Books

First editions, first impressions, of the greatest fantasy trilogy of the modern era. Attractive copies in unrestored dust jackets, as here, are now rare in commerce. C. S. Lewis wrote of the trilogy that "no imaginary world has been projected which is at once as multifarious and so true to its own inner laws; none so seemingly objective, so disinfected from the taint of an author's merely individual psychology; none so relevant to the actual human situation yet so free from allegory". The original dust jacket blurb questions whether the book compares to "Spencer, Malory, Ariosto or Science Fiction?" and responds that Tolkien's book has "a flavour of all of them and a taste of its own." The bibliographers note two states for The Return of the King. This copy has the signature mark "4" present on page 49, and with lines of text which sag. Since publication of the bibliography, three states have been proposed: 1. Undamaged text and no signature mark "4", 2. Damaged text and no signature mark "4", 3. Damaged text and signature mark "4" present. No priority for these states has been proven. Two states have been proposed for the final line on p. 281 in the same volume: 1. "Men" and 2. "Men". This copy has the first, and priority for this state can be assumed. Three vols, octavo. Original red cloth, spines lettered in gilt, top edges red. With dust jackets (The Return of the King in second state). Housed in a quarter red morocco folding box. Full-page map facing p. 24 of The Fellowship of the Ring, rear folding map in each volume, all by Christopher Tolkien, and printed in red and black. Extremities a little bumped or rubbed, browning to free endpapers, some light soiling to edges of concluding leaves of The Return of the King; unclipped jackets, spines a little toned, extremities very slightly worn, short tears at head of front panel for The Return of the King with small adhesive tape repair on reverse: a very good set in like jackets. Hammond & Anderson A5a(i-iii).

Book One: The Fellowship of the Ring The story begins in the Shire, a peaceful region where Frodo Baggins inherits a mysterious ring from his uncle, Bilbo. Gandalf the wizard discovers the ring is the One Ring, forged by the dark lord Sauron to dominate Middle-earth. Frodo is tasked with taking the ring to Rivendell, where a council forms the Fellowship: Frodo, Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Boromir, Sam, Merry, and Pippin. Together, they set out to destroy the ring in Mount Doom, the only place it can be unmade. Their journey is fraught with peril, and the Fellowship eventually splinters when Boromir succumbs to the ring's temptation, and Frodo decides to continue the quest with Sam. Book Two: The Two Towers The narrative follows two main threads. Frodo and Sam traverse the dangerous lands toward Mordor, guided by Gollum, a former ring-bearer corrupted by the ring's power. Meanwhile, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli pursue the orcs who have kidnapped Merry and Pippin. The hobbits escape and find themselves in the ancient forest of Fangorn, where they encounter Treebeard the Ent. Gandalf, reborn as Gandalf the White, reunites with the group. The novel climaxes with battles at Helm's Deep and Isengard, and Frodo's capture by orcs after being betrayed by Gollum. Book Three: The Return of the King Aragorn claims his destiny as the true king of Gondor, leading forces against Sauron's armies. Frodo and Sam, enduring immense hardship, infiltrate Mordor and destroy the ring, aided unwittingly by Gollum. Sauron’s power collapses, peace returns, and Aragorn is crowned. Frodo, burdened by his trauma, sails to the Undying Lands with Bilbo, Gandalf, and the elves, leaving Sam to carry on in the Shire.