/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.10751496]

Thought about reading LOTR. Is the pic related a good edition? If not, which one should I buy?

[Anonymous No.10751514]

>>10751496
it was written originally in english, it's all the same

anyway why does that edition has 4 books? does it include the hobbit or did they split some book?

[Anonymous No.10751516]

>>10751496
The hardcovers with the illustrations that Tolkien himself did for the books.

[Anonymous No.10751524]

>>10751514
>it was written originally in english, it's all the same

This. Just go to a used book store and get the cheapest version there.

[Anonymous No.10751534]

>>10751514
yeah it has the hobbit included, I was sort of wondering becuase people were talking about how the 50th anniversary text is the one you should read, and this verison doesn't have it apparently

[Anonymous No.10751535]

>>10751496
I would buy the regular paperbacks and then, if you really enjoy it, do this >>10751516

Tolkien's illustrations are lovely

[Anonymous No.10751538]

>>10751514
The one on the far left says "the hobbit"

[Anonymous No.10751548]

>>10751535
this feels like a series where i need hardback or leather to be honest so i dont think ill go with a paperback

can anyone give ISBN to a hardback with tolkiens illustration?

[Anonymous No.10751552]

>>10751548
But you don't know if you'll like it yet!

[Anonymous No.10751554]

>>10751534
>The Fellowship of the Ring, part one of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic masterpiece, first reached these shores on October 21, 1954, arriving, as C. S. Lewis proclaimed, “like lightning from a clear sky.” Fifty years and nearly one hundred million American readers later comes a beautiful new one-volume collector’s edition befitting the stature of this crown jewel of our list. With a text fully corrected under the supervision of Christopher Tolkien to meet the author’s exacting wishes, two large-format fold-out maps, a ribbon placemarker, gilded page edges, a color insert depicting Tolkien's own paintings of the Book of Mazarbul and exceptionally elegant and sturdy overall packaging housed within an attractive slipcase, this edition is the finest we’ve ever produced.
Anybody knows what did they correct?

btw maps are great for LOTR, so it would be good to get a book with a nice map in it

editions with 1 book instead of 3 look nice but they are very clunky to read

[Anonymous No.10751561]

>>10751552
lets be real man I probably will

[Anonymous No.10751573]

>>10751516
Pic related are the covers by Tolkien.

[Anonymous No.10751584]

>>10751496
I have the millenium edition, it's a nice 7-volume hardback, which is good for portability.
before anybody asks, book 7 is the appendices and index
I would just buy the paperbacks tbph, and if you like it buy a nicer edition later. That's what I do.

[Anonymous No.10751588]

>>10751573
Really ugly colors on the last one to be honest

[Anonymous No.10751589]

>>10751496
This edition is literally made for people that don't intend to read it and just place it on their shelf. The paper is made out of toilet paper, and the font is really small. Don't waste your money, anon.

[Anonymous No.10751593]

>>10751573
These should also have the updated text (think they are 50th anniversary editions themselves).

[Anonymous No.10751605]

>>10751589
yeah I guess I'd get a headache from that tiny font as well, taking your advice

[Anonymous No.10751612]

i had one that looked like this, but in red and it didn't have a shitty picture in the cover, just a nice cloth cover with the title in golden letters and a shitty dust jacket with pictures in it

a bit clunky to read, but it looked nice

[Anonymous No.10751619]

>>10751612
you could kill somebody with that

[Anonymous No.10751683]

>>10751496
I'll admit the hobbit is great but does anyone actually enjoy lotr? I tried reading it a bunch of times but could never finish it, so boring

[Anonymous No.10751695]

>>10751683
It's boring because you're young and stupid.

[Anonymous No.10751696]

>>10751683
Loved every line and every blade of grass described in it. I can understand why other people want plot, but i haven't been convinced to fall for that meme

[Anonymous No.10751928]

>>10751584
Never seen this edition before, very cool set.

[Anonymous No.10752529]

>>10751696
this.
people who knew Tolkien said he could ramble on about trees and plants for hours if you let him.

[Anonymous No.10752584]

>>10751695
>book is written for children
>is meant for children
>movies are marketed towards children
>themes are clearly for children
>y-you don’t like it because you’re not an elder manchild yet

[Anonymous No.10752640]

>>10752584
>>themes are clearly for children
completely false

[Anonymous No.10752656]

I have this. Probably the best edition you can buy. Unfortunately, the spin is pretty loose.

[Anonymous No.10752660]

>>10752656
>Unfortunately, the spin is pretty loose.
well, surely it can't be the best edition then?

[Anonymous No.10752860]

>>10752660
In terms of looks and content? I believe so. 50th Anniversary means it comes with the final text revision. Each subsequent edition has it but they all look awful compared to this one. I know the 60th editions have the extra artwork but I don’t care much for them. >>10751573 this collection of hardcovers along with the companion text are nice but cost like $250 by now.

[Anonymous No.10753533]

>>10752584
You're thinking of Harry Potter.

[Anonymous No.10753580]

>>10752584
LotR wasn't even written for children

[Anonymous No.10753696]

i have a box set of these ones, it's my dad's from when he was a teenager. they're pretty beat up and yellowed but i think it adds to the charm. i'm reading the series for the first time right now, and i just finished the first half of the two towers. so i guess i don't actually have a recommendation for the OP, i just felt like sharing this B^)

[Anonymous No.10753727]

>>10752860
>the spine is loose but it looks nice
>probably the best edition

[Anonymous No.10753887]

>>10753727
Kek. It’s not that awful at the end of the day. I read through it already and it held up well. I just expected more from something that cost as much as a Folio book. Those have proper bindings for the cost they charge.

[Anonymous No.10754233]

I use the hardcover for home use, and an ePub for when I'm on the go.

You have the next best thing for people who don't want to carry a bible everywhere.

[Anonymous No.10754244]

>>10751496

[Anonymous No.10755619]

>>10754244
>Illustrated by literally who
why?

[Anonymous No.10755631]

>>10751514
>it was written originally in english, it's all the same
This is factually untrue. Many, many, many versions of TLotR are rife with errors thanks to Tolkien's awful organization and the incompetence of editors. Many corrections were made, and then lost, and then remade, and so forth throughout the publishing lifetime of the story. In general if it's a newer version it is fine, but the older ones have issues.

[Anonymous No.10755669]

Get the Harper Collins paperbacks, they're cheap and have everything you need. I found Two Towers sitting at a bookstore for like 3$ iirc

[Anonymous No.10755687]

>>10752656
this is the best looking one ive seen. unfortunately ive never seen it irl. id get it in a heartbeat if i did though.
>>10751496
i have pic related. the edges wore out pretty quickly. like a penguin classic but its pretty sleek if you dont want to lug around a 1000 page tome.

[Anonymous No.10755717]

>>10755669
It's a shame they've dumped those neat covers on the latest editions

[Anonymous No.10755727]

>>10755619
Queen of Denmark

[Anonymous No.10755737]

>>10755727
you are unironically telling the truth, i guess i'll shut my mouth then like a good pleb

[Anonymous No.10755739]

>>10755717
I like the minimalist covers they're using right now. I bought the whole bundle... Hobbit, LOTR, Silmarillion, Children of Hurin, and Unfinished Tales

[Anonymous No.10755819]

>>10755739
It's fantasy anon, B list covers are a part of the job

[Anonymous No.10755853]

>>10754244
beautiful edition. a friend of mine has this, and the Silmarillion. i go a bit like smeagol when i see them

[Anonymous No.10755859]

>>10755737
i only found this out the other day, although i have been familiar with the folio edition for years.

[Anonymous No.10755929]

>>10751683
The "boring" parts are comfy as hell to me. Never understood such opinions. Reading the Shire parts of the journey up through the barrow wights is like listening to Boards of Canada, a strong nostalgic feeling washes over you.

[Anonymous No.10755971]

>>10751514
>it was written originally in english, it's all the same
Languages evolve every day. The english language from 2018 is a different language then the english from 2017 or the one from 2016.

[Anonymous No.10756012]

>>10755971
Do you think the books get updated every year, you fucking pseud?

[Anonymous No.10756020]

>>10756012
How do you think translators trick retards into buying new translations?

[Anonymous No.10756054]

>>10756020
We're not talking about translations.

[Anonymous No.10756217]

>>10756012
how would we understand books from the past otherwise?

[Anonymous No.10756673]

>>10755669
Seconded. I used to work in a bookstore during the first movie craze and always got people on those editions. They use the corrected editing of the post-film revision (editions before that, especially U.S. are chock full of errors), they have nice Alan Lee covers, and they're a bit easier to hold and read than the black-cover mass markets (though the text is the same). You need any post-50th Anniversary Edition (2004 or 2005) to get rid of most errors.

[Anonymous No.10756753]

>>10752584
kill yourself my dude

[Anonymous No.10756761]

Does anyone in here have the 1975 George Allen & Unwin Third edition of The Hobbit?

If so, does the cover (not the dust-jacket) have the original first print cover with the dragon?

[Anonymous No.10757343]

>>10756761
Yes, it does: green cloth boards with the dragon & mountain design on it.

[Anonymous No.10757447]

>>10751584
>before anybody asks, book 7 is the appendices and index
Let's be honest, book 7 is only there so they could spell T-O-L-K-I-E-N

[Anonymous No.10757452]

>>10752584
You're thinking of The Hobbit.

[Anonymous No.10757458]

>>10751584
>>10757447
for some reason that one letter on each book thing is making me angry

[Anonymous No.10757465]

>>10751496
It's genre fiction, just get shitty paperbacks

[Anonymous No.10757467]

>>10752584
>movies are marketed towards children
>filled with gore, deafening audio, and are (in total) 9 hours long
god, i hope not.

[Anonymous No.10757515]

This box set + The Annotated Hobbit cost me $60. It's worth it.

[Anonymous No.10757534]

>>10757515
>sci-fi letters
why? also how is the annotated hobbit? what does it provide? sounds interesting

[Anonymous No.10757586]

>>10757534
There's a lot of notes and illustrations. Just about each page has a margin of notes or b&w illustration. Tolkien's illustrations are in color. Some of the notes are not that helpful, like explaining what "mead" is, some notes show passages that were changed in earlier drafts, and some reference his letters (like the one between Tolkien and Gene Wolfe on "wargs").

[Anonymous No.10758162]

>>10751496
The author was a professor and a linguist and he put a lot of depth into these books. They may read allegorically but Tolkien claimed they were just good stories. Please read these books, anon. Also be aware that the writing in the Hobbit and the trilogy and a bit different. Hobbit is a bit goofier.

[Anonymous No.10759315]

>>10751496
Ayy lmao, I have that edition. Served me very well, I traveled with them and since the covers aren't typical thin paperback covers but instead a thicker soft synthetic material they held up very well. The cover is thicker around the edges so it isn't completely flat, but you get what you pay for I guess. Hopefully small font isn't an issue for you, since the book is only a little over 6 inches tall (on the upside, fits snugly in larger pockets). I'd recommend buying that edition to read it for your first time, and if you like the books buy one of the big beautiful illustrated editions other anons have posted when you reread it (I make sure to reread it once a year). If you want to see the font size or cover I can attach a picture.

[Anonymous No.10760856]

>>10755929
This. I reread the fellowship at least once a year. Definitely the most comfy lit I've ever read. For me it's like the literary form of a John Bauer painting.

[Anonymous No.10762467]

Alrightt gentlemen ive had these copies since around 2006 or so and need new editions. These are beat to hell due to my teenage self being bullied alot at redneck book hating public school, the Silmarillions cover is barely even attached after being kicked around so many times back then.
I need the newest Hardcover editions for the LOTR trilogy, Hobbit, & Silmarillion. Preferably illustrated by Tolkien if possible. Box sets would be nice. Any consensus? Does Unfinished Tales have a nice hardcover? Mine is a tiny paperback not pictured.

[Anonymous No.10762599]

>>10751496
Only assholes buy this version.

[Anonymous No.10762604]

>>10762599
who chooses?

[Anonymous No.10762605]

>>10762599
The tattoo confirms it

[Anonymous No.10762612]

>>10762467
>redneck book hating public school
Is this really a thing at the other side of the pond?

[Anonymous No.10762618]

>>10762604
A man

[Anonymous No.10762753]

>>10762612
Not now that every Hollywood movie is an adaptation of a book or comic book, no

[Anonymous No.10762772]

Tove Jansson's illustrations for The Hobbit are the comfiest desu.

[Anonymous No.10762781]

>>10751496

Some say the text is tiny. Something to consider.

Here's a short video about them:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi8b7Hfsczw

[Anonymous No.10762808]

>>10762772
>Lohikäärme vuori
Ebin :DDD

[Anonymous No.10762826]

>>10751496
>>10751584
>>10754244
>>10757515
>>10762599
These are absolutely terrible. I bet most fancy editions like these are bought by people who liked the movies and struggle through the first 50 pages before giving up.

[Anonymous No.10762850]

>>10753696
I have those minus The Hobbit, also from my dad. Fully agree that it adds to the charm

[Anonymous No.10762856]

Just get all of them bro

[Anonymous No.10762863]

>>10762856
What the fuck
This might be the most disturbing thing I've seen on 4chan

[Anonymous No.10762869]

>>10762856
>they still don't have the best one

[Anonymous No.10762874]

>>10762869
is that a cd?

[Anonymous No.10762891]

>>10762874
No its a book
I got it for my birthday years ago and never opened it because I've read the hobbit already
Just realized someone took shitty notes on the last chapter lol

[Anonymous No.10762899]

Wait..they made a book based on the movie??
That's weird LOL.

[Anonymous No.10762900]

>>10762899

[Anonymous No.10763227]

>>10762826
I didn't like the movie.

[Anonymous No.10763318]

I really dig these. Not the translation, it's shit (but nostalgic), and there's an error in it where Merry kills The Witch-King instead of Éowyn which they didn't fix till the 90's.

[Anonymous No.10764241]

All are the fucking same novel.

[Anonymous No.10764378]

My sister and brother-in-law just named their newborn after a Tolkien character. Anybody care to guess his name?

[Anonymous No.10764393]

>>10764378
Sam

[Anonymous No.10764409]

>>10764378
Witch King of Angmar

[Anonymous No.10764411]

>>10764378
tom bombadil

[Anonymous No.10764704]

>>10764378
Better not be Legolas

[Anonymous No.10764733]

>>10764378
Smaug

[Anonymous No.10765300]

>>10764393
>>10764409
>>10764411
>>10764704
>>10764733
None. It's a book outside of The Hobbit and the trilogy.

[Anonymous No.10765502]

>>10765300
Beowulf?

[Anonymous No.10766485]

>>10765300
Gothmog

[Anonymous No.10766582]

>>10765300
Fingolfin

[Anonymous No.10766634]

>>10752860
what did they change in the revised versions?

[Anonymous No.10767350]

>>10765300
morgoth

[Anonymous No.10767351]

>>10765300
Earendel

[Anonymous No.10767610]

>>10751612

I had one like that too

[Anonymous No.10767653]

>>10765300
Feanor ?

[Anonymous No.10767693]

>>10764378
Giles

[Anonymous No.10767696]

>>10751496

[Anonymous No.10767703]

>>10765300
Pity. I was gonna say Treebeard!

[Anonymous No.10767723]

>There's a really good edition in your country - hardcover, with a bound cloth bookmark, a dust jacket and Alan Lee illustrations (or Ted Nasmith if we're talking about The Silmarillion)
>But it got released in your country, so it's in your language, and reading Tolkien in any language other than English is pointless
why live.

Please recommend a good hardcover edition of Tolkien's works that has The Hobbit, LotR and The Silmarillion in a unified graphical style. Hard mode: Unfinished Tales too.

[Anonymous No.10767738]

>he prefers Alan Lee over John Howe

[Anonymous No.10767739]

idk if people in my country stopped reading lotr or something, but I can't find any decent hardcover editions that aren't used.
>>10767723
>reading Tolkien in any language other than English is pointless
nah

[Anonymous No.10767748]

>>10767738
pleb spotted

[Anonymous No.10767764]

>>10767748
*zzzt* *pfffffhhh*
*lights flash on command console*
captain? this is pleb filter command. i repeat, captain, come in
WHAT IS IT SON
pleb filter engaged, sir. we caught another pleb in the "prefers alan lee" filter
GOOD WORK SON WE'LL SEND THE PLEB IN FOR PROCESSING AND CLEAR THE FILTER. PROCEED TO ENGAGE
yes captain. over and out.

[Anonymous No.10767797]

>>10767739
Maybe not pointless, but certainly not even half as good as in English.

[Anonymous No.10768227]

>>10751683
>read it the first time
>Get bored and take forever to finish
>Give it a second go
>Actually appreciate the writing

Anybody else like this?

[Anonymous No.10768260]

>>10768227
Yep, but the beginning is still too slow imo. idk if I'd feel that way if I hadn't seen the movies a billion times though.

[Anonymous No.10768321]

>>10765300
Finrod Felagund?

[Anonymous No.10768420]

>>10768260
Yeah, I watched the movies when I was young and set myself up for something entirely different than what I got. Took me a while to appreciate Tolkien's writing, but when I finally got into it, it was a thing of beauty.

[Anonymous No.10768484]

>>10768260
>>10768420
you have to read it with a sense of wonder of discovering a new world, if you read it expecting him to get "to the good stuff when stuff happens" you are already in the wrong mindset for it

i guess that's why so many kids get easily hooked to it even though the book is relatively large for kids. if you read it without much experience on fantasy books when everything is already familiar because everybody was influenced by Tolkien it works better than if you already sort of know about everything he is talking about

[Anonymous No.10768607]

>>10768484
I'd say it was me expecting something more akin to the other fantasy novels I'd read beforehand (stuff that put the focus on action). Tolkien was all about the adventure, and I went in expecting something about guys fighting orcs. I didn't enjoy my first attempt at reading it, but when I went back the second time and read how vividly Tolkien painted his world, I slapped the shit out of myself for being so close-minded earlier.