Hobbit Facsimile First Edition

80th Anniversary Edition

J. R. R. Tolkien

$54.99

Hardback

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English

HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
21 November 2016

Classic fiction (pre c 1945); Fantasy; Epic Fantasy; Dark Fantasy / Grimdark; Heroic; Magic; Questing & Adventure; Mythological Creatures, People & Places; Dragons Fantasy; Dwarves; Elves; Witches & Wizards

Series: Hobbit

This sumptuous gift set includes a replica of the very rare first edition of The Hobbit, the only edition where one can now read the original version of the story before Tolkien re-edited it to become the one enjoyed by readers since 1951.

The Hobbit was published on 21 September 1937, with a print run of 1,500 copies. With a beautiful cover design, nearly a dozen black & white illustrations and two black & red maps by the author himself, the book proved to be popular and was reprinted shortly afterwards. History was already being made.

The scarcity of the first edition has resulted in copies commanding huge prices, way beyond the reach of most Tolkien fans. In addition, subsequent changes to the text – particularly those to chapter 5, when Tolkien decided in 1947 to revise the text to bring it better into accord with events as they were developing in its ‘sequel’, The Lord of the Rings - mean that the opportunity to read the book in its original form and format has become quite difficult.

This special printing reprints the first edition, so that readers of all ages – not just ‘children between the ages of 5 and 9’, as Rayner Unwin famously declared in his report on the original submission – can finally enjoy Tolkien’s story as it originally appeared.

By: J. R. R. Tolkien
Imprint: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Edition: 80th anniversary slipcased edition
Dimensions: Height: 196mm, Width: 141mm, Spine: 36mm
Weight: 560g
ISBN: 9780007440832
ISBN 10: 0007440839
Series: Hobbit
Pages: 312
Publication Date: 21 November 2016
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Author Website: http://www.tolkienestate.com

J.R.R.Tolkien (1892-1973) was a distinguished academic, though he is best known for writing The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion and The Children of Hurin, plus other stories and essays. His books have been translated into over 60 languages and have sold many millions of copies worldwide.

Reviews for Hobbit Facsimile First Edition (80th Anniversary Edition)

'The Hobbit belongs to a very small class of books which have nothing in common save that each admits us to a world of its own. Its place is with Alice and The Wind in the Willows.' Times Literary Supplement 'One of the best loved characters in English fiction... a marvellous fantasy adventure' Daily Mail 'Finely written saga of dwarves and elves, fearsome goblins and trolls... an exciting epic of travel, magical adventure, working up to a devastating climax' The Observer