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The vast majority of "new" books by J.R.R. Tolkien are new editions of his groundbreaking fantasy novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. In fact, new collector's editions of The Lord of the Rings released this week. An even fancier LOTR box set arrives in October, just weeks before a lavish new edition of The Hobbit hits shelves. But this week also brought the first-ever publication of Tolkien's complete poetry, which includes works about Middle-earth. The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien is a weighty three-volume, 1,728-page hardcover box set. If you want to explore some of Tolkien's earliest writings, you can add the collection to your library for $112.50 (was $125) from Amazon.  The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien has a minimalistic exterior design, with three matching hardcovers and an understated slipcase to display and store each volume. The three-volume set contains roughly 200 poems of varying lengths. Though many of these have been published before, there are over 60 that even the most studious of Tolkien readers have never seen. This collection is particularly interesting because you'll find poems the author composed as a teenager as well poems he wrote well into his 70s. Juxtaposing the writing of an aspiring writer alongside that of an aging giant in the world of fiction is a cool way to see his development as a writer. His poetry in verse is featured in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, but the scope here goes well beyond Middle-earth--so don't expect 1,700-plus pages of poems about Bilbo Baggins. Along with Tolkien’s poems, this 3-volume collection includes commentary from Tolkien scholars Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond. The commentary aims to provide readers with deeper insight into the life of Tolkien and his work. Continue Reading at GameSpot
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