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Black UK Paperbacks Question

7 Sep, 2020
2020-9-7 1:50:03 PM UTC

I've got a question about the UK paperbacks of the Middle-earth books.

I gifted a friend awhile ago The Hobbit + The Lord of the Rings boxed set, and The Silmarillion. Next up is Unfinished Tales. However, I'd also like to get him The Children of Hurin.

My question (or rather, thoughts out loud) is on WHICH paperback to get: the 2008 one with colour illustrations, with matching editions of Beren and Luthien and The Fall of Gondolin, or the black one. Right NOW, only The Children of Hurin exists in that style. (To be honest, I'm curious why HarperCollins put it out in the black style to begin with: the 2008 edition is perfectly fine...)

Does anyone if HarperCollins is planning to do Beren and Luthien and The Fall of Gondolin in the black style?

It's a matter of matching with the rest of his books, or getting all 3 great tales that do match.

Comments and insight appreciated!

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7 Sep, 2020 (edited)
2020-9-7 2:25:35 PM UTC

insurrbution wrote:


My question (or rather, thoughts out loud) is on WHICH paperback to get: the 2008 one with colour illustrations, with matching editions of Beren and Luthien and The Fall of Gondolin, or the black one.

I'd get both.
7 Sep, 2020
2020-9-7 2:47:18 PM UTC
I have the all the black editions that have come out so far, and the white 50th anniversary LOTR set. They definitely look good on the shelf together.

I imagine if HC did it would look something like the large print editions that are already out. (As COH is really close as well)

I too would buy them.

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7 Sep, 2020
2020-9-7 2:57:08 PM UTC
1) My friend only wants/needs one copy of a Tolkien book - he's not...well, like us. Just reads, and that's it, so getting both for him would be a waste

2) He's not interested in, nor does not yet need, large print. The CoH on my initial post is not large print.
7 Sep, 2020
2020-9-7 2:58:23 PM UTC
And yes they would certainly look like, without the large print phrase on the cover. Apologies I misread what you said about large print in your response - just finished morning coffee haha
7 Sep, 2020
2020-9-7 3:28:18 PM UTC
Since your buddy's not too fussed, why not just shoot for the matching trio of color-illustrated versions? I reckon he'll get more a kick out of the illustrations than how they look on his shelf.
7 Sep, 2020
2020-9-7 4:09:49 PM UTC
That's what I was thinking of, though it'd be great, for uniformity's sakes, if all of the great tales were to exist in black, rather than just the one.
7 Sep, 2020
2020-9-7 5:49:13 PM UTC
Trust me when I say: I feel you.
7 Sep, 2020
2020-9-7 7:36:25 PM UTC
I’d have liked them to continue the old minimalist black editions. My first LOTR and Hobbit books were in this format.
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