Which Editions of LOTR Did You Read?

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Sudy
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Which Editions of LOTR Did You Read?

Post by Sudy »

Which editions of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings did you read your first time? Most images stolen from MyTolkienBooks.com. (This site also has a great list. Dates are sketchy based on quick googlings.

The 1972 Unwin Books edition was my mother's copy that I used to follow along with/read ahead of my 5th grade teacher's reading to the class (complete with voices) circa 1994. I was going to insult the artwork until I discovered it was Tolkien's own drawing. It triggers major nostalgia of a simpler time in my life.

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This was the copy of Fellowship I rushed out to buy at a Coles at the end of that school year. It remains one of my favourite cover designs. Grafton/Harper Collins, 1991.

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The 1993 Ballantine edition of The Two Towers is generic as hell and minimally attractive with a distinctly early-90s paperback look. Read fine though. I think I picked it up at a Waldenbooks or similar store after we moved to NC. I remember being disappointed it didn't match the first volume.

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I picked up the 1965 (1967?) Ballantine edition of The Return of the King in a musty little used book store somewhere in the U.S. I think. It may have been on a family trip to MA, I don't remember. I had no idea it was such a revered edition.

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I later picked up the Grafton/Harper Collins version of LOTR in one volume at a discount book store. I adore the cover, but I have no idea why I bought it. It's like the Hitchhiker's Guide compendium I bought... way too damn big to comfortably read anywhere but on a medieval book stand.

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Re: Which Editions of LOTR Did You Read?

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Re: Which Editions of LOTR Did You Read?

Post by Holman »



I burned through a couple of sequences of the 1970s Ballantine paperbacks until I eventually picked up hardback copies.

All of the cover art is JRRT's own.
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Re: Which Editions of LOTR Did You Read?

Post by naednek »

Holman wrote: Sun Dec 04, 2022 10:06 pm

I burned through a couple of sequences of the 1970s Ballantine paperbacks until I eventually picked up hardback copies.

All of the cover art is JRRT's own.
This
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Re: Which Editions of LOTR Did You Read?

Post by Jaymann »

Ballentine First Edition.
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Re: Which Editions of LOTR Did You Read?

Post by disarm »

I didn't read LotR until just before the first movie was released, so I have a single-volume edition that was released around that time and has a movie shot on the cover. It's nice to have it all in one big book, but now I think the 1100 pages are too intimidating for my son to be interested in reading it together, so I may eventually pick up an easie-to-handle split version.
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Re: Which Editions of LOTR Did You Read?

Post by McNutt »

I listened to the audiobooks.
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Re: Which Editions of LOTR Did You Read?

Post by YellowKing »

I had the 1993 Ballantines as my personal copies, but the first ones I ever read were hardback copies from the library. I didn't see the exact versions listed on that site, but it was a massive three tome set.
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Re: Which Editions of LOTR Did You Read?

Post by Isgrimnur »

Image

On loan from a friend.

I own this one.

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Re: Which Editions of LOTR Did You Read?

Post by Brian »

Sudy wrote: Sun Dec 04, 2022 9:55 pm I picked up the 1965 (1967?) Ballantine edition of The Return of the King in a musty little used book store somewhere in the U.S. I think. It may have been on a family trip to MA, I don't remember. I had no idea it was such a revered edition.

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Ding!!

I still have the entire set though they are very much the worse for wear.

To replace it my daughter got me the anthology version:

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Re: Which Editions of LOTR Did You Read?

Post by hitbyambulance »

Image

my mom had the Ballantine third edition box set (1981-1984, which did not include The Silmarilion) and i remember being mad at my brother reading them in the mid-80s and totally creasing the spines while doing so :( those cover art images (and background colors) are THE ones i associate with this whole series. she still has this set somewhere, but i wouldn't be surprised if my brother took it.

of those, i myself only ever read The Hobbit and the first 30 pages or so of Fellowship of the Ring. i didn't actually get around to reading the entire War of the Rings until 2008, when i borrowed my roommate-at-the-time's really battered and well-used Ballantine second edition copies (which i think also came in a box).
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Re: Which Editions of LOTR Did You Read?

Post by Scuzz »

Holman wrote: Sun Dec 04, 2022 10:06 pm

I burned through a couple of sequences of the 1970s Ballantine paperbacks until I eventually picked up hardback copies.

All of the cover art is JRRT's own.
That is the cover art of my copies. I belonged to the Quality Paperback Book Club in the late 70s and got those in a box set.
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Re: Which Editions of LOTR Did You Read?

Post by Daehawk »

Im not sure. It was all in one big hardback edition.
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Re: Which Editions of LOTR Did You Read?

Post by dbt1949 »

To the best of my knowledge I've owned 3-4 sets. One from the late 60s, one from the mid 70s and an expensive hardcover version from the 90s. I also have it on Kindle now so I probably won't be getting another copy.
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Re: Which Editions of LOTR Did You Read?

Post by LordMortis »

Holman wrote: Sun Dec 04, 2022 10:06 pm

I burned through a couple of sequences of the 1970s Ballantine paperbacks until I eventually picked up hardback copies.

All of the cover art is JRRT's own.
These. I didn't know there were others.
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Re: Which Editions of LOTR Did You Read?

Post by Skinypupy »

Holman wrote: Sun Dec 04, 2022 10:06 pm
Still have these versions, taken from my parents house.

I had this one at some point as well, but I can't find it for the life of me.
Brian wrote: Sun Dec 04, 2022 11:15 pm Enlarge Image
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Re: Which Editions of LOTR Did You Read?

Post by Madmarcus »

I'm fairly sure that
Sudy wrote: Sun Dec 04, 2022 9:55 pm Enlarge Image
was the first version I read but I have the edition shown below on my bookshelf
Holman wrote: Sun Dec 04, 2022 10:06 pm
Interesting timing on this thread as I will probably send them off to a thrift store later this week. I don't see myself reading them again in paperback. It pains me to get rid of loved books but moving has pushed the decluttering idea pretty hard. Which is silly in it's own right since we aren't going to reduce enough stuff to significantly change the moving costs or allow us to move it ourselves!
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Re: Which Editions of LOTR Did You Read?

Post by pr0ner »

Holman wrote: Sun Dec 04, 2022 10:06 pm

I burned through a couple of sequences of the 1970s Ballantine paperbacks until I eventually picked up hardback copies.

All of the cover art is JRRT's own.
These. I read my dad's copies.
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Re: Which Editions of LOTR Did You Read?

Post by gbasden »

Holman wrote: Sun Dec 04, 2022 10:06 pm

I burned through a couple of sequences of the 1970s Ballantine paperbacks until I eventually picked up hardback copies.

All of the cover art is JRRT's own.
Yup. Those are the ones I had.
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Re: Which Editions of LOTR Did You Read?

Post by ImLawBoy »

Holman wrote: Sun Dec 04, 2022 10:06 pm

I burned through a couple of sequences of the 1970s Ballantine paperbacks until I eventually picked up hardback copies.

All of the cover art is JRRT's own.
The Hobbit and Fellowship were these.
hitbyambulance wrote: Sun Dec 04, 2022 11:21 pm Image
Two Towers, Return of the King, and Silmarillion were these (although I never could finish Silmarillion despite multiple attempts).
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Re: Which Editions of LOTR Did You Read?

Post by Smoove_B »

hitbyambulance wrote: Sun Dec 04, 2022 11:21 pm Image
Definitely these, though I think only the Hobbit. I've never actually read the entirety of the series; I gave up at some point in the Two Towers. But those covers are the ones I remember, probably from a cousin's house or as a library book (and yes, the Hobbit was more yellow than that photo).
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Re: Which Editions of LOTR Did You Read?

Post by Archinerd »

'88 version is what I read first.
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But these are the copies actually on my shelf now. ('99)
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Re: Which Editions of LOTR Did You Read?

Post by Zenn7 »

hitbyambulance wrote: Sun Dec 04, 2022 11:21 pm Image
Definitely these, though I think only the Hobbit. I've never actually read the entirety of the series; I gave up at some point in the Two Towers. But those covers are the ones I remember, probably from a cousin's house or as a library book (and yes, the Hobbit was more yellow than that photo).
[/quote]

These, though I don't think I ever more than peaked at the Silmarillion.

Then I listened to the trilogy on CD's from the library a few years back.

Then I bought them all on Audible (all 5) for Christmas last year and listened to them in order from the Hobbit through Silmarillion.
Quite enjoyable :)
Though if you want to go that route, I highly recommend the unabridged version narrorated by Rob Inglis. He did the trilogy, not the Silmarillion. Don't remember about the Hobbit. He actually sings the songs!
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Re: Which Editions of LOTR Did You Read?

Post by Biyobi »

hitbyambulance wrote: Sun Dec 04, 2022 11:21 pm Image
These were the ones I read. They are the "Silver Jubilee Edition". The Hobbit and the trilogy were a boxed set and I got the Silmarillion after.
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Re: Which Editions of LOTR Did You Read?

Post by Jeff V »

hepcat wrote: Sun Dec 04, 2022 9:58 pm Image
interested...

I read whatever versions were obtained from used book sales. I'm pretty sure they are still in my basement somewhere, do not care enough to seek them out to answer the question.
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Re: Which Editions of LOTR Did You Read?

Post by dbt1949 »

Now that the movies have been out for awhile when was the last time you read them?
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Re: Which Editions of LOTR Did You Read?

Post by Zenn7 »

If you count Audible, this year. Just got them starting Xmas last year (xmas present, got trial bonus and stayed sub'd a month or 2 to get the rest).
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Re: Which Editions of LOTR Did You Read?

Post by hitbyambulance »

i'm reading The Silmariion now (for the first time) but it's slow going
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Re: Which Editions of LOTR Did You Read?

Post by Jeff V »

dbt1949 wrote: Tue Dec 06, 2022 12:11 am Now that the movies have been out for awhile when was the last time you read them?
I read them once. As soon as I'm done reading everything I've read no times, I'll consider reading them again.
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Re: Which Editions of LOTR Did You Read?

Post by coopasonic »

I really wanted to say I've never read them, but have a vague memory of trying to read the Silmarillion while I was in middle school (I assume it was middle school as I remember it being on the school bus and I didn't take one after middle school). First, what middle schooler tries to read the Silmarillion, second, ok, maybe the kid that checked out pretty much every fiction book in his hometown library by the time he went to college. So if I tried to read that mess I assume I must have read LOTR, but no real recollection of it happening. I have never read it as an adult, and I don't imagine I ever would. There is so much better fantasy that I've never read. Yeah, I said better. LOTR is a classic and arguably the genesis of a genre, but meh.
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Re: Which Editions of LOTR Did You Read?

Post by Jaymon »

I read the ones posted by Holman. Many many times, it was an annual tradition for me for at least 20 years, not so much any more. I also have 2 other editions, fancy schmancy boxed sets that have come out later that were gifted to me. But they don't have the same emotional residue in the pages as the ones I have been reading all these years, so those newer sets just sit on the shelf looking pretty.
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Re: Which Editions of LOTR Did You Read?

Post by Unagi »

McNutt wrote: Sun Dec 04, 2022 10:39 pm I listened to the audiobooks.
Oh man, if ever there was a book that needed to be read, I’d say it’s this one: and I’m saying this not for some elitist reader opinion (Not remotely, as I’m sure the audio book is done quite well), but because I just loved (needed to) go back and forth to the maps and other information shared at the back of the book, as I read the story.
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Re: Which Editions of LOTR Did You Read?

Post by Carpet_pissr »

naednek wrote: Sun Dec 04, 2022 10:13 pm
Holman wrote: Sun Dec 04, 2022 10:06 pm

I burned through a couple of sequences of the 1970s Ballantine paperbacks until I eventually picked up hardback copies.

All of the cover art is JRRT's own.
This
Werd. Except for the part about hardbacks.

I don’t remember how old I was when I read them (and for some reason MUCH preferred LOTR to The Hobbit, which I’m not sure I ever finished(!)), but I loved them so much I re-read them all immediately (and maybe a third time?) and bought swag like a good little fantasy nerd. :D

Now I wonder if that’s what got me into fantasy, and PC games like Tunnels of Doom, and ‘playing at’ D&D? I must have been 8 or 9 I guess.
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