The fact that it was such a short print run may explain why it is such a poor effort.
I'm happy to miss out on this one. Just because something is rare does not make it good.
I'm happy to miss out on this one. Just because something is rare does not make it good.
Stu wrote:
I'm happy to miss out on this one. Just because something is rare does not make it good.
Exactly my sentiments.
Also, while HC says "fortunately", it almost seems like they're going "phew, dodged a bullet there", which is more than can be said for the poor folks who paid good money for this worthless set.
I still cannot understand how HC could have gotten this *so wrong*. I've moved on from sad to laughable
I don't think they got it so wrong to be honest. Looking at the set it's hardly some publishing/printing travesty. For me it's just too expensive for a set that's already been published as a standard boxset twice (& there's very little difference, as Stu points out); and which previously had a better deluxe treatment anyway. I mean, this is the sort of HC "half deluxe" anyway, so I'm not clear what people were expecting. The other matching "deluxe" copies are just decent hardbacks by historical standards. There's nothing very deluxe about them.
BH
BH
Deluxe HoM books are here, box is demolished in transit and broke in two places, thank you Amazon for such a beautiful collectors edition
Khamûl wrote:
I don't think they got it so wrong to be honest. Looking at the set it's hardly some publishing/printing travesty. For me it's just too expensive for a set that's already been published as a standard boxset twice (& there's very little difference, as Stu points out); and which previously had a better deluxe treatment anyway. I mean, this is the sort of HC "half deluxe" anyway, so I'm not clear what people were expecting. The other matching "deluxe" copies are just decent hardbacks by historical standards. There's nothing very deluxe about them.
BH
I don't necessarily disagree. My position has always been that this set serves no purpose beyond increasing the price-point of a set that was already in print. Like you say, the current editions aren't really deluxe, but the quality gap from trade to "deluxe" on other volumes is much greater. For this edition there is no quality gap - it is just the standard edition with some mottled grey paper on the boards and £55 extra on the RRP. It is more "meh" than a catastrophe. I'd feel like a bit of a sucker if I purchased this just for the sake of completeness (and there is no other reason to buy it).
Here's hoping that the Middle-Earth Treasury will be more satisfying release.
Khamûl wrote:
I don't think they got it so wrong to be honest. Looking at the set it's hardly some publishing/printing travesty. For me it's just too expensive for a set that's already been published as a standard boxset twice (& there's very little difference, as Stu points out); and which previously had a better deluxe treatment anyway. I mean, this is the sort of HC "half deluxe" anyway, so I'm not clear what people were expecting. The other matching "deluxe" copies are just decent hardbacks by historical standards. There's nothing very deluxe about them.
BH
Well imo they got it wrong because it is a deluxe edition and, by any logic, should have complemented the rest of the deluxe editions. By that standard alone it's a fail.
Even if one argues that it was NOT meant to match the existing deluxe editions, then it's bacisally a less well-produced reprint of a much cheaper hardback set that's still freely available, by which standard it is also a fail.
Just imo though. I don't expect others to agree :)
I think you're splitting hairs here. All the other "deluxe" editions are totally ordinary; they're just normal hardbacks in slipcases. There are US publishers punting out cheap mass-produced "leather" editions for half the price HC have been selling these at. Sure, HC have taken a bit more care with their editions; these are nice looking books. But that's it. I understand you want them to match &/or be the same height for example. But all the black incarnation deluxe editions (from 1997-2001) had the same problems i.e. they weren't the same height either. This is nothing new.
To my mind, HC dropped the ball a long while ago in respect to uniformity of releases etc. Signed PR anyone? Has it's own individual ISBN but is just signed on the title page by Lee. What a load of nonsense. I'm looking at photos on here (generally) & I honestly don't see a massive amount of difference between these books. Same with the complaints about later impressions being printed & bound in Hong Kong, etc. The differences are minor; and they're in respect to editions that were never remarkable to begin with. It's interesting to note, obviously. I just don't see that it's worth getting worked up about...
...assuming you're worked up about this? I think I'm getting worked up about this!
BH
To my mind, HC dropped the ball a long while ago in respect to uniformity of releases etc. Signed PR anyone? Has it's own individual ISBN but is just signed on the title page by Lee. What a load of nonsense. I'm looking at photos on here (generally) & I honestly don't see a massive amount of difference between these books. Same with the complaints about later impressions being printed & bound in Hong Kong, etc. The differences are minor; and they're in respect to editions that were never remarkable to begin with. It's interesting to note, obviously. I just don't see that it's worth getting worked up about...
...assuming you're worked up about this? I think I'm getting worked up about this!
BH