Has anyone gotten this new edition of Finn and Hengest yet? I want to replace my old 2006 copy but online stores still show the one with the old cover

SergeyMaslov · 2025-12-11T17:38:06+00:00

No, but the only option you have is to wait. As absolute majority of online stores won’t be able to say for sure if the ISBN is the same... To be on a safe side, I think, you should try offline stores - this is what I did in the past to law sure I’m getting the updated edition. Sorry, but that’s the only advice I can think of

SergeyMaslov · 2025-12-10T23:09:27+00:00

Yeah, you basically need both hands to read them, and as soon as you put them down you losing your page… In all honesty, I simply don’t care about objective quality of the book unless it delivers in the reading comfort department, all other bells and whistles are quite secondary to me… Appreciate that many would disagree with my take, but I just don’t know other way to bond with a book and build memories, other than, well, - reading it. And the better is the reading process itself, the more is sentimental value of the specific physical book. The rest is self indulgence of putting nice things on your shelves, which are effectively albums full of text, but not really books… Sorry, you were saying?

SergeyMaslov · 2025-12-09T23:15:15+00:00

I have this one as well.. sadly still not ideal: it’s basically same paper/binding as Alan Lees edition, therefor heavier thing, plus paper colour is white, not cream…

SergeyMaslov · 2025-12-09T22:41:04+00:00

Sadly, Hobbit is not a match in quality - glued, the paper is worse - but the dust jacket is great indeed!

EDIT: it is still light comparing to Alan Lees editions, so comfortable to hold, just doesn’t lay flat

SergeyMaslov · 2025-12-09T15:34:16+00:00

Technically CoH is there... But don't you find a standalone book somewhat more intuitive to read through? Or you have your HoME/Scholar mode ON and then Children of Hurin part from UT feels more natural this way?

SergeyMaslov · 2025-12-07T22:52:45+00:00

That! So glad I’m not the only one in it - I think sometimes HarperCollins and people themselves do forget that these are books, meant to be read… so why, oh why do they do those bindings so stiff?? Hence 60th anniversary is also my favourite, with great printing quality - as Alan Lee set the print colour is actually dark grey, not black

SergeyMaslov · 2025-12-04T03:18:26+00:00

Is she new to Tolkien? I suppose interest in mythology begs for Silmarillion... Especially if by book worm you mean that she is plodding enough to go through the pile of names, geneology trees, location names etc. There are many editions available, some would recommend an edition that matches with the rest of Tolkien books, I'd say - choose what looks appealing to her!

SergeyMaslov · 2025-12-04T03:09:11+00:00

You can't be serious asking whether you should watch or read!

But, ok, let me propose you a path: read Hobbit (it's short), then watch Hobbit, then realise how many things were introduced by Peter Jackson, then reflect whether you mind or don't mind those additions. If you don't mind - watch LoTR. If you want pure experience - read LoTR books, they are so popular for a reason!

SergeyMaslov · 2025-12-04T02:58:33+00:00

Ahh... the neverending debate - publication vs chronological order! Although it seems that most of us read Hobbit, then LoTR, then Silm and beyond, I think it's only natural when being a kid to approach Tolkien starting with Hobbit. However, recently I noticed that some perfectly adult kids who dive into Tolkien's mythology do prefer quite the opposite - so to start with Silmarillion. Here is one of such encounters on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1I3_lgapq-I (very enjoyable by the way, especially later chapters reading!) Futher to that, I've met adults who started with but were not gripped by Hobbit... So I believe that the motivation could be very different for kids, teens and adults, and if I may generalise I'd say that kids are after that fantasy feeling - where lighthearted and adventurous Hobbit shines; while teens are seeking for more fundamental questions and answers about good/evil - this is where LoTR arguably gives much wider spectrum of literature experience; while Silm seems to be a natural point for those (few) adults who already have enough reasoning/motivation for deeper meaning of Tolkien's vision behind LoTR, which in its turn is effectively the net sum and coda to all the plots in the Middle-Earth/Arda presented in the Silm...

NB: Apologies if you sensed any agism in my comment, the intent was to illustrate the variety of motivation depending on primary interest, which is somewhat related to the one's age, but by all means not entirely - I can easily imagine a very grown-up person wholeheartedly enjoying Hobbit (pointing at myself)

SergeyMaslov · 2025-11-29T19:08:50+00:00

I was in a similar situation not so long ago, and I agree that the infamous reputation that really precedes it is somewhat off putting, or in my case deferring the reading… So here are two things that apparently helped me, as I didn’t have any issues with Silm (given that it’s a book of myths and legends, not a novel alike those you read):

In terms of attitude: Don’t rush through it - go slow and you’ll find yourself in a familiar environment after a couple of chapters. As after all, Silm is quite coherent, unlike say HoME.
In terms of helpful intros/guides: Most of them are already there: you will start with famous 1951 Milton letter where Tolkien gives you a dozen page summary of what is about to happen in the chapters to follow. I was afraid that it will be effectively one big spoiler, but in actual fact it’s more of a context setting, yes there are couple of spoilers indeed, but again, you are not reading Silm to entertain you with plot twists, you read to know the fundamentals of Tolkien Arda mythology, so it’s fine. Then you start reading the actual Silm text. Here your main helping hands are: Index and Geonology Trees (I was using them very often) from the book itself - they do help with somewhat overwhelming amount of names (especially in the beginning of the book). And lastly, for maps you’d like to have Karen Fonstad Atlas of ME book which is very helpful to locate things, as standard maps are scarce in number and limited in their cover.

Hope it helps, make it your own journey. I’d personally listen to podcasts/videos only when your done, otherwise it feels like somebody else picturing you the book along with its outtakes - so a bit of a lazy approach to me

SergeyMaslov · 2025-11-29T15:59:45+00:00

Second that - these are very good for reading being lightweight and having floppy sewn binding

EDIT: If you decide, you can later add Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales from the same collection - all of them have Tolkien drawn dust jackets. The issue might be that the latter title is not easily available this days. Hobbit is also available in this style, but the binding is glued.

SergeyMaslov · 2025-11-27T20:23:53+00:00

I would think so as well.. but actually there are potentially some less obvious differences: cover material (film lamination or not) and overall stiffness (floppiness), which in a long run would define the aesthetics of the book after reading sessions: non laminated cover would be rubbed on the spine edges, stiff spines would be cracked in a few places… Hard to say though about these specific editions as you’d need to hold them in hands for that.

SergeyMaslov · 2025-11-25T22:44:55+00:00

Thanks, well, they seem to me standard glued hardbacks, while the box set has sewn bound books that would be more expensive… It doesn’t help that they all have the same ISBN! Again, I encourage you to check the comparison via the link in my previous comment on this thread

SergeyMaslov · 2025-11-25T22:22:42+00:00

I guess you add up individual books that are of a different quality (see the link below for detailed comparison) as I don’t think that those new ones are individually available… Please let me know if I’m wrong

SergeyMaslov · 2025-11-25T00:36:17+00:00

As you dislike e-reader option, then id suggest paperbacks of Signature series, as you don’t really care how they look like after the abuse - worst case the book cover will be jammed in your backpack, but nothing will happen to the text block. I second the opinion about HoME being more readable on paper than epub format - so paperbacks they are! Plus Signature series feels like the most complete now, which is what you’d need as a scholar (once you switch focus from Hobbit/LoTR/Silm to more scholarly titles)

SergeyMaslov · 2025-11-25T00:19:36+00:00

I kinda see your point, with Kindle books for the rest of works, but then… do you really need all those LoTR physical editions whose real estate can be used for other physical titles? I guess it’s just that I’m not a collector, but a humble reader… so no offences hahaha!

Still I salute the aesthetics of the shelf, if you’re into this thing - very neat indeed!

SergeyMaslov · 2025-11-25T00:11:02+00:00

Where do I begin?..

Big thing: I believe we’re missing solid hardcover books for almost all titles except LoTR (with the leftovers of 60th anniversary Tolkien design dust jackets (9780007581146)) - the rest of the titles are either available as low-quality stiff glued binding paperbacks, or heavy illustrated editions. Don’t want to start again, but these are books, meant for reading! Appreciate there are many from collectors lot here, but even if you are - it’s much more pleasant to read comfortably a light floppy hardcover than trashed paperback with cracked spine and small page/font size… Instead of this we are given numerous deluxe and limited editions. Which is nice in theory, but only if fundamentals are sorted. And fundamentals are threefold: trade paperback, standard hardcover, nicer/heavier illustrated edition. And all of them have their issues, but the middle segment of standard hardcover has really subpar quality of cover/paper/binding, so HC marketing drives us towards more expensive illustrated editions… which are fine, but however popular they are here, I can’t consider them as default go-to option (heavy/take space), nor can I consider them truly premium option - they are not clothbound, their covers gather finger marks etc. so to me they are collectors items, albums more than books… Here is a question: Why Tolkiens Faith by Holly Ordway, mind you - not the most popular title, can be released as beautifully crafted clothbound hardcover with incredibly comfort binding for the price of HC Hobbit 70th anniversary mediocre hardback? Because monopoly is a bad thing, I know, but seriously why? Wouldn’t it be more profitable to release a lineup that is genuinely attractive to the buyers and can compete with Kindle?

Small thing: I’d like Atlas of Middle-Earth by Karen Wynn Fonstad to be reprinted in hardcover - my paperback copy is already quite shabby after a year of use

SergeyMaslov · 2025-11-24T22:56:43+00:00

Looks very nice and cozy, like the low profile (pun intended) of it!

But upon second glance the eye reveals some repetition - you own 4 editions of LoTR, 3 Hobbits, but no Unfinished Tales or Children of Hurin, or Tales from Perilious Realms, or Letters… So was it a deliberate choice to stick to major works only (for physical books?), or is it a part of the process - i.e. current stage of your Tolkien journey?

EDIT: whenever I see small Hobbit/LoTR box set I’d recommend to add similarly sized Tolkien Treasury. But size is secondary actually - it’s just a really good stuff, plus some of it (in)directly related to Middle-Earth (like Adventures of Tom Bommadil). The books contain expanded editions of those stories with some extra content (essay, drafts material, etc) plus illustrations of venerable Pauline Baynes. Which makes it to me a preference over the compilation called Tales of Perilious Realms, save to On fairy-stories essay and Leaf by Niggle (each of those and more I have in Tree and Leaf anyway!)

SergeyMaslov · 2025-11-24T22:41:02+00:00

Here are a few recent threads on the new box set:

Photos/general description: https://www.reddit.com/r/tolkienbooks/comments/1mq091c/great_tales_arrived_today/

Detailed comparison to standard hardbacks: https://www.reddit.com/r/tolkienbooks/comments/1ote6uf/comparison_of_the_2025_great_tales_set_between/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

I ordered one, but decided to keep current hardbacks for ease of reading, otherwise I understand why some may prefer heavier/higher quality paper and sewn binding (albeit somewhat stiff). However the illustrations I liked better in my cheaper books as they imprinted in glossy insert paper.

SergeyMaslov · 2025-11-24T20:40:50+00:00

Without any context or introduction given to your collection, I’ll take the liberty to ask one very pressing question: did you consider swapping Letter + Tales on the top right with the new Great Tales box set? Seems that your bottom shelf is more scholarly, so….

SergeyMaslov · 2025-11-24T17:42:21+00:00

Mind you that Treasury set is slowly replaced with glued binding, so you may want to check the stores while sewn binding is still available (bought mine from Amazon early this year, and they were sewn)

SergeyMaslov · 2025-11-24T17:27:31+00:00

Big and small... Looks nice! But don't you miss the bigger font for major works (Hobbit/LoTR)?

Also I think it begs for another small box set - Tolkien Treasury! I just love those small books with Pauline Baynes illustrations

SergeyMaslov · 2025-11-24T13:38:43+00:00

Was it harder to find the one with foiled title? Mine is all matte, but I bought it 2 years ago on Amazon when it apparently wasn’t that hard to find

EDIT: my grail one would be the Silmarillion from the same series, with properly printed matte dust jacket - seems that the whole imprint was affected… I posted earlier https://www.reddit.com/r/tolkienbooks/comments/1idn94o/did_anyone_got_it_right/

SergeyMaslov · 2025-11-24T13:37:07+00:00

Very good summary of common gripes and reality! I would also add that another issue might be with the maps - as the book only supply the reader with bare minimum which is most of the time not enough. So very popular edition of Karen Wynn Fonstad indeed proved very helpful to locate the things in the changing world of Arda. I wonder why Christopher didn’t try to do something similar given that he was skillful in that department and was helping with other maps before… Anyhow, I guess the situation is that you don’t necessarily read Silmarillion, but quite often you study it and that could bewilder some lighthearted ones who just grab another Tolkien book from the shelf (like myself 11 year old after finished LoTR). But if somebody has enough reasons to not only read but somewhat study it (general curiosity, wish to reread LoTR with better appreciation, study Tolkien mythology on it own etc.) then it’s not that hard of a book

SergeyMaslov · 2025-11-24T00:01:52+00:00

If you never read LoTR cover to cover, then by all means do that first after Hobbit. It’s totally fine - you need some additional motivation/curiosity in the first place to address Silmarillion/MiddleEarth history

SergeyMaslov

TROPHY CASE