These also look to match Alan Lee's Great Tales hardbacks (The Children of Hurin , Beren and Luthien and The Fall of Gondolin). Because of this (and the size dimensions), these will not be 'oversized' hardbacks, but rather standard hardback size. Also, I have a feeling that it will be a 'mix' of paper type - standard for text and any pencil sketches, with photo-paper ('plates') used for the illustrations. Speaking of illustrations, I'm also curious if The Fellowship of the Ring illustrated frontispiece illustration of the Nazgul will appear as a three-page foldout sheet, the way it did for the 60th anniversary illustrated one-book edition. And, to go further, could we also expect foldout maps? The Children of Hurin and The Fall of Gondolin had them - but not Beren and Luthien for some stupid reason.
These questions will be answered in time once these books are published and we've had a chance to look at them.
...but what about The Silmarillion?
The Silmarillion was illustrated by Ted Nasmith, rather than by Alan Lee. In 1998, the original edition appeared with 18 illustrations Then, in 2004, a second edition appeared with about 50 illustrations - I think the exact number was 48. There was also a paperback edition in 2008 which had some, but not all, the illustrations - 16 in total. But, why I mention The Silmarillion is this - there's no new 'matching' edition to go with The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings! The oversized edition from 2004 is still in print/back in print, though due to the size dimensions; it won't 'match' with the new editions The Hobbit and Th Lord of the Rings.
Another thing to think of, if there was a matching edition of The Silmarillion which one would it be? These editions of The Lord of the Rings appear to be quite similar to the original ones from 1992. Would The Silmarillion be similar to the 1998 edition ('Maglor Casts a Silmaril into the Sea' as the cover, and has 18 illustrations), the 2004 edition ('White Ships to Valinor' as the cover, 48 illustrations) or the 2008 paperback ('Ships of the Faithful' as the cover, 16 illustrations)? One final thing to bear in mind is this - the editions from 1998 and 2008 featured a mix of paper (regular for text, photo style for the illustrations), while the 2004 edition was printed entirely on photo paper (like the 2002 illustrated editions of The Lord of the Rings); thus allowing the capability to include more images.
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