Hobbit deluxe, librarian bucks, job hunt sucks

Rateliff, John D.

The History of The Hobbit: Part One; Mr. Baggins.

467p. ISBN 978-0-618-96847-3.

Rateliff, John D.

The History of The Hobbit: Part Two; Return to Bag End.

438p. index.. ISBN 978-0-618-96919-7.

Tolkien, J.R.R.

The Hobbit.

300p. ISBN 978-0-618-96863-3.

ea. vol: Houghton Mifflin. illus. maps. $35, (boxed set: ISBN 978-0-618-96440-6. $95.). LIT

Houghton Mifflin is honoring the 70th anniversary of Tolkien's most charming book with this beautiful three-volume set. The Hobbit germinated for some time before being published and the original story Tolkien wrote for his kids varies from the published version. Even post publication, Tollers altered The Hobbit to better adhere to the timeline and events presented later in The Lord of the Rings. This boxed set offers the final, updated version of The Hobbit, along with a scholarly dissection of the original incarnation by Tolkien scholar John D. Rateliff, who provides extensive annotations and commentaries on its composition date; the influence of Tolkien's academic and mythological writings on it; and the original account of Bilbo's meeting

Gollum and finding the Ring, which is reprinted in its proper context for the first time in more than 50 years. The lavishly illustrated set includes many of Tolkien's little-known art works and previously unpublished maps. Even if you have multiple copies of The Hobbit, the two History volumes can be purchased separately. With so much study focusing on Rings, Rateliff's beautifully illustrated History duo is a long-overdue treat for Hobbit fans. Good things come in threes, and thanks to Rateliff, this boxed Hobbit is Tolkien's other great trilogy.

—Mike Rogers LJX/LJ