Precious

This is one of my most special possessions; not just as a book, but also as an object.

It's my single-volume, hardback, 1974, India paper edition of The Lord of the Rings, which I'm presently re-reading for the umpteenth time. I first came across the book in the early '70s and read it originally as a single-volume paperback. I'll never forget the effect it had on me at first reading, the way in which I became instantly sucked in to it, and how anxious I was the spread the word about it as widely as I could. Knowing that this a book for life which I would re-read several times again, I was delighted to find this hardback edition. Being printed on India paper, it's remarkably compact on my shelf despite its 1200 pages. The only thing I regret is that it didn't come in a slip case which would have better protected it during the past forty-odd years.

I only took it up again because I didn't have anything new to read and reached for this old friend, originally only intending to read the fascinating appendixes but then once again getting sucked in to the book itself, which still remains one of my all-time favourites. My fondest memory in connection with the book is of reading it aloud to a friend as we went on one of our then-regular trips outside Dublin (he drove, I did the reading). This was my way of getting him hooked, which happened immediately. I don't remember whether he bought his own copy or if I loaned him mine when I'd finished it, but I do remember getting regular phone calls telling me what point of the story he'd arrived at.

So, this is a treasured possession for several reasons. It's good to be working my way through it yet again.