Hello!

As the title says i found these in a little free library while walking my dog. My mom is a crazy collector (seriously, it's....wild) and i was thinking if I could find a copy of the fellowship of the ring to complete this is would be an excellent gift! Im just not sure where to start. I believe its the first Canadian published ones, it says 1977 inside as well. Im writing this at work so that the info I remember and I think it was from an Ontario publisher, Magnus or something.

ANYWAY ill update when I get home if more info is needed but any advice in the meantime would be appreciated!

Unfortunately i could not get them all in one picture

I don't know a ton about book collecting or Tolkien books specifically, but I thought I'd share.

One of the topics that often gets talked about (ususally via a comment or two) is the quality of a Tolkien book. I mean the book itself - not its contents. (‘Is it sewn?’ ‘What’s the paper like??’)

So I’d like to ask you the question and then talk after:

What do you ‘expect’ from a Tolkien book?

He is many people’s favourite author. As such, his works (and the editions) are usually cherished. That being said…..realize that these are mass-produced paperbacks and hardcovers (with a deluxe edition tier existing for certain titles) in the 2020s.

If you walk around….say….,Waterstones, and check out non-Tolkien books (Stormlight, Wheel of Time, Ice and Fire, Empreyean…) you’ll likely notice that the books are typical made the same way.

While HarperCollins has given us many editions over the years, at the end of the day, they don’t treat Tolkien as ‘extra special’ when it comes to producing his books any more than other authors that they publish.

Are Tolkien fans’ expectations TOO high whenever a new Tolkien book (brand new or new edition of an existing title) is too high?? Possibly. I will say that any format higher/nicer than a standard hardcover should be well-made.

Remember that at the end of the day, we are consumers, and we can vote with our wallets if something doesn’t appeal to us or isn’t to our liking, we can always say ‘no’.

Hey fellow Tolkien fans!

I was hoping to get some help. I struggle a bit with sensory issues (I have to moisteurize my hands before I read so that the sound of the paper doesn't cause me anxiety) and OCD.

I am currently on the look for go-to readers of:

1. The Hobbit
2. The Silmarillion
3. The Lord of the Rings

I find both hardcover and softcover unbearable alike.

- With softcover, I feel that the paper cuts into my hand.
- With hardcover, I'm constantly worried about damaging it.

I have tried both Harper Collins Slipcase Deluxes, regular paperbacks, Folio Society versions and the illustrated 2020 Alan Lee hardcovers too, but they all trigger my OCD in one of the two ways above.

So, after looking for months, I finally found a copy I could bear to read.

The 50 Anniversary Single-Volume "pocket" edition of the Lord of The Rings. The material is perfect, the corners are blisffully rounded and with the help of listening to an audiobook at the same time, I managed to cut out the sound of the paper when turning the page.

I finished the book in a heartbeat it seems (for the first time too!) because it was such a comfortable experience and stress-free feeling. It's also the right size, it's comfortable to hold and doesn't hurt my hands which are really sensitive to any kind of discomfort.

Is there anything at all like this of The Hobbit or The Silmarillion?
Note: I am not interested in the Leathrette pockets as they are too small)

PS: I suspect some of you may think: "Whoa. Sounds like this is a "you" problem, and not a book problem". I know. I just thought someone here might know enough about the various editions to help me out. I want to enjoy the wider Legendarium, and reading them on a paper-free machine like a Kindle doesn't feel right either.

Thanks so much in advance for anyone wanting to offer a suggestion. Sorry for being difficult.

Have a great day,
Nick

Anything south of $200 each would be OK.

Thanks Trotter! (Still no Father Christmas yet eh? Maybe during fall 2026….)

I’ll comment below w/ my blog post entry, which has them all so far. Note that the ISBNs for these are the same as the previous paperbacks.

Spent a tenner on this (okay £10.70 🤓) on Amazon. I’ve looked at other copies and they aren’t signed but I’m not sure if it’s legit or printed in. Either way a bargain for mint condition.

Hi all, I have a hodgepodge of Tolkien books on my shelf from various years with different heights, styles, etc. I was hoping to get a more uniform array of books and have been browsing this sub recently. To be honest, I find the info a bit incomprehensible and overwhelming. I'm in the US and just ordered the latest four box sets of The History of Middle-earth, and the Great Tales of Middle-earth box set. However, I'm trying to figure out what the "best" editions to buy for The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion. For LotR, it looks like HarperCollins will soon be releasing a 70th anniversary box set (although I think there's more than one of these?) in full blue cloth with a clamshell-style case to hold all three horizontally. I hope to get one of these; what are my best options for the other two books? HC's website has at least two deluxe editions of the Hobbit available on their website and I can't really tell the differences between these. There's also two deluxe copies of the Silmarillion that look identical but have very different prices.

Overall, I'm looking for the editions with the best overall production quality (best binding, best paper quality, most illustrations, etc). I previously had the Folio Society limited editions but sold them for various reasons.

I started collecting about 9 months ago. Prior to that I only had the Houghton Mifflin one volume edition that I picked up about 24 years ago.

I'm reading my kids The Hobbit from a Folio edition I got from Barter books and I LOVE it, would like more!

Hello! I have this copy of The Hobbit passed down. I don’t know what edition it is, because it doesn’t have the year it was printed on it! Any help would be great. Thank you!

I randomly found this small Lord of the Rings edition on a local online flea market.

Spent the whole day thinking if I really need it...

In the end, I got it :)

Hope to take it on my next hiking trip!

Hey all just wondering I’m doing a clean out and have this set. Any idea what is worth?

The BBC Radio Production is fantastic!

I just purchased an old copy of the Silmarillion it has this signature at the back. It's probably nobody special. Maybe someone who has more experience might be able to identify it. Many thanks in advance

Which is your favorite? Why?

Has this version of The Silmarillion not been released in the US by William Morrow or am I totally missing something?

EDIT: I know the link says paperback, but there's also a hardback with the cover from Harper Collins.

Years ago I decided to pull the trigger on getting a collection of first editions, and was open to any impression. I found this set, two seventh impressions and one tenth impression. When I messaged the seller to ask if they’d do a bundle deal, they sold it to me for the price of one book! I couldn’t believe it, the literal nicest buying interaction I’ve ever had and frankly the most confusing- I’ve never had anything like that happen before or since. They aren’t in perfect shape but they were very well kept for their age!

Bet you didn't see an Arabic collection before. The only translated books where I live are those four plus The Hobbit (already read it on my Kindle).

I read the English version of first half of The fellowship of the ring on the Kindle and I felt I am missing a lot of details, so I decided to get the translated books.

I bought and read the Silmarillion first and got so hooked up with the world and I wanted more, after the trilogy I intend to continue reading, sadly it won't be in Arabic, but I'll manage.

Top right: The Silmarillion Top left: The Fellowship of the Ring Bottom right: The two Towers Bottom left: The Return of the King