The advertising copy (e.g. on Amazon.co.uk) says that the LotR of 60th anniversary this set contains "some additional text corrections" to the 50th anniversary text. Is this the case? Or is it in fact just a reprinting of the 50th anniversary text?

Carl

Hi Carl,

a previous post had a response from HarperCollins on this <https://www.tolkienguide.com/modules/n ... t_id=13612#forumpost13612>

but here is a summary of their response:

The text has been corrected – I believe Wayne and Christina have listed the latest changes on the website. They are, as one would expect, pretty minor after the overhaul of ten years ago, and I don’t think any of them fall in The Two Towers. This text has also been used for the new single volume The Lord of the Rings illustrated edition by Alan Lee

Please note that this response directly conflicts with what Wayne was told and mentioned here (emphasis added by me): <https://www.tolkienguide.com/modules/n ... t_id=13599#forumpost13599>

The new (further corrected and augmented) hardback edition of our Reader's Companion will have a slightly different dust-jacket. As for The Lord of the Rings, our understanding is that the new three-volume edition will be a reprint of the existing text, not reset, and without further corrections (though this last remains to be seen). The new one-volume edition, however, will be reset and will include at least some of the corrections we've listed in our online addenda and corrigenda; this will have new pagination, with the index revised to suit. We have not had direct involvement with the reset edition except to comment on a further correction (which was approved by Christopher Tolkien), and to revise our 'Note on the Anniversary Edition'; and we've not been informed of any correction or emendation beyond this, which is not to say that there has been none, and as Urulöké remarks, resetting often produces new errors. We'll know better when we get copies.

Can someone who has a copy in hand report on this?

I checked the 50th Fellowship of the Ring from the box set, with the newly arrived 60th Fellowship of the Ring (6th printing) against the changes listed by Wayne and Christina (http://www.hammondandscull.com/addenda/rings.html).

The 6th printing incorporates all the changes on the pages, that I checked, i.e. the change below is in the new copy

"p. 50, Ring inscription: As noted in The Lord of the Rings: A Reader’s Companion, the inscription reproduced in 2004 printings of the 50th anniversary edition is incorrect, taken from earlier, rejected lettering by Tolkien."

However, I have just checked Wayne & Christina's Note on the text in the Fellowship of the Ring, and this seems to be different to the note in the one volume 60th anniversary edition.

6th impression Fellowship of the Ring

Note on the 50th Anniversary Edition and dated May 2004

60th Anniversary One volume edition

Note on the revised text and dated January 2014

I would have expected both books to have the January 2014 notes.

Any idea at what impression the spine lettering changed from the gilt to the orange and white coloured printing that can be seen on the 6th impressions?

I think the foil was removed for this impression - see HarperCollins quote (my emphasis added):

The Companion jacket has been redone in light grey with a red ring – we were never entirely happy with just how dark the original brown and purple jacket turned out – and the three individual books have had their ‘50th Anniversary edition’ strapline removed from the front and the copper foil has been replaced with tasteful colours which tone in with the artwork. It’s a subtle difference, but one that I hope will be regarded as an improvement.

https://www.tolkienguide.com/modules/n ... t_id=13612#forumpost13612

Urulöké wrote:
I think the foil was removed for this impression - see HarperCollins quote (my emphasis added):

The Companion jacket has been redone in light grey with a red ring – we were never entirely happy with just how dark the original brown and purple jacket turned out – and the three individual books have had their ‘50th Anniversary edition’ strapline removed from the front and the copper foil has been replaced with tasteful colours which tone in with the artwork. It’s a subtle difference, but one that I hope will be regarded as an improvement.

https://www.tolkienguide.com/modules/n ... t_id=13612#forumpost13612

Thanks for that - I should have re-read the quoted bits again before asking the question!

My One volume turned up today, 99% undamaged. Slight bump through the cardboard box to the plastic slipcase - but not enough to worry about. I think many, many of these books will be damaged to some degree in the post - they are too heavy for Amazon packaging. The inner cardboard carton is all that saved mine.

The plastic slipcase is much nastier in real life than in the pictures. On the plus side, mine does seem to be a reasonable fit - the book slides in and out without any problem. It just looks absolutely crap. I think the decision to put so much of the text onto the slipcase, rather than on the boards of the book was a poor one by HC, as it means that the slipcase can't be considered as disposable wrapping, even though that is all it is. Definitely not a GBP 60 book - I guess the expected Amazon 40% discount has been built into the RRP.

Trotter wrote:
Just got the three volume 60th Lord of the Rings and Reader's Companion in a slipcase.

....

If anybody else has a copy yet, does your dust-jacket on the Two Towers, appear to be the correct size and fit well on the book?

I got mine today. The Two Towers Dust Jacket appears to be the correct size. However, the lower board is noticeably (a couple of mm) less wide than the upper. The RotK DJ is probably slightly too wide, but hasn't got the folding seen on your TT (but it could have developed a fold in the same way as yours if the postal service had been less kind). There is also a bit of colour transfer from the box and from the RoTK onto the Reader's Companion DJ.

Also of significant note is the printing of the Dust Jackets which all look a bit like colour photocopies. You can very clearly see the little dots making up the printing of the solid background colours on all four jackets. When you put the 6th impressions next to the first impressions, the quality of DJ printing between ten years ago and today is a mile apart. The new ones aren't bad, they just don't look quite right compared to the originals. Personally, I think the foil on the 1st impressions looks much better (but presumably was deleted as a cost saving exercise).

All in all, it seems to be an OK set. Somewhat lower in quality than books from a few years back (in line with the ongoing trend at HC), but certainly acceptable for the Amazon discounted price (GBP 55). At 90 pounds, I'd probably be less happy. And I'm pleased to see it isn't printed in China (unlike the one volume).

Does anyone know when Volume 11 of the Journal of Tolkien Studies might be coming out?

And will the forthcoming paperback edition of Verlyn Flieger's "Tolkien On Fairy Stories" have any new material?

Thanks

- wellinghall

And the new, 60th anniversary, LotR and Readers' Companion - is there enough new material / corrections to make it worthwhile?

- wellinghall

wellinghall said

"And the new, 60th anniversary, LotR and Readers' Companion - is there enough new material / corrections to make it worthwhile?

- wellinghall"

You can decide for yourself, as the "new material / corrections" are pretty much all listed on Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull's web site.

Lord of the Rings changes

http://www.hammondandscull.com/addenda/rings.html

Lord of the Rings Readers Companion changes

http://www.hammondandscull.com/addenda/readers2.html