The Silmarillion Deluxe Illustrated by the Author: Special Edition (Tolkien Illustrated Editions)

This is a review of the design and production quality of this book, not of the literary work itself. Overall I'm thrilled with this edition of The Silmarillion, and it pairs well (as intended) with the Illustrated Deluxe Edition of The Lord of the Rings (red slipcase version). 1) Shipping and Packaging: I was pleased to receive this book in pristine condition, with no damage from packing or shipping. I made sure both the seller and shipper was Amazon. Inside the shipping box, the book was well-protected from corner and surface damage by a snug-fitting, unmarked cardboard box. I did miss the beautiful printing that was on the protective box of the correspondingly styled LOTR book, but it still did its job. The book was shink-wrapped inside of the box and everything looks great. 2) Slipcase and Book Exterior: I really enjoy the design, although there's a lot going on. The foil stamping is crisp and looks great, on both the slipcase and the cover. The clothbound slipcase is a deep blue that is significantly less saturated than the vibrant blue of the quarter-bound, leather spine (and also much less saturated than shown in the product photo). Both are of similar tonality, and both showcase the foil stamping beautifully. The blue foil stamping visible through the hole in the slipcase introduces a third, slightly cooler blue. That's a lot of variance, but the overall effect is a rich combination of three blues that still works quite well due to the differing reflectivity of each material. The silver gilding on the paper edges is a very nice touch and complements the silver foil well. I did find myself brushing tiny specs of silver off the book cover from the gilt edges. Did one of my nieces leave a glitter bomb in the box? My only disappointment was seeing a faint bit of discoloration on the front of the slipcase, probably from some glue residue. Not enough to really bother me, but it's certainly not perfect. 3) Binding: The binding feels reasonably flexible for a brand new book, and pages open evenly and easily as I turn through the book. It will certainly free up more once I start a reading. It should last, but only time will tell. There are no obvious defects, though. A dark blue ribbon marker is an appreciated inclusion. 4) Paper: The end sheets are a light, warm grey that serves as a lovely transition between the dark tones of the exterior and the warm whites of the paper throughout the book. The weight of the uncoated paper throughout the book feels almost perfect for the dimensions, and printing on the reverse side can only be seen if you intentionally back-light a page. Illustration plates are printed on a paper of equivalent weight but with a slightly higher brightness, to good, subtle effect. The overall impression I have is that the exterior hues are very cool (silvers, blues, even the green foil is cool) while the interior hues are warm (warm grey endpaper, warm white pages, predominantly warm illustrations). An interesting contrast. Not necessarily a complaint, especially since I personally find it easier on my eyes when reading from warmer papers — as long as there's enough contrast. 5) Interior Design and Printing: Printing is crisp and detailed, with reasonably dark blacks that produce solid, if not excellent, contrast. The printing of text is subtly heavier in some signatures than in others, but it's only barely noticeable if you're looking for it. Text always clean and easy to read, though, and I'll definitely enjoy reading this edition! Precious little illustrations adorn the top of chapter pages, while full-page illustrations appear throughout the book on brighter paper. All are beautifully presented in full color. Colors are rich, and while some are vibrant, most have a slightly muted palette — I suspect some of that is likely due to the age of the artwork being reproduced here. I love having them here, and I think they did a great job. Also, a minor observation: Unlike the matching LOTR deluxe edition, however, page titles are not printed in color. 6) Inserts: A folded poster of J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Silmarillion' map is nicely printed in color on uncoated paper, as is a second poster of Christopher Tolkien's colored version of the 'Belariand and the Lands to the North' map. Both are loose, unattached to the endpapers. The color card of the 'Halls of Manwë' is printed on a coated (either dull or satin) card stock, and the artwork is more vibrant here than on uncoated page 66 of the book. No complaints. I generally don't care about inserts like these, but in this case I like having both maps to compare. Final Thoughts: I love this edition of The Silmarillion. It's gorgeous, printed well, and feels like it will hold up. I'm going to be careful handling it so as to not put too much stress on the foils, but overall I'm very glad to have it in my collection. Given that printing and quality control for Tolkien books under the William Morrow imprint seems to sometimes be hit or miss, I recommend taking a very close look when you get it to make sure you have a good copy. But I highly recommend giving it a go!

The quality of this book is utterly insane. This is a must have for any collector.

Got this book on sale, and now have all 3 deluxe versions of Tolkien's LOTR stories. These are heavy duty books that can be passed down to kids, for them to enjoy. They look so nice, I find that I almost want to wear gloves to preserve them forever, sometimes forgetting that they are to be read and enjoyed by the family, and not saved to be sold on Antiques Roadshow in 2125.

Worth every dollar what was nice was the quality was insane along with two maps of belerian a picture of the hall or manwe and a small book about Tolkien writing the simmerilion

Beautiful book. Beautiful illustrations. Perfect for Tolkien fans.

I mean.. wow.. this is the most beautiful copy of the Silmarillion that I have ever seen. It lives up to its “deluxe” name in every way. The binding is perfect, the silver guiding is a nice touch, and the sleeve is much more robust than one would expect. To top it off, the two maps and small pamphlet that came with it are lovely additions to the set. I own numerous Tolkien books that are everything from paperback to special editions and I can say with certainty, this is the nicest copy I own to date.

made a great xmas present for my dad who is a big LOTR fan.

Absolutely gorgeous book and a great addition to the rest of the series

Excelente calidad y muy bella edición.

Li O Silmarillion pela primeira vez há quase trinta anos, e reli algumas vezes ao longo desses anos. Recentemente resolvi adquirir edições no idioma original, pois queria lê-los dessa forma e optei por essa edição de luxo. Devo dizer que a expectativa foi plenamente alcançada: a edição é muito bonita, o papel utilizado é de alta gramatura, vem com dois mapas gigantes de Beleriand, isso dentro de uma caixa também bastante bonita e constituição resistente. Ouso dizer, do alto de minha imperdoável presunção, que esse volume agradaria bastante ao autor e mesmo ao editor, Professor Christopher Tolkien, uma vez que foi publicado também após a sua passagem. Acredito firmemente que essa edição possa fazer a alegria até de colecionadores mais ávidos, que já possuem outras tantas edições, justamente por todo cuidado com que trouxeram esse produto até nós, em inequívoco respeito à obra, ao autor e ao editor. Recomendo.

Hermosa edición!

Excelente para la colección

excellent book, format, great story, beautiful illustrations and details