J R R Tolkien / Lord of the Rings THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING / THE TWO 1st 1965

The Lord of the Rings: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING / THE TWO TOWERS / THE RETURN OF THE KING [with] THE HOBBIT. Fantastic four-volume set of the first authorized US paperback editions of Tolkien's fantasy epic - released in response to the infamously unauthorized Ace Books edition from the same year.

Tolkien's Middle Earth grew not only from his experiences in World War I and studies as a professor of English Language and Literature at Oxford, but from his childhood hobby of constructed languages (conlangs). Tolkien argued in his essay "A Secret Vice" that "for perfect construction of an art-language it is found necessary to construct at least in outline a mythology" along with it.

In other words, your language construction will breed a mythology. Middle Earth sprang into being in part so that Tolkien could draw on a mature culture, history, and mythology for his beloved conlangs. As a result, we have Bilbo, Frodo, and Sam; Gandalf the Grey, and Aragorn who is Strider; the One Ring, the covetous Gollum, and a harrowing journey to Mount Doom.

This led to Houghton Mifflin, Tolkien's American publisher, being in violation of the law by importing too many copies from UK publisher Allen & Unwin. Due to this technicality, Ace Books determined that LORD OF THE RINGS had entered the public domain within the US, and they released an edition in the spring of 1965. After the revised version was released, Tolkien urged readers to put public pressure on Ace Books, and within a year, they'd negotiated royalties to be paid to Tokien. In the meantime, Ballatine Books issued this authorized set. Tolkien : A Descriptive Bibliography, A5f.

I, ii, and iii; Tolkien, "A Secret Vice" in The Monsters and the Critics. New York: Ballantine Books Inc, (1965). Four volumes, 4.25" x 7". Original pictorial wrappers, cover prices 95c, U7039 / U7040 / U7041 / U7042.

527, 447, 544, 287 pages. Wrinkling to spine of FELLOWSHIP (production error), small chip to corner of rear wrapper of TWO TOWERS, minor rippling to bottom edges of RETURN, else light edgewear and toning.

Overall clean set with vibrant cover designs. Type Punch Matrix is a rare book firm founded by Rebecca Romney and Brian Cassidy. Between them, they bring over 30 years of experience in the antiquarian book trade. TPM sells a mixture of beloved classics and innovative texts from throughout print history, for collectors and institutions alike.

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