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Post by Scott on Jan 4, 2014 10:57:57 GMT -5
I bought the ebook version of the 75th anniversary edition of the Hobbit. It has some interesting historical information by Christopher Tolkien. A lot of the illustrations are active and by clicking them you can see different versions that Tolkien did. It also has several audio files attached, Tolkien reading different pieces of the book. I think I've heard them all before, but it's nice to have them collected and good quality.
I was looking for something to read to the kids to avoid wear on my hardback. At 7 dollars it's a good buy.
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Post by GRWelsh on Jan 6, 2014 12:27:33 GMT -5
I have yet to buy an eBook but this sounds great. I have a large hardbound Annotated Hobbit, which has illustrations for international editions, as well a lot of interesting little tidbits, like the RUBEZAHL postcard that was the inspiration for Gandalf. One of my favorite Tolkien items is J. R. R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator www.amazon.com/J-R-R-Tolkien-Illustrator-Wayne-Hammond/dp/0618083618 |
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Post by Scott on Jan 7, 2014 12:40:50 GMT -5
Have you read any of the History of Middle Earth books? I've been looking for something Middle Earth to read. Not sure what to pick though.
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Post by GRWelsh on Jan 7, 2014 13:03:26 GMT -5
I have the first nine. I really enjoyed the Book of Lost Tales 1 and 2, which were the first two volumes of the History of Middle Earth series. They were essentially the very first drafts of the Silmarillion, or maybe I should say proto-Silmarillion. What I like about them is they have bits that weren't included in later drafts, so there is 'new' information here, as it were.
For the others, I recommend them but with the warning that what you will mostly be reading are early drafts of things you've already read, along with scholarly notes about those drafts by Christopher Tolkien. You have to really be into the author's development of it to like this stuff. I know you are at least as much a Tolkien fan as I am. That being said, I think you'd find much of it tedious, but with some gems here and there.
Personally, I really like the maps that are included, which often show how Tolkien worked out how Middle Earth would look, from the First Age onward.
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Post by grodog on Jan 7, 2014 23:09:43 GMT -5
I wasn't aware that the 75h anniversary edition had finally been published!---is it ebook only, or are they doing the facsimilie reprint editions still too?
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Post by GRWelsh on Jan 8, 2014 8:57:57 GMT -5
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Post by geneweigel on Jan 8, 2014 9:36:22 GMT -5
It sounds good. The weird thing about buying copies of THE HOBBIT was like buying extra copies of the PLAYERS HANDBOOK... ZZZIIPPP Rapidly rises to the table all flushed and sideglancing nervously..."Whose turn was it?"  |
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Post by grodog on Jan 11, 2014 15:41:25 GMT -5
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Falconer
Enchanter
Knight Bachelor
AD&D, Middle-earth, Star Trek TOS
Posts: 330
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Post by Falconer on Jan 25, 2014 3:34:01 GMT -5
I have read all the History of Middle-earth books. I love them, especially #2-#3.
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Post by GRWelsh on Sept 1, 2016 11:45:36 GMT -5
I've been reading THE HISTORY OF THE HOBBIT by John Rateliff. It has the original manuscript(s) with a lot of notes, similar to the HoME treatment. I'm posting this here because I remembered the thread where we were discussing different editions of THE HOBBIT and how worthwhile the HoME series is.
There are some interesting differences in the manuscript versions and the notes are pretty good and every bit as exhaustive as in the HoME series. Rateliff references the HoME series quite knowledgeably, especially tying in the "Lost Tales." Some differences in the manuscript(s) are:
- Gandalf was originally named Bladorthin
- Thorin was originally named Gandalf
- The key to the "back door" on the Lonely Mountain was found in the Troll cave
- Beorn was originally named Medwed
- Smaug was originally named Pryftan
- Bilbo was going to be the one who killed Smaug, in an early outline, stabbing him in his sleep
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