A couple days ago I received my newest copy of The Hobbit, which I purchased off Amazon.com. Amazon is a dangerous site for me to peruse, as there is always a book I want to buy…anyway, I say “newest” copy because this is the fourth version I own. I also have: The Annotated Hobbit, annotated by Douglas A. Anderson, the 1966 edition with its original cover and artwork by Tolkien, and a Houghton Mifflin paperback copy that goes with a Lord of the Rings box set. (By the way, I do not suggest buying the Mifflin paperback copy because it has an unnerving amount of typos. Usually I’m happy with Mifflin’s editions, but not this time).
The Hobbit I just received was published in 1997 and is a handsome hardcover with illustrations by Alan Lee. I have to say, this is a beautiful edition to buy if you would like to own multiple copies of The Hobbit. I’ve been a fan of Alan Lee’s artwork since I purchased his Lord of the Rings Sketchbook years ago, and when I found out he’d illustrated The Hobbit, I decided to give it a go. I’m not disappointed.
I know, nothing can ever replace Tolkien’s own artwork in the original edition. But take a look at Lee’s Gollum:
Tell me he is not creepy. Though not as creepy as Gollum from the 1977 animated The Hobbit. That gave me nightmares as a child.
Anyway, I admire Lee’s art because it has a roughness to it–it isn’t all perfect lines or extremely bold colors. It has that fairytale quality that I love. And in this edition, there are plenty of pictures to illustrate the scenes. Not so many that it feels like you’re just looking at pictures all of the time, but enough to make you happy to see the work come alive while you read. My one complaint is that there’s no picture of Beorn, whom I love, but alas…you can’t have everything.
I haven’t completely read through this edition, yet, so I don’t know if there are typos…I’m really hoping there aren’t, because it’s so beautiful 🙂
Are there any books of which you own multiple copies?
The Junk Drawer 