Help identifying Spanish Hobbit
9 Apr, 2023
2023-4-9 2:48:46 PM UTC
2023-4-9 2:48:46 PM UTC
I came across a 1991 Spanish Hobbit I had not seen before. Copyright Page shows that it was printed in Spain. However (to me) it just does not look or feel like one that would have been sold in Spain. To me it looks more like one that would have been sold in South American (perhaps Chile?) - especially with the book title being printed in English on the rear cover.
So just wondering would anyone have any more information on this edition and be able to confirm if it was indeed sold in Spain or elsewhere?
So just wondering would anyone have any more information on this edition and be able to confirm if it was indeed sold in Spain or elsewhere?
The copyright page may say 1991, but the cover definitely says 1999-2001 as it's obviously Jackson Film inspired. 
I've been collecting Spanish translations of Tolkien's works published in Spain and Latin America for more than 30 years and I've never seen this "edition" before either.
According to the copyright page of your book, it belongs to the first printing of the first paperback edition of El Hobbit published by Minotauro in Spain in 1991. Although the real covers for this edition are the ones you can see below (from left to right: front cover, back cover, and full copyright page).
There are many things on the covers of your book that feel off:
As it has been already pointed out, they reproduce a fan-made poster of "The Hobbit" films which one can still find elsewhere on the internet (for example: <https://all-things-andy-gavin.com/2012 ... obbit-an-expected-review/>). I guess that somebody made this poster before Martin Freeman was announced as the actor who would play Bilbo, so Ian Holm's face was photoshopped in since he played Bilbo on the "The Lord of the Rings" movies. Moreover, this book, by its copyright page, precedes Jackson's movies by a decade (at least).
The back cover lacks any barcode, which Minotauro introduced on its books in 1988.
The publisher logo does not look right either. Compare below the one on your book with the real logo from Ediciones Minotauro. Its placement on both covers is rather unusual too. Furthermore, Minotauro only adopted this logo from 2002 onwards, when Francisco Porrúa, its founder, owner, and translator, sold it to the publishing group Grupo Planeta.
My best guess is that your book is a mid-2000s home-made rebinding of the paperback edition from 1991.
According to the copyright page of your book, it belongs to the first printing of the first paperback edition of El Hobbit published by Minotauro in Spain in 1991. Although the real covers for this edition are the ones you can see below (from left to right: front cover, back cover, and full copyright page).
There are many things on the covers of your book that feel off:
As it has been already pointed out, they reproduce a fan-made poster of "The Hobbit" films which one can still find elsewhere on the internet (for example: <https://all-things-andy-gavin.com/2012 ... obbit-an-expected-review/>). I guess that somebody made this poster before Martin Freeman was announced as the actor who would play Bilbo, so Ian Holm's face was photoshopped in since he played Bilbo on the "The Lord of the Rings" movies. Moreover, this book, by its copyright page, precedes Jackson's movies by a decade (at least).
The back cover lacks any barcode, which Minotauro introduced on its books in 1988.
The publisher logo does not look right either. Compare below the one on your book with the real logo from Ediciones Minotauro. Its placement on both covers is rather unusual too. Furthermore, Minotauro only adopted this logo from 2002 onwards, when Francisco Porrúa, its founder, owner, and translator, sold it to the publishing group Grupo Planeta.
My best guess is that your book is a mid-2000s home-made rebinding of the paperback edition from 1991.
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