insurrbution wrote:
There is that, though you might risk it being reprinted, and not get a first printing - if that's a factor.

You, best not to wait too long. The price usually drops a few days after release. They get all the pre-orders at a higher price, then drop it to get the stragglers. I never bother pre-ordering and I have never ended up with a reprint.

Not sure how Book Depository pricing is in the UK, but that was really the only current option to get it in NZ (was about £58 delivered, which could be worse given prices now include 15% NZ GST and airfreight is super-super expensive). Owned by Amazon, of course.

I paid about the sane to get it to Australia due to the 10% GST. Ugh!

Has anyone received their copies yet? Wasn't anticipating getting mine anytime soon (Amazon.co.uk isn't shipping to the US at the moment -- which is completely understandable). So I made an order with Book Depository a week or 2 back and just got a shipping notification today.

My copy shipped this morning too; hope to have in hand early next week.

Speaking about the "bonus content", the Amazon description has: "...includes as a bonus the complete text of Tolkien’s acclaimed lecture on Sir Gawain". I had a look in The Monsters and the Critics, and the lecture appears to be already have been fully reproduced. So, to my understanding this new HC edition reprints the chapter "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight", from MC, right...? Would be helpful if anyone who has received a copy could confirm this.

I see Amazon have done their first predictable price drop (to £54). If they are true to form, it will drop once more and then rise.

Morgan wrote:
Speaking about the "bonus content", the Amazon description has: "...includes as a bonus the complete text of Tolkien’s acclaimed lecture on Sir Gawain". I had a look in The Monsters and the Critics, and the lecture appears to be already have been fully reproduced. So, to my understanding this new HC edition reprints the chapter "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight", from MC, right...? Would be helpful if anyone who has received a copy could confirm this.

My copy is en route so I can't confirm and do not have my copy of Monsters to hand but from memory, in the foreword I believe CT mentions some elements he left out (temptation scenes?) and he replaces some original poem readings for some of Tolkien's own translations too? So the original lecture delivered was different that which was published in Monsters.

Aside from a few illustrations and how the book is presented, nothing in this is "new" or exclusive.

insurrbution wrote:
Aside from a few illustrations and how the book is presented, nothing in this is "new" or exclusive.

I don't have my copy yet, but can you clarify why you think this?