The Hobbit & Fellowship of the Ring – J.R.R. Tolkien (MMPB, Ballantine ’74-’75)

Here’s a well-loved pair of Ballantine mass-market paperbacks straight from the mid-’70s reading boom: the revised 54th-printing (Apr 1975) of The Hobbit and the authorized 49th-printing (Jun 1974) of The Fellowship of the Ring. Both feature Tolkien’s own watercolor cover art of the Shire that many readers first fell for, carry the original $1.50–$1.75 cover prices, and still smell like a used-book shop in the best way. Pages are tanned, spines creased, and corners softened—signs these adventures have already been there-and-back again—but the text is complete and totally readable. Slip them in a backpack for a camp-fire reread, gift them to a budding fantasy fan, or display the iconic artwork on a shelf until you’re ready to journey back to Middle-earth yourself. Item Breakdown: - Author: J. R. R. Tolkien - Titles: The Hobbit (Revised Edition); The Fellowship of the Ring (Authorized Edition) - Series: Middle-earth / The Lord of the Rings - Format: Mass-market paperback (4¼ × 7 in) - Publisher: Ballantine Books, New York - Printings: Hobbit – 54th, Apr 1975; Fellowship – 49th, Jun 1974 (print lines present) - ISBN/SBN: 0-345-24826-0 (Hobbit); 0-345-24032-4 (Fellowship) - Cover art: Tolkien’s Shire watercolor (front & wrap-around) - Pages: Hobbit – 279 pp; Fellowship – xiii + 527 pp - Printed prices: $1.75 (Hobbit); $1.50 (Fellowship) - Condition: Acceptable vintage—tanning, spine creases, edge wear, solid bindings - Language: English - Genre: Fantasy / Adventure - Notable ext