100% agree with you about the cover. Not to mention that the circular tengwar repeats the top text, just to blatantly evoke some LOTR imagery. Thankfully the colors are more subdued than what we have seen in the mockups a few months back. But still it's too busy. At least the illustrations are on proper paper
These standard editions are my first LotR books I've bought in 20 years and my first ever hardback version and I'm really happy with them. No edition previously has enticed me.
I prefer these standard editions. If they would include the inscriptions on the page edges of the deluxe editions, the deluxe editions would win me over. I love the inscriptions!
@@brewingbooks they are releasing a hobbit version! and a deluxe version of it too (in sept!). apparently the deluxe contains an extra 88 page booklet? At any rate would love to see your thoughts on both when you get your hands on them.
To be honest, I had hopes the regular edition would be put in a box in the manner of the 2021 edition of The Lord of the Rings with JRRT's illustrations. Thank you for the video, as always!
Hi James! I am particularly fond of the deluxe version of these editions. Fortunately enough I had no production problems visible on my copies of both Silmarillion and LOTR. By the way, I see there's a new Hobbit edition announced in this series, but no deluxe. Do you perhaps know something more about it? Excellent video, as usual!👍
Thanks very much! And I’m glad to hear you had no issues whatsoever. As for the new release of The Hobbit, yes it seems it will be published in September and will be another signed & author-illustrated edition in-line with the recent LOTR and The Silmarillion publications.
Beautiful book. As always. It looks indeed better without the dusk jacket even though its design doesn't bothers me that much. Not a fan of the bright green page edges 😅 but that was alsof the same for the LOTR editions. I do also agree on the less is more design of Tolkien books 👌 Are there actually unique drawings in the book that only be found here? And are there many in it?
They are both very nice I like the cover on the standard the green is nicer , I think I will still buy the deluxe slipcase tho , and until watching both your vids I didnt realise how the black cover sparkles a little that is cool…., My jemima catlin hobbit arrived today , it is a bigger, heavier book than expected and the artwork on the cover is much nicer in the hand than in pictures online I love it and recommend it for your collection!! Enjoy your new books.
The deluxe edition is more a work of art not designed for reading. I cant imagine it stacked up on my bedside table getting grubby and torn pages and being sat on by the cat. One for the shelf only.
I have finally started reading the lord of the rings (I have only read the beginning of the hobbit in my native language but didn't finish it). It is off course an absolute slapper, closing in on finishing "The fellowship". I'm now naturally beginning to look at Tolkiens other works but struggle to find heads or tails in the multitude of releases. Could you perhaps explain to me in short how the Silmarillion relates to for instance "The Great Tales". Are all of these separate works that one should strive to read in full? Then in what order, if that matters. And lastly, what editions should one strive to own? Thanks.
Hi! Thanks for your query. Basically, The Silmarillion is a chronicle of major tales pertaining particularly to the First and Second Ages from Tolkien’s Middle-earth. The Three Great Tales refer to The Children of Hurin, Beren and Luthien, and The Fall of Gondolin. These are three major stories that form part, among others, of The Silmarillion. You can read The Silmarillion as a collection of stories/chapters, but then go deeper into the evolution of these three stories from a more academic viewpoint, especially Beren and Luthien and The Fall of Gondolin. Out of the three tales, The Children of Hurin is perhaps the most narrative-oriented and least academic of the books. Hope this helps a bit!
also i feel like the deluxe slipcase is so much "more" than the standard edition; the deluxe is so bright and overwhelming, it is so oversaturated for me, that bright blue, AH! same with the bright red on the deluxe LOTR, overwhelming for my eyes lol
As always, thanks for posting. It was the sickly green colored pages that made me opt for the slipcase edition (even though last year I chose the red-edge LOTR edition over its slip-cased counterpart). I have yet to read the Silmarillion. As you've pointed out in other videos, it is regarded as a daunting read. In your opinion, would an annotated version be helpful?
I like the idea of an annotated The Silmarillion and I believe it would be a great help for first-time readers. Though, that being said, having enough background information for LOTR and it’s Appendices should be more than enough to start off with 🙂
Posting again; posted under the wrong account by accident... I found the Simarillion daunting when I initially tried to read it in high school/college. I've tried again this year and find it much easier. What made the difference for me is a mixture of getting into TolkeinTube and (much more importantly) developing a love for mythology... particularly Norse mythology. Once I realized that the Simarillion was a book of mythology rather than a typical narrative-style novel, it became a lot more of an enjoyable read for me. I can now pick up where Norse mythology in particular influenced Tolkien. Mindset is really important for reading the Simarillion; if you expect a novel, you'll be disappointed. If you expect mythology, you'll likely enjoy it. I got the green-paged version of the Simarillion. It's a lovely book and the first fiction book I've owned with a ribbon bookmark. You can bet I showed it and my other illustrated Tolkien books off at Thanksgiving to my (thankfully) Tolkien-loving guests!
Will receive my deluxe today, ordered because of your positive review last week. Agree with what you say about standard: cover too busy, pages too green.. This'll be my 4th Silmarillion, but yeah, illustrated by Tolkien himself.. must have! Thanks for your videos, love that the focus is purely on the books. May I ask: what accent is that you have? German? Italian?
They are both very nice. I’m thinking about buying the cheaper one with the green pages. But I feel like it’s too nice of a book to read and I should just buy it as a display piece and read the much cheaper paper back version instead? How about you? Did you read either of these 2 hard cover ones? I’m not sure what to do.
I agree with you! I read the hardcover with the illustrations by Ted Nasmith and will buy this standard edition as a display book. It is cheaper, but reading a hardcover just feels better for me.
It’s a good decision to buy the cheaper one for reading and something like this specifically for collecting. For reading purposes, this standard edition is much better than its bulkier deluxe version.
Thanks for this video. The standard edition is lovely but I just don't like the green inscription design along the inside of the book's pages. It looks gaudy and ostentatious. I didn't like the red ring inscription on the standard version of Lord of the Ring's either, which is why I bought a copy of the deluxe edition. I'm of the same opinion as yourself with regards the dust jackets - less is more. The dust jacket cover design is just a bit too convoluted for my liking, so I guess I'll be ordering the deluxe version of The Silmarillion.
How does this standard edition along with the standard illustrated edition of lotr line up with the older Harper Collins editions of the hobbit, silmarillion, unfinished tales, and lotr? Do they look to be the same size?
I just received my deluxe one today and i'm very happy with it. I got Fall of Numenor deluxe as well, but on the little flyer with the book, it states that it contains a coloured map of Numenor drawn by Christopher, but i am unable to find it, am i missing something :)? did anyone else encounter the same issue? it's not a fold out or separate, so if it's on a page i must have missed it.
They’re both fantastic in quality and any differences are minimal. The Deluxe 2022 might have the edge, but it’s virtually impossible to tell which is best. At least in my experience.
@@brewingbooks Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. I recently stumbled upon your channel and I have to say that it's been of great help. Your passionate and professional attitude helps tremendously. It really elevates the video from a simple review to a special moment of appreciation for the beauty of the book. Thank you again for what you do and I wish you all the best!
Great, subscribed. Just one question: are the maps in both these editions the same size? if not what's the difference? the actual image size not the paper
Do you know why some standard editions have 225 pages and some 432 pages? All have same dimensions and cca same weight, and there is no additional info on what the difference is (ie. on Amazon, Book depository...). Thanks!
I prefer the standard edition to be honest, and I don't find that the standard edition is particularly overcrowded. I don't like the quotes on the back at all, which I never do on any books. I prefer the blue colour of the standard to the Yves Klein blue on the de lux. I find the flashy lime green a bit out of place and intrusive.
I'm really disappointed with my deluxe edition, etching on the spine is easily scratched and had spots where etching has scrubbed off while the book was still sealed. The leather feels like cheapest leather available and the book feels rather stiff, but apart from that everything else looks and feels really nice. My recommendation would be to buy the non deluxe version and if you can't stand the green edges, go for some of the older deluxe editions. The new deluxe edition sadly feels like a mass produced shit.
The deluxe edition is nice but plagued with problems. For example, the silver lettering on the spine rubs off regardless of how careful you are. Mine has gone back twice now... third time is a refund.
Special edition or not, Harper & Collins dust jackets aren't well made. The paper is thin and it's easy to snap. Polish editions by Zysk i S-ka are way better and you should check them if you'll be in Poland.
Agree with your thoughts on the dust jacket and green page edges - I'm not keen on them either. If money were no object I'd choose the deluxe edition out of these two, but as it is I've just bought the 2021 Ted Nasmith illustrated hardback edition as I plan to get the full matching set. Massive step up from the dog-eared paperback I had before!
Seeing how they released this version of The Silmarillion, given last year’s deluxe release, I wouldn’t be surprised - though perhaps not for the time being. I’m thinking they’ll tackle The Hobbit at some point first.
There are so many versions. It's overwhelming and confusing. Honestly, at this point, it just seems like a cash grab. (Though they sure are pretty!) But I wonder how many of these editions will actually be read, instead of just sitting on the shelf. All I want for anything LOTR is 1) hardcover and 2) clear print. I usually take off dustjackets anyway, so I don't even care so much about that. I don't need anything fancy. Just something that will last, because these are books I hope to keep rereading for as long as I am able.
@@brewingbooks I certainly question the quality of ALL materials being used in China, which is where the majority of these are being printed. If the ink is defective now (and that's the main st complaint is that the spine ink comes off at a faint touch) how do feel about the glues in 20 years? Just because these are advertised as "Deluxe" don't think they aren't making them as cheaply as possible in the country known for cheaply made goods.
Standard edition is 3x cheaper and virtually no problems vs deluxe every other copy with silver lettering problems on the spine. These deluxe releases are such a disgrace for HC lately.
I personally love the inscriptions on the standard editions of the last two releases, I find it quite beautiful! Always enjoy your videos!
For me the edged pages are the best part of the standard editions. Beautiful!
That’s interesting. Glad you found them appealing 🙂
100% agree with you about the cover. Not to mention that the circular tengwar repeats the top text, just to blatantly evoke some LOTR imagery. Thankfully the colors are more subdued than what we have seen in the mockups a few months back. But still it's too busy. At least the illustrations are on proper paper
Rightly said! :)
These standard editions are my first LotR books I've bought in 20 years and my first ever hardback version and I'm really happy with them.
No edition previously has enticed me.
That’s great! As long as you found them great, that’s all that matters ultimately 👍
I love the green and I love the red on the standard LOTR too, I think it looks excellent
Great! 😃
I prefer these standard editions. If they would include the inscriptions on the page edges of the deluxe editions, the deluxe editions would win me over. I love the inscriptions!
Different opinions I guess 🙂 great!
I have this edition, it's the most beautiful book that I own, green pages and all
That’s great!
I don't know what accent this is, but it's damn soothing.
Haha thanks! 😄
To answer your question - in time, I'mma get both lol. Already ordered the standard x
Good choice! 🙂
I absolutely love the green edging ❤
that light greeen would kill me wished it was blue damn i would have bought immediatley
Yes, that green can be a bit distracting unfortunately.
The Standart is beautiful. Im still waiting for a nice hardcover of Unfinished Tales
There’s plenty of editions to choose from 😃👍
I love these hardcover editions! I just wonder if they're gonna release The Hobbit too.
I’m pretty sure such an edition for The Hobbit is imminent
sept 19 2023
@@brewingbooks they are releasing a hobbit version! and a deluxe version of it too (in sept!). apparently the deluxe contains an extra 88 page booklet? At any rate would love to see your thoughts on both when you get your hands on them.
Thanks for this. It could be interesting to compare those editions with the previous 2007 deluxe edition (as you did for LOTR deluxes editions) :-)
Thanks for the suggestion 👍
To be honest, I had hopes the regular edition would be put in a box in the manner of the 2021 edition of The Lord of the Rings with JRRT's illustrations. Thank you for the video, as always!
It’s true, perhaps cutting down on costs?🤔
@@brewingbooks Let's wait and see how The Hobbit is going to be released. (Well, I am sure it should be released to fill up the collection)
Hi James! I am particularly fond of the deluxe version of these editions. Fortunately enough I had no production problems visible on my copies of both Silmarillion and LOTR. By the way, I see there's a new Hobbit edition announced in this series, but no deluxe. Do you perhaps know something more about it? Excellent video, as usual!👍
Thanks very much! And I’m glad to hear you had no issues whatsoever. As for the new release of The Hobbit, yes it seems it will be published in September and will be another signed & author-illustrated edition in-line with the recent LOTR and The Silmarillion publications.
Outstanding reviews! Greetings from Maine 🦞
Thanks very much!
I very much enjoy your Tolkien content Jim, any chance you’ll be reviewing the new Fall of Numenor release?
Thanks! 🙂 Hopefully Fall of Numenor in the coming days 😃
Beautiful book. As always. It looks indeed better without the dusk jacket even though its design doesn't bothers me that much. Not a fan of the bright green page edges 😅 but that was alsof the same for the LOTR editions.
I do also agree on the less is more design of Tolkien books 👌
Are there actually unique drawings in the book that only be found here? And are there many in it?
If I had to choose, I'd go for the Standard Edition, but I'm thrilled to have both. 🥰😍
hahah your both making me jealous I can only choose one !!!
Either one you choose will be a great addition to my our collection 🙂
Awesome! 👍
They are both very nice I like the cover on the standard the green is nicer , I think I will still buy the deluxe slipcase tho , and until watching both your vids I didnt realise how the black cover sparkles a little that is cool…., My jemima catlin hobbit arrived today , it is a bigger, heavier book than expected and the artwork on the cover is much nicer in the hand than in pictures online I love it and recommend it for your collection!! Enjoy your new books.
Thanks for your words 🙂 And, thanks also for the Caitlin edition suggestion. Hoping to get a copy some day 🙂
The deluxe edition is more a work of art not designed for reading. I cant imagine it stacked up on my bedside table getting grubby and torn pages and being sat on by the cat. One for the shelf only.
I have finally started reading the lord of the rings (I have only read the beginning of the hobbit in my native language but didn't finish it). It is off course an absolute slapper, closing in on finishing "The fellowship". I'm now naturally beginning to look at Tolkiens other works but struggle to find heads or tails in the multitude of releases. Could you perhaps explain to me in short how the Silmarillion relates to for instance "The Great Tales". Are all of these separate works that one should strive to read in full? Then in what order, if that matters. And lastly, what editions should one strive to own? Thanks.
Hi! Thanks for your query. Basically, The Silmarillion is a chronicle of major tales pertaining particularly to the First and Second Ages from Tolkien’s Middle-earth.
The Three Great Tales refer to The Children of Hurin, Beren and Luthien, and The Fall of Gondolin.
These are three major stories that form part, among others, of The Silmarillion. You can read The Silmarillion as a collection of stories/chapters, but then go deeper into the evolution of these three stories from a more academic viewpoint, especially Beren and Luthien and The Fall of Gondolin.
Out of the three tales, The Children of Hurin is perhaps the most narrative-oriented and least academic of the books.
Hope this helps a bit!
Standard edition looks like its enough.
Can you review the unjacketed hardback collector's edition?
also i feel like the deluxe slipcase is so much "more" than the standard edition; the deluxe is so bright and overwhelming, it is so oversaturated for me, that bright blue, AH! same with the bright red on the deluxe LOTR, overwhelming for my eyes lol
Interesting thoughts. Thanks for sharing 🙂
As always, thanks for posting. It was the sickly green colored pages that made me opt for the slipcase edition (even though last year I chose the red-edge LOTR edition over its slip-cased counterpart).
I have yet to read the Silmarillion. As you've pointed out in other videos, it is regarded as a daunting read. In your opinion, would an annotated version be helpful?
I like the idea of an annotated The Silmarillion and I believe it would be a great help for first-time readers. Though, that being said, having enough background information for LOTR and it’s Appendices should be more than enough to start off with 🙂
Posting again; posted under the wrong account by accident...
I found the Simarillion daunting when I initially tried to read it in high school/college. I've tried again this year and find it much easier. What made the difference for me is a mixture of getting into TolkeinTube and (much more importantly) developing a love for mythology... particularly Norse mythology. Once I realized that the Simarillion was a book of mythology rather than a typical narrative-style novel, it became a lot more of an enjoyable read for me. I can now pick up where Norse mythology in particular influenced Tolkien.
Mindset is really important for reading the Simarillion; if you expect a novel, you'll be disappointed. If you expect mythology, you'll likely enjoy it.
I got the green-paged version of the Simarillion. It's a lovely book and the first fiction book I've owned with a ribbon bookmark. You can bet I showed it and my other illustrated Tolkien books off at Thanksgiving to my (thankfully) Tolkien-loving guests!
Did you ever read this copy of the Silmarillion? I've heard that when handled, even gently the silver lettering on the spine comes off
I noticed some small area of silver missing on the spine but I'm not sure if it came that way or whether it happened after handling @@MrThephonypope
Will receive my deluxe today, ordered because of your positive review last week.
Agree with what you say about standard: cover too busy, pages too green..
This'll be my 4th Silmarillion, but yeah, illustrated by Tolkien himself.. must have!
Thanks for your videos, love that the focus is purely on the books.
May I ask: what accent is that you have? German? Italian?
Thank you so much for your kind words and here’s hoping your copy arrives soon!
As for my accent, let’s say it’s a mix of italian-Semitic 😄
with the dust jacket off, the cover looks more pleasing to me, but the green edging of the pages becomes even less attractive to me
It's not that bad, albeit quite surprising at first. It definitely is a bit too bright and a bizarre choice
In have to agree, that’s how I feel about this.
Exactly, I can’t understand the decision behind such a colour (and level of brightness) …
Another good vid, cheers
Thank you! 🙂
They are both very nice. I’m thinking about buying the cheaper one with the green pages. But I feel like it’s too nice of a book to read and I should just buy it as a display piece and read the much cheaper paper back version instead? How about you? Did you read either of these 2 hard cover ones? I’m not sure what to do.
I agree with you! I read the hardcover with the illustrations by Ted Nasmith and will buy this standard edition as a display book. It is cheaper, but reading a hardcover just feels better for me.
It’s a good decision to buy the cheaper one for reading and something like this specifically for collecting. For reading purposes, this standard edition is much better than its bulkier deluxe version.
Thanks for this video. The standard edition is lovely but I just don't like the green inscription design along the inside of the book's pages. It looks gaudy and ostentatious. I didn't like the red ring inscription on the standard version of Lord of the Ring's either, which is why I bought a copy of the deluxe edition. I'm of the same opinion as yourself with regards the dust jackets - less is more. The dust jacket cover design is just a bit too convoluted for my liking, so I guess I'll be ordering the deluxe version of The Silmarillion.
That’s great! Best of luck with your delivery and enjoy reading 😃
How does this standard edition along with the standard illustrated edition of lotr line up with the older Harper Collins editions of the hobbit, silmarillion, unfinished tales, and lotr? Do they look to be the same size?
I just received my deluxe one today and i'm very happy with it.
I got Fall of Numenor deluxe as well, but on the little flyer with the book, it states that it contains a coloured map of Numenor drawn by Christopher, but i am unable to find it, am i missing something :)? did anyone else encounter the same issue? it's not a fold out or separate, so if it's on a page i must have missed it.
Which would you say has the better quality between this new standard edition and the standard hardback illustrated by Ted Nasmith?
They’re both fantastic in quality and any differences are minimal. The Deluxe 2022 might have the edge, but it’s virtually impossible to tell which is best. At least in my experience.
@@brewingbooks Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. I recently stumbled upon your channel and I have to say that it's been of great help. Your passionate and professional attitude helps tremendously. It really elevates the video from a simple review to a special moment of appreciation for the beauty of the book. Thank you again for what you do and I wish you all the best!
Great, subscribed. Just one question: are the maps in both these editions the same size? if not what's the difference? the actual image size not the paper
I’ll have to recheck on that, but if I remember correctly yes there the same size and on the same kind of paper (slightly thick).
Do you know why some standard editions have 225 pages and some 432 pages? All have same dimensions and cca same weight, and there is no additional info on what the difference is (ie. on Amazon, Book depository...). Thanks!
Just an error on some sites. US and UK editions are identical.
@@slorunner7086 thanks for the info!
Beautiful editions.
They are indeed 🙂
I prefer the standard edition to be honest, and I don't find that the standard edition is particularly overcrowded. I don't like the quotes on the back at all, which I never do on any books. I prefer the blue colour of the standard to the Yves Klein blue on the de lux. I find the flashy lime green a bit out of place and intrusive.
I'm really disappointed with my deluxe edition, etching on the spine is easily scratched and had spots where etching has scrubbed off while the book was still sealed.
The leather feels like cheapest leather available and the book feels rather stiff, but apart from that everything else looks and feels really nice. My recommendation would be to buy the non deluxe version and if you can't stand the green edges, go for some of the older deluxe editions. The new deluxe edition sadly feels like a mass produced shit.
So sorry to hear about your experience with the deluxe, and thanks for the suggestions on the other editions 👍
I think f the standard edition had a silver or darker green I would look better
I have to agree 👍
Me: *cries in 2nd edition*
🙁 How so?
Hello! Does the standard edition have the same extra material as the deluxe? The booklet and the separate artwork?
Hi there! No it doesn’t, but it’s still a great edition in its own right 🙂
@@brewingbooks thank you!
The deluxe edition is nice but plagued with problems. For example, the silver lettering on the spine rubs off regardless of how careful you are. Mine has gone back twice now... third time is a refund.
😨 That’s not good to hear …
Special edition or not, Harper & Collins dust jackets aren't well made. The paper is thin and it's easy to snap. Polish editions by Zysk i S-ka are way better and you should check them if you'll be in Poland.
Will sure do thanks!
Agree with your thoughts on the dust jacket and green page edges - I'm not keen on them either. If money were no object I'd choose the deluxe edition out of these two, but as it is I've just bought the 2021 Ted Nasmith illustrated hardback edition as I plan to get the full matching set. Massive step up from the dog-eared paperback I had before!
The Ted Nasmith edition was a wonderful edition and still one of the best 👍
Do you think they'll do an unfinished tales version of this book??
Seeing how they released this version of The Silmarillion, given last year’s deluxe release, I wouldn’t be surprised - though perhaps not for the time being. I’m thinking they’ll tackle The Hobbit at some point first.
There are so many versions. It's overwhelming and confusing. Honestly, at this point, it just seems like a cash grab. (Though they sure are pretty!) But I wonder how many of these editions will actually be read, instead of just sitting on the shelf. All I want for anything LOTR is 1) hardcover and 2) clear print. I usually take off dustjackets anyway, so I don't even care so much about that. I don't need anything fancy. Just something that will last, because these are books I hope to keep rereading for as long as I am able.
Ditto. Well said.
They are definitely a cash grab, although a beautiful one that I enjoy very much to be honest.
Hehe agreed!
Very well said 👍
For the price they are asking for these cheaply made books you can get a UK or US 1/1 for about half the cost.
I wouldn’t say cheaply made … some oversights, yes. But they’re still high quality books nonetheless
@@brewingbooks I certainly question the quality of ALL materials being used in China, which is where the majority of these are being printed. If the ink is defective now (and that's the main st complaint is that the spine ink comes off at a faint touch) how do feel about the glues in 20 years?
Just because these are advertised as "Deluxe" don't think they aren't making them as cheaply as possible in the country known for cheaply made goods.
@@marantzdantz9685 I honestly can’t comment on that as my copies are printed in Italy.
Standard edition is 3x cheaper and virtually no problems vs deluxe every other copy with silver lettering problems on the spine. These deluxe releases are such a disgrace for HC lately.
It’s true … somehow the quality of publications has not been to a high standard as usual.