The Lord Of The Rings - 50th Anniversary DELUXE SLIPCASE Edition - Beautiful Book Review 

“This little hole through which you can see the Eye of Sauron...” - or, of course, through which the Eye of Sauron can see you! Beautiful book. I cling to my 1979 Unwin paperbacks, which I first read when I was in my mid teens. Very happily creased and scruffy now (the books and me).

That particular representation of the Eye of Sauron is more mesmerizing than most I've seen.

Probably someone else has commented this over tha past year, but the Book of Mazarbul is the diary thing that Bailn wrote/had written about his conquer of and life in Moria that Gandalf reads at Balin's Toomb. Anyway, nice video. I've been contemplating for a while if it's worth getting these editions. I feel like I can't just buy one or two, I have to buy all of them or none, this has helped me come closer to a desicion.

I own hardcover versions with artwork by Allen Lee. They are by Houghton Mifflin and have red cloth covers with gold writing. I like them a lot but I think the edition you have is the nicest I've seen. Harper Collins makes the best ones I've seen without going to something custom bound. However that could easily cost a lot and wouldn't make sense for someone like myself. (Perhaps one day) My goal is to eventually get a really nice Harper Collins set. I have no idea how many editions they've released though and would really like to check them all out before making my decision. I'm hoping to find a set with no writing on the covers or bindings. Just a big eye of Sauron on one side, a big JRRT symbol on the other and some elvish or maybe language of Mordor writing on the side binding. Once when I was a kid, probably 7 or 8, I was with my parents visiting a friend of theirs and they had a copy like this displayed on a bookshelf in their livingroom. They had all three of them sitting next to each other, one by one, at angles so you could clearly see all three covers. Three eye of Saurons in a row. No writing on them accept for some language I didn't recognize which went up and down the bindings as well as around the eye. I had no idea what they were but I was mesmerized by these symbols and kept staring at them. This was many years before the films were made. Probably 1990 or 1991. Even though I knew nothing of books at that age I could tell they were very important to these people as they not only looked expensive but were also positioned directly in front of a bunch of other books I could barely see. Various other hardcover books that were sitting properly within the bookshelf with only the bindings visible. I remember asking them what those three books were and what that symbol was but they didn't give me a direct answer. This only furthered my curiosity. I don't remember exactly what they said to me but it was somethg cryptic. Like "One day you will know" or "What do you think that symbol is?" or something like that. It's hard to remember exactly since I was so young and it was so long ago. What I do remember is leaving there still not knowing. Leaving there with that strangely mesmerizing symbole stuck in my mind. The feeling it gave me was something I hadn't felt before. I couldn't tell if it was a good thing or a bad thing. Deep down I felt like the symbol meant something bad, but at the same time I felt drawn to it. Like I needed to know what it was. Almost like I was destined to know. I went the majority of my life not being a reader due to having ADHD as a kid and reading issues as a result. It wasn't until I was in my 30's and became an avid reader that I actually figured out what that symbol was and that early childhood memory came flooding back to me. Ever since I've wanted a copy like that one to display on my bookshelf with all my other hardcover stuff so that they may also intrigue people and beg questions the way they once did to me. Not only is it a great conversation starter but I feel like they are such important works of literature and are so well known that blatantly saying THE LORD OF THE RINGS or one of the other titles on the outside of the books is unnecessary. Perhaps just a very small roman numeral I, II, or III on the bottom of each binding to differentiate them. Perhaps elvish numbers. Lots to think about when considering what your ideal set would be if you could have one made for yorself. I'd be interested to hear what the covers of your perfect set would consist of. Colors, symbols and placement, writings, artwork, etc. Such a fun topic.

All my comments and answers to comments were deleted in the process of transferring all my videos to this new channel :( I'm usually quite good at keeping up with viewer questions, so that's quite a lot of info gone, I'm afraid. If you read a question below that you would like a direct response to, don't hesitate to ask it again, I'm actually quite likely to respond :)

You got it! I found mine in a second hand shop a few years ago and my heart just leaped when I saw it 😊 Don’t you just love Pontus Presents? I too, love the peep hole on this one. The moving and travelling and damaged books. I feel you. Thank you for showing this!

It seems that you have an error in your edition. The fold-out picture is supposed to say "Mazarbul" and not "Marzabul".

There's a typo in this edition. The book is supposed to be Mazarbul, not Marzabul. Too bad, that cover was awesome

Thanks for this video. Now that J.R.R.'s son Christopher has passed I'm going to be buying hardbook editions to keep as collection. This one and the hobbit one look beautiful.

Beautiful video, and beautiful book. I just bought these editions of LOTR, and the Hobbit, and going to get all of the books in this set. Bought my dad The Silmarillion, but almost kept it for myself because of how beautiful it is. Thank you for the review. :)

I really feel you on the whole "i live abroad and this is the condition i received it" scenario. I too live abroad and also received my book with some spine damage due to poor packaging/rough transit and it is all i can see when i look at it really bums me out.

I believe the book of Marzabul was the ancient Dwarven text Gandalf read in the mines of Moria, near Balin's tomb. Amazing to have it as an extra.

50 Years of The Lord of the Rings

Thank you for showing this. I'm collecting most of the books in this series. Currently reading Fall of Gondolin which is the last one Chris. T. worked on before his death. A wonderful looking (and reading) collection. I already have a couple of copies of Hobbit and LotR, but I want this and it's Hobbit cousin to round them out. :)

*I just ordered this from Amazon* *Can't wait to receive this!*

I love this edition. No intention of reading it though. Just gonna keep it.

Nice. I'm picking one up.

Have you ever bought any books from the Folio Society?

You can steam out dents like that with an iron and wet cloth. Practice on something unimportant first though.

And on the shelf there right next to Tolkien, Pismo Święte Starego i Nowego Testamentu... Interesting.

Guys which one would you suggest between this one and the newest 2021 special edition??? Looking to buy one

Very nice edition! Another one I like as well is the 50th Anniversary by Houghton Mifflin. All editions very nice! Enjoy!

If I may ask, how is the font on this version, is it too small? And is the paper yellow-ish or white ?

A little creepy 😳

I would like to get the best edition of "Conference of the Birds by Farid al Din Attar". Any recommendation

Does anyone have a copy they’d sell? West Midlands - U.K.

I paid £70 for my copy of this book a few years ago.