The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings

Tolkien, J R R

ISBN 10: 039360909X / ISBN 13: 9780393609097

Published by HarperCollins, 1997

About this Item

A set of two hardcovers in fine condition with very good to fine dust jackets and a very good plus slipcase. Slipcase has a little wear at the front right bottom corner. Later printings.

Seller Inventory # 2Z47359

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication Date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 039360909X
• ISBN 13: 9780393609097
• Binding: Slipcase
• Illustrator: Alan Lee
• Condition: Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good to Fine
• Seller catalogs:
  • Science Fiction and Fantasy

About this title

Synopsis

Introducing an instant classic―master storyteller Neil Gaiman presents a dazzling version of the great Norse myths.

Neil Gaiman has long been inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction. Now he turns his attention back to the source, presenting a bravura rendition of the great northern tales.

In Norse Mythology, Gaiman stays true to the myths in envisioning the major Norse pantheon: Odin, the highest of the high, wise, daring, and cunning; Thor, Odin’s son, incredibly strong yet not the wisest of gods; and Loki―son of a giant―blood brother to Odin and a trickster and unsurpassable manipulator.

Gaiman fashions these primeval stories into a novelistic arc that begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds and delves into the exploits of deities, dwarfs, and giants. Once, when Thor’s hammer is stolen, Thor must disguise himself as a woman―difficult with his beard and huge appetite―to steal it back. More poignant is the tale in which the blood of Kvasir―the most sagacious of gods―is turned into a mead that infuses drinkers with poetry. The work culminates in Ragnarok, the twilight of the gods and rebirth of a new time and people.

Through Gaiman’s deft and witty prose emerge these gods with their fiercely competitive natures, their susceptibility to being duped and to duping others, and their tendency to let passion ignite their actions, making these long-ago myths breathe pungent life again.

About the Author

Neil Gaiman is the New York Times best-selling author of more than twenty books, including The Ocean at the End of the Lane, The Graveyard Book, Coraline, and Neverwhere. His fiction has received Newbery, Carnegie, Hugo, Nebula, and Eisner awards. American Gods and Sandman and Good Omens, written with Terry Pratchett, have aired as TV series. He is professor in the arts at Bard College.