While at the Mentor, Ohio, Half-Price Books last week, we saw a set of The Lord of the Rings signed and inscribed by Tolkien, more fully described as follows:

The Lord of the Rings, second American edition, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1966, book club issue (impressed dot on lower board), 3 vols. in slipcase. Vol. 1 is marked as the 6th printing, and vols. 2 and 3 as 5th printings.

Vol. 1: Spine slightly cocked, corners bumped, worn, and frayed, wear to bottom left of upper board and head and tail of spine, spine lettering slightly worn, top edge faded and spotted, bottom and fore-edges lightly soiled. Staple holes in front free endpaper and half-title leaf. Bottom half of front hinge beginning to crack. The folded map is present but cut from the book. Dust-jacket, badly tattered with a tape repair and faded spine. The title-page is inscribed and signed by Tolkien to ‘Allen’, 15 December 1966: '4000 m[iles] is a long way to travel for my dubious company'.

Vol. 2: Spine slightly cocked, corners bumped, worn, and frayed, wear to head and tail of spine, top edge faded and slightly spotted, bottom and fore-edges lightly soiled. At the top of pp. 25-32 is an impression from what might have been a paperclip used as a bookmark, and there is a diagonal crease from top to bottom on pp. 33-34. The folded map is lacking, cut from the book, with a remnant of the paper left behind. Dust-jacket, tattered (though less so than for vol. 1) with losses. Autographed by Tolkien on the title-page.

Vol. 3: Very nice condition; top rear corner bumped. The folded map is detached but present. Dust-jacket, crisp and fresh with only slight chipping. Autographed by Tolkien on the title-page.

The slipcase has moderate wear but is intact. Tolkien's autographs and inscription are clearly genuine.

This set evidently was carried to England from the United States for Tolkien's signature. We do not know its provenance, but the seller does. Nor do we know its price, which can be learned on inquiry to the manager of the Half-Price Books outlet, Ms. Kerry West, at [email protected].


Wayne & Christina

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