By Halbarad
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Where can I report typos in The Hobbit?

23 Mar, 2023 (edited)
2023-3-23 4:37:31 AM UTC

I found a typo in the hobbit, which seems to exist in multiple editions. Its in the first edition hobbit, all the way up to the 75th edition.

Where can I report this typo so that it gets fixed?

Its in Chapter 16 "A thief in the night"; The sentence ends with an exclamation mark, then a space, followed by another exclamation mark. - "Now I will make you an offer! !"

-1st edition: page 277
-1966 revised edition: page 283
-75th anniversary edition: page 248

Its never been corrected as far as I can tell in any edition of the hobbit. And I'm kind of worried that its going to be in the new HC editions (including the deluxe)

Trotter

23 Mar, 2023
2023-3-23 5:27:39 AM UTC

You can try emailing HarperCollins with the information, they will forward your email to the right team within the company.

[email protected]

billhinge

23 Mar, 2023
2023-3-23 8:19:23 AM UTC

Here comes the brand new edition thus

billhinge

23 Mar, 2023
2023-3-23 9:12:37 AM UTC

out of curiosity I checked the Longmans versions, it was corrected there but it also says 'will' rather than 'shall' as do my 2nd & 3rds which do have double '!'

oxonianus

23 Mar, 2023
2023-3-23 10:59:56 AM UTC

I had always read the doubled exclamation point as emphatic.

zionius

23 Mar, 2023
2023-3-23 12:18:45 PM UTC

I guess Mnt_Dewdskie made a typo, it appears to be "will" in all editions.

History of the Hobbit says it's "Now I will make you an offer – " in one draft.
The editions on archive https://archive.org/search?query=%22co ... e+you+an+offer%22&sin=TXT suggest most editions used "! !", Ballantine used "!!", some Unwin/Guild editions used "!".

Halbarad

23 Mar, 2023
2023-3-23 2:57:21 PM UTC

Oh shoot! I guess I did make that typo lol. Fixed!

Halbarad

23 Mar, 2023
2023-3-23 5:05:05 PM UTC

zionius Does that mean that most publishing companies know about this and haven’t chosen to change it? Like there is a reason for keeping it the way that it is? Seems odd…

billhinge

23 Mar, 2023
2023-3-23 5:15:54 PM UTC

Also fixed in the 50th Anniversary Edition so they knew in 1987

Halbarad

23 Mar, 2023
2023-3-23 9:17:37 PM UTC

So they fixed it in 87, and re-introduced the typo in later editions???

Where can I report typos in The Hobbit?

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