Customer Reviews
The manufacturer and quality control suck 
2008-05-30
I have attempted to buy this book 3 times from amazon,the two copies sent were both damaged ,so I went to other stores to order it,3 more copies from borders all damaged and I am wondering how poor the book companies employee attention must be to ship out damaged items at almost $100 a pop. I was attempting to give this as a gift and have been on a month journey trying to find just one book not ripped,ink stained,etc. This is pretty sad for a collectors edition LOTR item and totally looks down upon Tolkiens good name.
Unless you can personally inspect it dont bother .
A Masterful Classic 
2008-05-09
One of the best books ever written presented in a way that will make it stand out on any bookshelf.
Proud Owner of this Wonderful J.R.R.Tolkien Collecter's Edition Book 2008-04-27
Almost all the purchase I make I look for collecter's item. When I was searching for The Lord of The Rings, I wanted the best available. And thanx a lot Amazon to fulfil my dream in a fantastic package.
This 50th Anniversary edition is a true marvel, in excellent condition and a piece to flaunt. I was in doubt to whether buy three books seperately or go for one volume edition. But as Tolkien had originally thought of a one volume book I cudn't astray the feeling.
I recommend every tolkien fan to save a little for this prize possession.
Middle-earth Heaven +++ 2008-04-22
LOTR [Lord of the Rings] has been rated for decades, by readers of the English language, as one of the best classic works of all time -- especially as a fantasy saga written in the early twentieth century. Readers in other languages seem to much appreciate this central master-work of J. R. R. Tolkien as well. To this reader it seems fun, rich, vivid, and very deep.
LOTR has most of the basic elements of a classic fantasy saga -- glorious characters, plots, dramas, settings, imagery, prose, poetry, and mystery. The LOTR saga seems to be a finely inter-woven tapestry of core Western cultural themes. Some of these are the interplay of Celto-Nordic, Greco-Roman, and Judeo-Christian aspects -- inspired, as well, by the Kalevala of the Finns and its language. However, LOTR seems to transcend even these sources to become a world classic.
LOTR, and associated works, such as the Silmarillion, has greatly inspired various fantasy sagas, games, and movies and their creators. The recent movie rendition of LOTR, by Peter Jackson and many helpers, is a wonderful example of Tolkien deeply inspiring creativity. The Medieval aspects, such as armor, arms, and action, are well done -- which may honor Tolkien very well.
Tolkien had wished for a quality edition of his "trilogy" as one saga in one book. This specific edition of the LOTR "trilogy" seems to go far in meeting this desire. My particular copy is a fine one indeed -- sturdy lovely leather-skinned book-case and book-cover, good semi-classic binding, semi-matte gilded pagination, sharp and clear font, classic place-marker ribbon, and a good choice of maps, pictures, and appendices +++
Beautiful edition 2008-04-15
This edition is absolutely wonderful. The fold out maps are beautiful and incredibly helpful if referenced while reading. Tolkien's original design of the Eye and the Rings on the front cover is the most intense thing ever.
i dont know, simply put this is the best edition of this masterpiece that is now available.
Wonderful 2008-07-03
I bought this for my Dad as his Father's Day gift. Needless to say he loved it!
It's not leather, but still a beautiful book. 2008-06-18
This book is not leather. If you read the product description at Houghton Mifflin's website, http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/catalog/titledetail.cfm?titleNumber=689507, nowhere does it claim to be leatherbound. That being said this is still the most beautiful comprehensive edition of the Lord of the Rings I have laid eyes on. I would advise not trying to pull the maps apart the first time, I used a pocket knife to seperate the pages, as you will certainly tear them. I've submited a correction about the leather binding to Amazon, hopefully they will correct this. I would hate for anything to detract from this work of art.
Absolutely gorgeous... 2008-06-16
I've been wanting an English version of the LotR for years.. and this one surpasses anything I wanted!
It's a beautyfull piece of work and after reading it for a zillion times in Dutch, it's STILL an awesome read.
It IS leather-bound 2008-06-13
I am not going to review the story (which obviously gets 5 stars) as it is undeniably the best work of fantasy literature of the 20th century. Instead, I'm reviewing this particular edition (50th anniversary).
First off, I feel obligated to correct a mistake of certain other reviewers. This edition IS bound in leather as advertised. The reviewer(s) were probably confused because the binding is very thin (very handsome) black leather, as opposed to the thick, bulky binding one usually thinks of. That established, this is the finest edition of this work I've ever seen published. The aforementioned binding is beautiful, with two-tone foil engraving, with a matching box. The paper is edged in real gold, and it comes with two very large fold-out maps, as well as an attached silk ribbon bookmark and a three page color insert. The book is handsomely printed in red and black.
Most important to me, the publishers, along with Tolkien's son Christopher, have gone through the text exhaustively correcting all the errors that have crept into the work via it's many reprintings. There are also two new forwards.
In summation, if you've been a fan for years, and want a book that can take pride of place on your bookshelf, this is the edition for you. If you are looking for an edition to give to your kid or some such, buy the paperback.
Quality Misrepresented 2008-06-12
If I hadn't been led to believe by Amazon that this edition was "leather bound" I might have been satisfied with this volume, but I loathe deception. My son collects leather-bound books and sueded-paper is not leather. I even talked to a representative who said he would send the leather-bound edition and sent me the exact same product.
Shame on you Amazon!
