TOLKIEN, J.R.R. The Hobbit (Illustrated de luxe edition)

London: HarperCollins Publishers, 2023.  4to. pp. xxxi, 272. Profusely illustrated throughout with J.R.R. Tolkien’s own drawings, paintings and maps, including the large folding map at rear. Original quarter green cloth over black cloth boards, gilt lettering and decoration to spine and upper board, all edges gilt, housed in the publisher’s green cloth slipcase with gilt Tolkien monogram. Together with the original publisher’s companion volume, Mathoms: A Treasury of Writings, Including a Brief History of, and Other Works Related to The Hobbit, in matching decorated boards. Fine.

A magnificent collector’s edition issued to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the celebrated 1973 deluxe edition. This beautifully produced volume reproduces Tolkien’s complete text accompanied by his own illustrations in exceptional fidelity, including full-page colour plates, decorative chapter headings, and the celebrated folding map of Wilderland. Christopher Tolkien contributes a foreword, while Wayne G. Hammond provides a note on the illustrations, placing the artwork within the wider history of Tolkien’s creative process.

The accompanying volume, Mathoms, adds considerable scholarly value, containing Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond’s history of The Hobbit, John D. Rateliff’s presentation of Thorin’s letter to Bilbo, Tolkien’s essay The Hoard, his lecture On Dragons, together with further essays and notes tracing the publication history and enduring legacy of one of the twentieth century’s greatest works of fantasy.

An outstanding production, combining fine craftsmanship with authoritative scholarship, and among the most desirable modern HarperCollins editions for Tolkien collectors.

[WR]