A story as epic as The Lord of the Rings deserves an edition to match. Featuring stunning new work by Alan Lee alongside all of his original illustrations, and strictly limited to just 1,000 sets each numbered and signed by the artist, this is the finest version of Tolkien’s beloved masterpiece.
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‘The Lord of the Rings is the mountain that leans over every other fantasy written since.’
George R. R. Martin
The greatest classic of fantasy fiction and one of the most celebrated stories of all time, The Lord of the Rings defined a genre and created a world that inspires and enchants to this day. This exquisite three-volume set is presented in a silver-blocked slipcase (lined with a hidden illustration) with a new art print exclusive to this edition and a pair of maps drawn by Christopher Tolkien, printed together and presented in a cloth-covered case. Each volume is quarter-bound in burgundy calfskin leather blocked in silver, with an illustrated inset label, silver page tops and a burgundy satin ribbon marker. The text itself – printed in black and burgundy – is the most up-to-date and academically rigorous available, and is accompanied by a new preface written exclusively for this edition by the artist.
Production Details
Limited to 1,000 sets numbered and signed by Alan Lee
Quarter-bound in leather with cloth sides blocked in silver and inset with illustration labels
Circular limitation tip printed letterpress on Tintoretto paper hand tipped within a gold border
Set in Dante with Testament as display
1,504 pages in total over three volumes printed on Munken Pure paper
Printed in black and burgundy throughout
53 colour illustrations in total printed on Veltique paper tipped within printed borders
57 illustrated chapter openers
Endpapers printed with a design by the artist
Also included is a Note on the Text by Douglas A. Anderson, a Note on the Revised Text by Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull, Tolkien’s Foreword to the Second Edition and Prologue, as well as Appendices and Indexes.
Silver page tops
Burgundy satin ribbon markers
Two maps printed together in black and red and enclosed in a case covered in blocked cloth
Hand-made cloth-covered slipcase blocked in silver and gunmetal with printed illustration inside
12˝ × 7¾˝
Separate print presented in a folder of Pergamenata paper
The definitive Tolkien artist
Alan Lee’s work is synonymous with the worlds of J. R. R. Tolkien, having defined the visual setting of Middle-earth for a generation. In 2001, Peter Jackson’s film adaptation helped to introduce the epic to an even wider audience, and Alan Lee was the natural choice for a lead concept artist winning him the 2004 Academy Award for Art Direction. The majestic scale of the landscapes and the atmosphere he captures on the page – all in exquisite watercolour and pencil – make him the only choice to illustrate this, the ultimate edition of The Lord of the Rings. Lee’s original illustrations have been reproduced to the artist’s exacting standards, in a scale and quality never seen before, and have been augmented by several entirely new images, including enchanting endpapers depicting the One Ring long before it came into Frodo’s possession, three frontispieces, two revised versions of existing illustrations, a new image titled ‘The Grey Havens’ and an exclusive giclée print.
As well as 53 colour illustrations across three volumes, each printed on gorgeous Veltique paper and hand-tipped within decorative borders, Lee has drawn 57 stunning new chapter openers, each one with details appropriate to the chapter: for The Council of Elrond, the decorative flourishes flow elegantly, reflecting the grandeur and love of nature of the elves; for The Bridge of Khazad-dûm, the patterns have become geometric and angular, a nod to the steadfast character of the dwarves.
The essential edition of a fantasy masterpiece
As much a celebration of Lee’s art as it is of Tolkien’s legacy, Folio’s The Lord of the Rings is the ultimate edition for any collector. Strictly limited to 1,000 sets, the limitation page has been tipped in by hand and numbered and signed by Alan Lee. Every set comes with a beautiful art print, presented in a translucent Pergamenata paper folder printed with a burgundy design. Furthermore, Lee has designed three intricate roundels for the title pages and six decorative borders to frame the tipped-in illustrations along with a frieze for the slipcase.
‘All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost.’
In The Two Towers, when Samwise Gamgee wonders if their extraordinary journey will become a tale told by the fireside, he imagines the story of the Ring read from ‘a great big book with red and black letters’; perhaps this grand edition, crafted with such love for the story, is what he pictured.
About J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in South Africa in 1892 and moved to England with his family while still a child. Both his parents died when Tolkien was young and he and his brother lived with a relative and later on, in boarding houses. Tolkien studied at Exeter College, and went on to teach at Oxford. It was during this time that he published The Hobbit (1937, Folio 1976) and The Lord of the Rings trilogy (1954-55, Folio 1977). He continued to work as a professor until 1959 and he died in 1973, aged 81.
About Alan Lee
Alan Lee was born in London, England, in 1947. He attended the Ealing School of Art to study graphic design, concentrating on the depiction of Celtic and Norse myths. Lee is one of the most celebrated living illustrators of myth and fantasy: a recipient of the Kate Greenaway Medal and an Oscar-winner for his conceptual work on Peter Jackson’s films of The Lord of the Rings.
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Average Score for 43 Review(s)
This limited edition of The Lord of the Rings is special and definitely superior to other editions available, however it leaves a few details to be desired and falls short of being the ultimate edition. The paper quality is superb and the chapter headers are a very nice addition. Choosing Alan Lee's illustrations is, I believe, a good choice, he is the ultimate Tolkien artist and even though these illustrations are not new and are rather well-known by fans now, Folio did well to go with Lee. I believe that his signature is what elevates the price considerably. The books are very large, quite possibly these are the biggest LOTR books out there. This makes for a grand experience when reading and the text is very clear and readable. However, the illustrations, though printed on high-quality Veltique paper and tipped in within newly-designed borders, are actually slightly smaller than those printed in the 60th anniversary HarperCollins Deluxe edition. There is a lot of empty space considering how big the pages are, so this is a missed opportunity to showcase the illustrations, which are in fact paintings, in a larger format. As to the book cover design, the books are quarter-bound in red leather and there is a silver symbol on each of them. The Two Towers has its symbol slightly elevated due to the fact that it's the Eye of Sauron on an engraved tower, but when one is looking from afar, this looks a bit jarring. Each book has a standard FS logo on the bottom, which I consider to be a missed opportunity as well - the collector's edition seems to have a nicer logo. The blue cloth is very fine and high-quality but I'm afraid that with handling it collects dust and dirt quite easily, so the books, when read and handled, will show signs of use quickly. The frontal design is a missed opportunity as well, in my opinion. FS could have gone for full leather or made the covers simpler. The inlaid new illustrations are again brand new paintings by Alan Lee - these are full of detail and there are big, high-resolution images available online (two out of three) as part of promotional materials, but the images on the front covers are too small to be fully appreciated, with some details very small. It would have been better to include these as prints along with the new print (which itself is nice). Overall, the books are high-quality but there are too many minor issues which, if they had been paid more attention to, would have led to a truly ultimate edition of LOTR. A lot of these issues are subjective so others might consider this to be the best version there is.
Review by
RL
on 4th September 2022
The books are amazing. Great binding, beautiful illustrations, really nice design. Best LOTR edition ever. I would have loved a traycase more than a slipcase though, but even so the set looks great.
Review by
Mr Andrea Bicego
on 15th July 2022
It’s likely the best ever version of the classic books. But, there were some very minor issues with quality control (glue in the wrong place, slanted signature page). Also, while the insides were absolutely beautiful, with first rate printing and paper quality, the bindings used a less luxurious leather than I’ve come to expect on their limited editions. It’s more similar to what you will find on one of their better standard editions (Montaigne’s Essays, the Folio Nonesuch Dickens, Beowulf), than what I have on other limited editions (Letterpress Shakespeare, Candide, both Ulysses, etc.). So, it is very nice, but doesn’t seem to be too grain goat or calfskin.
It is a beautiful set of books. Fantastic quality overall. But, there is room for improvement on some of the smaller things, especially at this price point.
Review by
Christopher
on 2nd July 2022
It is truly a treasure in my collection.
Review by
MRS KATHERINE HOOTON
on 2nd July 2022
This is perhaps the ultimate Lord of the Rings set with exquisite artwork and details that are unsurpassed. If your budget and bookshelves have space, you won't be disappointed!
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