Any reason you're trying amazon next instead of Book Depository? I'm scared of ordering books from amazon lol. I feel like I never know what I'm going to get.

I had quality issues with the dust jacket on my copy, ordered from Amazon. It was quite badly scuffed and scratched. I returned it to Amazon and my second copy is much better. These issues seem par for the course these days with new Harper Collins Tolkien releases.

I would say that my first edition is printed on better quality paper and is taller as well. But the binding is not as flexible as the current edition, and prone to distortion. The new edition lays flatter. I love the wrap around cover design on the new edition and it looks great on the shelf - very colourful.

Mnt_Dewdskie
At the moment I ordered Amzuk was a compromise on price.

My Kenny's order finally arrived. Unfortunately it seems a former Amazon worker packs their books nowadays. battered beyond belief and very poorly packed to begin with.

I’ll show you now some book copy defects you never seen before.

HarperCollins never stops disappointing regarding the quality of their books. It’s just non-existing. After me purchase of the illustrated by author Silmarillion with disappearing golden letters, I sworn not no but their premium book line. Well take a look at my copy of a regular edition of HoH. It’s a shame what they did, and I am not talking now about the paper choice. I’m ok with it, I’m about zip-cut half-pages in my copy.
On pages 172 and 177 text is printed on the half of the page. The lower part is blanc because some kind of half-cut page insert covered the normal page, thus for the lower part the text is printed on it instead of a real page.

Looks like I should stop buying even regular editions from HaperCollins. They just don’t care about their product quality. I have too long experience of defective book copies from them.

P.S. I cannot return it for replacement to Amazon.pl. I’m in Ukraine. The book has been purchased on a polish Amazon through a special address for a « delivery forwarding » service. Ordered on Amazon.pl for delivery in Poland. Then from there forwarded to Ukraine. Costs itself 1/3 of the book price.

Wow! You are right! I have never seen that in a book before. One wonders how it was even possible. That jagged sheet looks like it came from the end of a roll of paper. It showcases the creativity of those printers in inventing new ways to screw up.

Perhaps you ought to write directly to HarperCollins. That is certainly a book that never should have left the printing firm for sale, but should have been pulped. Hopefully they can get a good copy to you directly.

Think of them as the peaks of the Misty Mountains and move on. ?

How is this company in business. I have been buying books my whole life, and never seen these kinds of quality issues from anyone, much less all of these issues from a single company. HC is unbelievable.

It's unfair, Beregond, to blame the publisher for the printer's failings. Another thread has mentioned that the printing firm responsible will no longer be employed by the publisher. That seems an appropriate and a good faith move by the publisher, considering the problems with quality assurance—all of which have been documented in this forum—that have occurred with that printer through the past several years.

oxonianus wrote:

Another thread has mentioned that the printing firm responsible will no longer be employed by the publisher.

It does not actually say that, only that the Deluxe Hobbit illustrated by the author is not being printed by Rotolito, no mention of other books or editions.