Ran over to pick up my copy during the morning coffee run and I can't wait to get it home and unwrapped tonight; the colours on the box are absolutely gorgeous in person, and I trust that the books themselves will be equally so.

The second box arrived today.
Very nice box, the colour's as has been noted are very nice. The height difference to the first is not as pronounced as it looked in Trotter's photograph and I doubt that I will notice it on the shelf.

It is lovely to see John Howe's illustrations finally being used for a hardcover series, which I've been excited about since I was a teenager. Looking forward to rereading these and adding the references to the Guide to Tolkien's Letters as I do.

I received the second boxset today, shipped to the U.S. from Awesome Books. Very pleased to have no damage to the box by shipping as happened with the first set. I was waiting to see how this box arrived, as if it had shipping damage I was probably not going to order from Awesome Books again. As it is, I think I am going to stick with them to pre-order the third boxset, even risking some minor damage as happened with the first set, since it's $40+ cheaper on Awesome Books than Blackwell's or Amazon.

I don't know if this matters to anyone save me, as it is also too early to really tell, but I did reach out to the publishers about the possibility of a paperback set of these editions (to match the other paperback illustrated releases) and they said it has been discussed but nothing is firm yet. And at best it wouldn't be until next year until such a thing was decided.

I know this is how it typically goes with hardback to paperback releases, but for anyone wondering if a decision had been made yet so one has something to look forward to (like I do with such things) we have to wait a bit longer.

The paperback editions are already being reissued with new cover art. Roughly 90% of existing Tolkien paperbacks are coming out in the new design style.

There are some titles that don’t seem to be coming out in the new style: Tree and Leaf, Road to Middle-earth, Finn and Hengest and The Monsters and the Critics come to mind.

toothsayer wrote:

I don't know if this matters to anyone save me, as it is also too early to really tell, but I did reach out to the publishers about the possibility of a paperback set of these editions (to match the other paperback illustrated releases) and they said it has been discussed but nothing is firm yet. And at best it wouldn't be until next year until such a thing was decided.

I know this is how it typically goes with hardback to paperback releases, but for anyone wondering if a decision had been made yet so one has something to look forward to (like I do with such things) we have to wait a bit longer.

Technically, HarperCollins have already released the new HoMe hardbacks as paperbacks, the previous two designs were the same covers as the new hardbacks. If the new 'signature' range of paperbacks are popular, then I see no reason for them to change the paperback HoMe covers for a number of years.

I can’t get my books back in, after reading Book of Lost Tales One & Two intermittently over the last 6 months or so. It’s not even close really. Has my box shrunk and/or has anyone else had this problem, and might Harper Collins fix the tightness problem of this box with a future run?

Thanks in advance

*Edit sorry this was supposed to be a reply to Trotter’s post from March 23*

I noticed mine was tighter after recently using a book from it. I did get it back in but thought it was just me thinking it was tighter.

HarperCollins really should replace these boxes during this new release program, espcially if reading the books means they may not fit back in the box.

The boxset #1 slipcase is very very tight and this has been universally documented by most everyone who has a copy I believe. Both the HC and WM editions share this problem. We are all hoping HC will fix this with the 2nd printing. The boxset #2 seems to not have this issue, however with either edition.

Sadly this keeps happening with Harper Collins slip cases being too tight. The History of The Hobbit Deluxe would not fit back inside the slip case after looking at the book (not read but a cursory glance).I contacted HC who initially asked if my house was humid which it is not and further I have many slipcase editions of Folio Society etc with no problems what so ever. So they replaced the book and the same thing with the replacement. I tried once more and the same with the replacement replacement and I subsequently gave up,defeated (the paper quality of this book is very noticeably inferior to the other deluxes but I digress). I have been very loyal to HC but their quality control sucks at times.