The Hobbit Facsimile Gift Set

原版復刻再現
《哈比人歷險記》典藏套書
一窺奇幻經典的原貌

　　《哈比人歷險記》於 1937 年 9 月發行，這個愛好安逸的哈比人比爾博．巴金斯的冒險故事出版後立刻吸引眾多書評及讀者；由作者托爾金繪製的插畫及地圖、甚至親自設計的書衣，都替這個故事增添了完整性，奠定了整個中土世界的根基。
 
　　初版 1500 本在三個月之後銷售一空，托爾金應出版社的要求開始撰寫續集—也就是往後的《魔戒》—而為了情節發展的需要，托爾金對《哈比人歷險記》第五章《黑暗中的猜謎》進行修改，以凸顯魔戒魅惑、腐敗人心的特性，並於 1951 年出版。
 
　　之後《哈比人歷險記》歷經數版本的修訂，而這套復刻典藏套書所收錄的正是未經修改的最初版本，讓所有讀者得以一窺故事的原貌。除了特殊視覺效果設計的精美書盒，套書並包含托爾金朗誦部分章節的珍貴音檔、索爾的地圖、收錄《哈比人歷險記》歷史及托爾金 Lecture on Dragons 的全彩附錄；熱愛中土世界的讀者們不可錯過。
 

　　This sumptuous gift set includes a replica of the very rare first edition of The Hobbit, the only edition where one can now read the original version of the story before Tolkien re-edited it to become the one enjoyed by readers since 1951.

　　The Hobbit was published on 21 September 1937, with a print run of 1,500 copies. With a beautiful cover design, nearly a dozen black & white illustrations and two black & red maps by the author himself, the book proved to be popular and was reprinted shortly afterwards. History was already being made.

　　The scarcity of the first edition has resulted in copies commanding huge prices, way beyond the reach of most Tolkien fans. In addition, subsequent changes to the text – particularly those to chapter 5, when Tolkien decided in 1947 to revise the text to bring it better into accord with events as they were developing in its ‘sequel’, The Lord of the Rings – mean that the opportunity to read the book in its original form and format has become quite difficult.

　　This special commemorative gift set includes the first edition, so that readers of all ages – not just ‘children between the ages of 5 and 9’, as Rayner Unwin famously declared in his report on the original submission – can finally enjoy Tolkien’s story as it originally appeared. It also includes an exclusive CD of archive recordings that capture Tolkien reading from The Hobbit, a special copy of Thror’s map which reveals the secret moon-runes when held to the light, and an accompanying booklet that relates the history of The Hobbit, and includes connected writings by JRR Tolkien.