Tolkien Reading Day: Black Sheep Editions

 

For Tolkien Reading Day, I wanted to do something a little different.

Tolkien Reading Day is March 25th, so I wanted to get this post out before then. I plan on doing another normal post soon-ish: this, after all, is my first post of 2021. 

Since being a Tolkien fan and observing the various editions of the past 20 years, I've noticed that there are some editions of certain titles that 'stick out' in some way from other Tolkien books - maybe I just really like things to match!

This post will go into what those editions are, and how they stick out from the rest.

THE HOBBIT




ISBN: 9780007458424

It's logical to start with The Hobbit. This particular edition may be considered splitting hairs. It's size dimensions 'fit in' well with other Tolkien paperbacks, though the cover style and chapter illustrations make it 'stand out' a bit. However, it still remains a very solid option for The Hobbit in paperback, and would look nice next to HarperCollins' Lord of the Rings paperbacks. It's slightly different, so I wanted to showcase it. In fact, everything about this edition is so nice, that I recommend it often - especially if someone is new to Tolkien.




ISBN: 9780007497904

Another edition of The Hobbit! (It is the oldest Tolkien book, after all!) 

This one is quite beautiful and luxurious, and also different from other Tolkien hardbacks.

This edition:
- is clothbound (it's got that linen-type texture to it)
- does not come with a dustjacket (it's a hardback)
- is larger than the usual Tolkien hardbacks

This edition is definitely not one to be overlooked, and looks great with....well, any books, really! This also exists in paperback. The paperback is the same height as other Tolkien paperbacks, though a bit wider so it doesn't line up with them on the shelf and sticks out a bit - literally.

As you can see by the art style, it's definitely suitable for 'bedtime story.' Though anyone can enjoy it :) Here are some sample images: https://www.jemimacatlin.com/thehobbit.php

THE LORD OF THE RINGS




ISBN: 9780007525546

This edition of The Lord of the Rings is truly unique.

What's different about it, is this:
- it has a transparent slipcase (which is a different style than other slipcased editions offered by HarperCollins)
- it's quarter-bound, however, it features artwork on the front and rear covers.
- it features a Ring logo on the spine (no other HarperCollins Tolkien book features a logo on its spine like this. Not counting the JRRT logo, of course)
- It's size doesn't fit in with other hardbacks or collector's editions (though, to be fair, the original 1-book illustrated edition was larger than standard Tolkien hardbacks, too....)
- it features maps printed on the inside boards (none of the titles in the collector's edition series have anything printed on the inside boards)

OK, so that's what makes it different from other hardbacks and collector's editions offered by HarperCollins. It is indeed a very lovely edition, which I'll go into:
- the paper quality is excellent. It'll remind you of a magazine (a kind of thin yet glossy type)
- the font is great for a 1-book edition (typically, the paper and font quality suffer slightly with other 1-book editions, in order to make everything fit into one book)
- it features updated text, and re-scanned illustrations, so the text is as accurate as possible at the time of publication, and the illustrations look terrific.
- the maps also look great

In terms of the quality you get for the price paid, this is a pretty solid option, and one of the nicer editions out there. It has been very well-received by fans. It's still in print going on 7 years, and it looks like it'll stay that way for a while!

Before I move on, a few tips for this edition:
- the slipcase isn't the most sturdy of things. What I recommend doing, is keeping it out of it when it's a book that you're 'currently reading.' The reason for this, is that it's possible after some possible botched attempts of getting the book back into the slipcase, that either can get damage. In other words, the more it's handled, the more chances of slight damage. To minimize/prevent this, keep it out of the slipcase as you read - even if you put it down for a day or two, or whatever - but keep it in its slipcase otherwise. When it' 'away.' Following this, you'd only take it out once, and only put it back once, during a single read-through
- this is a BIG book. 1-book editions of The Lord of the Rings are tricky enough to read as it is (when compared to it being divided into 3 parts) due to their size and weight, and when you factor in illustrations....it's quite hefty. For your wrists' sake, and to keep the spine good (large books like this may encounter issues with their spines during reading) I suggest either 'table' or 'desk reading' it, or cuddling up with it on a couch or chair, where it can be spread out into your lap, for instance. You'll feel like Gandalf poring over scrolls, books and records in Denethor's candle-lit libraries....

This is a nice semi sort of 'deluxization' of the original 1-book edition (it features the same images on the front and back covers) that would definitely make any Tolkien fan happy to get it. Despite it's size differences, it'll look great next to pretty much any hardback or collector's edition due it's design style.

Bonus: an option that I've yet to see, which I think would look great, is to have a custom slipcase made for this book, which may be considered an upgrade quality-wise. I'd suggest blue for the colour, though it depends on what's offered.

THE CHILDREN OF HURIN

ISBN: 9780007597338

This title fits in with other similar paperbacks (The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings (as 3 parts), The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales); HOWEVER, it is the only of the three great tales books (the others being Beren and Luthien and The Fall of Gondolin) to exist in this exact format. Again, this may be splitting hairs, though it's different due to the other two great tales books not existing in this style.

~ ~ ~
Note: the following title does not 'stick out' in the way that the others in this post do, though out of it's design series, it's the only one still in print - or, still available. It's possible that more aren't being printed, and retailers are selling their current stock until it runs out. (The Lord of the Rings (3-book boxed set) has been long out of print, and The Hobbit has recently gone out of print in this format, within the past year).

THE SILMARILLION




ISBN: 9780007173020

As I mentioned in the notice above, this is considered a 'black sheep' at this current time, as the other titles in this format are out of print (in favour of the recent editions). This one is still available - for now! Though, with the recent publication of the new edition, this one will likely start to disappear soon. As of this writing, it's still available from Blackwell's and Amazon UK (though I'd suggest gift wrapping it to add a bit of protection). 

So I've gone through the previous books in this post showing how they're different. Since this one is - currently - an odd case, I'll mention some features that it has:
- it's an oversized hardback. The only books it'll match with because of that would be The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings (3-book boxed set), both illustrated by Alan Lee. Oh, and The Complete Guide to Middle-earth, featuring artwork by Ted Nasmith, if you have it/can find it (I believe that one's been out of print since 2016)
- There are around 45-ish (forget the exact number) illustrations, which includes those from the 1998 illustrated edition