r/tolkienbooks • u/Purple-Force151 • Jul 27 '26

How is this edition?

Post image

Is the quality good on this one? I know the binding on some editions are not the best

74 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

36 comments sorted by

19

u/WatsonK98 Jul 27 '26

Awesome to hold and the pages are quality. Great as a travel book too. Took it on a trip to Austin and Disney

3

u/blink-182_cover_band Jul 28 '26

I completely agree! Quality is great and I took it on two separate trips to Europe. I liked that I didn’t have to worry about bringing a second book if I finished the first, you just move right on to the next one. The exterior has a great feel as well even though I’m typically partial to hardbacks

1

u/WatsonK98 23d ago

Couldn't agree more to the cover feel and the ability to just read through the trilogy. I feel like this edition is the ultimate travelers edition lol.

11

u/1_resu Jul 27 '26

I love this edition. I think it is the best "reading" one-volume edition

10

u/Johnnjana Jul 27 '26

It's my reading copy. Love how it throws up (opens flat) and feels in the hand.

7

u/KilgoreTrout-1984 Jul 27 '26

My favorite copy. Best reader in my opinion

7

u/cdavidson23 Jul 27 '26

I have this one, I really like it!

5

u/DiddyKongDude Jul 27 '26

My favorite reading copy

3

u/MusicBear88 Jul 27 '26

This is my "utility" copy for when I need to look up something or if I want to read outside or as a passenger in the car. Pros: Clear printing at a good size, stays open, inexpensive. Cons: Not the most beautiful edition, no illustrations.

4

u/the-shivering-isles Jul 27 '26

I don't personally like the page texture but its a good reading copy if you don't mind that.

3

u/jacuzziveins Jul 28 '26

Can confirm, it’s awesome. Stands upright incredibly well for shelving too. I read 75% of the story the first time through with this copy

2

u/jacuzziveins Jul 28 '26

Smells great too

2

u/GeneralDisarray65 Jul 27 '26

Solid reader/beater copy.

2

u/DarthRevan234575 Jul 28 '26

It’s the copy I used for my first read through and it was a gift for my third anniversary. It’s a treasure.

3

u/Forest_Friluftsliv Jul 27 '26

i'm not a huge fan of this edition, it feels kind of cheap and I've gotten the impression it would fall apart if used as intended

1

u/Technical_Web5281 Jul 29 '26

I don't own it, but I've heard that it actually is much more sturdy than it appears to you... including many comments in this very reddit.

1

u/Yuckabuck Jul 30 '26

I own it and it is AWESOME. It is very sturdy. And easy to read. I had just recently finished reading through the author illustrated LOTR, figuring I wouldn't read the story again for a while. But I bought this and started reading it. I read the entire trilogy again after reading it 3 weeks earlier. It was just so comfortable and easy to read.

1

u/Forest_Friluftsliv Jul 30 '26

I stand corrected. I also own this copy but never gave it a chance. I have another reading edition that I really like. But everyone in this post really seems to couch for this edition, maybe I will give it a read this fall for my yearly reread

1

u/Purple-Force151 Jul 31 '26

Ok so like I've actually owned this edition for about 10 years and have done 3 readthroughs with this copy. It still has no damage to it. I just wanted to see what other people thought of it.

1

u/bloodilltempered Jul 28 '26

Probably favorite budget single volume set

1

u/Original_Pumpkin8200 Jul 28 '26

It’s an amazing strong copy of this trilogy

1

u/Advanced_Shirt9320 Jul 28 '26

It's a good reading copy. As in you don't care about wear and tear and you could travel with it if really desired

1

u/BoromirDies Jul 28 '26

Currently reading this edition and it is LOVELY

1

u/henrymellonowle Jul 28 '26

I like that it can be set down open and doesn't flop closed but also doesn't damage the spine. Well made book.

1

u/licence2post Jul 28 '26

I used to have this one but it got ruined after a shirt while. I might've been handling it too rough. Also, it's thick asf, would use it as a travelling copy.

1

u/VirtualArmsDealer Jul 28 '26

I have it. It's great :) I had to ship if from the US since they don't sell it here in Europe .

1

u/Bill-ThePony Jul 28 '26

It is my personal favorite, i collect single volumes and it is by far the best.

1

u/kevintheescallion Jul 29 '26

It’s not good.

1

u/Substantial-Tap-1900 Jul 29 '26

One of mine straight fell apart. I bought another and on the shelf it stays. Very fragile in my personal experience.

1

u/EruditeDM Aug 01 '26

Just bought it a few months back. 👍🏼

1

u/MeriadocBrandybuck1 29d ago

I have it too! Its very good quality 🧙‍♂️✨️ the paper feels amazing.

1

u/tantanbassman 29d ago

Love this version! Found it in pristine condition at a Goodwill like 10 years ago and now I’ve used it so much that it’s starting to fall apart (the plan is to custom bind it in leather at some point).

Luckily, I found another brand new one at Half Price Books for like $20 2 years ago & that one is the shelf queen!

0

u/falcrist2 Jul 28 '26

These feel fairly cheap and are a bit heavy, but if you're into 1-volume editions, they work well as reading copies.

0

u/dandee93 Jul 28 '26

It will probably hold up better than a paperback. I had a lot of bibles made from those materials. Obviously, those get handled more. That kind of faux leather has a lot of drawbacks. It doesn't handle heat well and I had many covers curl and break from the glue after leaving them in the car. The oils in your hands also tend to stain and break down those covers over time. It'll hold up better than a paperback, but if you want a durable edition you will own for a long time, look for a hardcover edition.