onthetrail wrote:
I'll purchase this. I may only listen once huts a cool thing that will help people. And in a personal note I love Andy's hoody, being a variant of the Joy Division album Unknkwn Pleasures. Very cool.

Yes, that is the best! But what is that variation?? So curious, it definitely has some meaning.

Thanks, Urulókë, for the US info.

I'll definitely be purchasing this one

insurrbution wrote:
Abridged editions are, in my opinion, not intended to be 'the book, but read out loud' but rather 'a reading of highlights from the book.' Much like those recordings of Tolkien and Christopher reading - those are abridged (as they don't read the entire book they're reading from), yet still worth a listen.

Abridged editions were traditionally to change the audience for a book (by removing unsuitable material) or to make it cheaper to publish in the case of a long work. For audiobooks, it is usually just about length and cost. An abridged edition isn't highlights, but a coherent version of the work that simply isn't as long by virtue of having redacted extraneous elements.

I guess I also question describing a work as unabridged. I can understand stating something is abridged because it describes a change made to the original. Calling something unabridged almost makes it sound like the original was abridged.

Urulókë - Yes I remember those RD series of abridged classics. My dad used to have a subscription to RD and I used to look forward to getting one in the mail each month. ?

Trying to buy from recorded books is not straight forward. Need some approval to buy or even get a cost.
Bruce

@Arbor wrote:
Trying to buy from recorded books is not straight forward. Need some approval to buy or even get a cost.
Bruce

You are right, they are not really a direct-to-consumer distributor. I expect these (CD and digital) will show up at normal retailers soon enough - Amazon, audible, libro.fm, Apple, Google Play, etc. I will keep an eye out and post links when I find them.

Amazon UK has listed the CD. Excellent pre-order price of £11.43.

Amazon DE has also listed it at €18.78.

Just tried to order from Amzuk. Will not ship too Colorado best I can tell.

In a basement studio in London there spoke a Serkis, recording a very special new unabridged audio book of The Hobbit, and now far away in The Wild of the English countryside Alan Lee has painted not one but two new scenes of Middle-earth to adorn the cover!

The main image depicts the Company of Thorin on their journey to the Misty Mountains, but (of course) Gollum also had to make an appearance.

This magnificent cover will appear on the digital edition and on the 9xCD set, both of which are available to preorder.

Audio CD Amazon Link https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hobbit-J-R-To ... collsguid-21&linkCode=osi

Great discount at the moment from Amazon

You beat me to it Trotter :) was just about to post the image.

I am really looking forward to this one. I don't usually go in for audio books and I personally was not keen on Christopher Lee's reading of The Children of Hurin because I found it too filmy but after following along with Andy for his epic reading I would like to hear him reading in a proper professional environment. That he managed to read it in one go live was extraordinary. I read The Hobbit in a single sitting but not to a worldwide audience, out loud with voices. I am glad we are able to own a version of this. Great they have taken care with the art too.