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The LOTR Movie Site
October 18, 1999The
Millenium Edition Lord of the Rings
David Bass
The Lord of the Ringss: Millenium Edition
is, just as the publishers put it, the book of the century. It is the first format of The
Lord of the Rings to ever remain 100% to Tolkiens original design. It is a
definite must for fans and collectors alike. It is one of the most singular editions of The
Lord of the Rings that I have ever seen, and it is well worth the $65.00 for a set.
Tolkien originally intended for The Lord of the Rings
trilogy to be a single volume; but it soon grew into a multi volume work which were
split into three subsequent editions by the publisher. Allen and Unwin, the original
publisher of Tolkiens masterpiece in England, thought that it would be better to
split the trilogy into three books because they were apprehensive about the success of the
trilogy. Maybe it was a good idea, maybe it wasn't.
So, in 1954, The Fellowship of the Ring was published
with two "books" in one. The original titles of the first two books, which made
up The Fellowship of the Ring, were The Ring Sets Out and The Ring Goes
South. In The Two Towers the two different books were called The Treason of
Isengard and The Ring Goes East. The two books in The Return of the King were
The War of the Ring and The End of the Third Age. The final book in this
seven volume series is called Appendixes and contains the section found in the rear
of The Return of the King. Each book in the Millenium edition of The Lord of the
Rings are small with no dust jackets, but with decorative designs on the boards. All
seven volumes come housed in a large slipcase.
Also included in the United Kingdom edition is a compact disc
with Tolkien himself reading excerpts from The Lord of the Rings. I found this to
be one of the most unique characteristics of this particular edition. It is very
interesting to hear the master himself read poems out of his own great work of literature.
Im sorry to say that for some reason the American edition, put out by Houghton
Mifflin Co, does not include the compact disc with Tolkien reading on it. I said it before
and Ill say it again, this set is well worth the money spent on it, and any true
Tolkien fan will definitely want a set.
Purchase
the Millenium Edition LOTR
Visit the LOTR Collector's Site
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