Get yourself a 2nd edition of The Hobbit.
Mar 16, 2015 22:39:25 GMT -6
Fearghus and tkdco2 like this
Post by geoffrey on Mar 16, 2015 22:39:25 GMT -6
Some of you might recall that I am disgusted with how long it is taking to publish the (supposedly) forthcoming facsimile of the 1st edition of The Hobbit. Tolkien re-wrote much of the book's 5th chapter for the 2nd and 3rd editions of The Hobbit, and he made quite a number of revisions throughout the book.
I was pleasantly surprised to discover today that, outside of the 5th chapter, Tolkien made only eight revisions to the text of The Hobbit for the 2nd edition. I happen to own a copy of the 2nd edition. Here are the eight changes:
1. The entire introductory note about the "true story" of the Riddle Game and about Thror's map was added to the 2nd edition. Simply ignore it.
2. In Chapter I: "An Unexpected Party", Gandalf called Bilbo after the latter collapsed, an "excitable little man". This was changed to "excitable little fellow". This is obviously a very minor change.
2. In Chapter I: "An Unexpected Party", Thorin translates his map's runes as "Five feet high is the door and three abreast may enter it." This was changed to "Five feet high the door and three may walk abreast." This is a mere stylistic change.
3. In Chapter I: "An Unexpected Party", Gandalf told Thorin, "And your father went away on the third of March", which was changed to "And your father went away on the twenty-first of April." This change simply brings the date into line with dates elsewhere in the book.
4. In Chapter III: "A Short Rest", Elrond translated the moon-letters as saying, "Stand by the grey stone where the thrush knocks," which was changed to "Stand by the grey stone when the thrush knocks." This is yet another slight change.
5. In Chapter VI: "Out of the Frying-Pan into the Fire", Bilbo tells the dwarves and Gandalf, "So I asked for my present, and he went to look for it, and couldn't find it. So I said, 'very well, help me to get out of this nasty place!' and he showed me the passage to the door. 'Good-bye' I said, and I went on down." This was replaced by a much longer passage telling about Gollum trying to kill Bilbo. This is an important change, as it makes the passage consistent with the rewritten Chapter V: "Riddles in the Dark".
6. In Chapter VI: "Out of the Frying-Pan into the Fire", the narrator mentions that the dwarves were impressed with Bilbo's story of "dodging guards, and squeezing through". This was changed to "dodging guards, jumping over Gollum, and squeezing through". Though a small change, it is important in making the passage consistent with the rewritten Chapter V: "Riddles in the Dark".
7. In Chapter VI: "Out of the Frying-Pan into the Fire", the narrator mentions that "Gandalf knew all about the back-gate, as he called it, the lower door where Bilbo lost his buttons." This was changed to "Gandalf knew all about the back-door, as the goblins called the lower gate, where Bilbo lost his buttons." This is yet another minor change.
8. In Chapter XVIII: "The Return Journey", the dying Thorin tells Bilbo, "If more men valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." The word "men" was later replaced with "of us". This last change is also minor.
Thus we see that only changes #5 and #6 are significant. Here, then, is my reading plan for The Hobbit:
I will read my copy of the 2nd edition of The Hobbit until I get to Chapter V, at which point I will set it aside and read the original Chapter V that is reprinted in Masterpieces of Terror and the Supernatural, edited by Marvin Kaye. (And I will certainly picture Gollum the way Tove Jansson drew him.) I will then take-up my 2nd edition of The Hobbit and put a little slip of paper with the two important original passages (see #5 and #6 above) written thereon between pages 98 and 99 of my copy and read those at the appropriate points, and proceed with the rest of the book. This will allow me to read what is basically the 1st edition of The Hobbit.
I was pleasantly surprised to discover today that, outside of the 5th chapter, Tolkien made only eight revisions to the text of The Hobbit for the 2nd edition. I happen to own a copy of the 2nd edition. Here are the eight changes:
1. The entire introductory note about the "true story" of the Riddle Game and about Thror's map was added to the 2nd edition. Simply ignore it.
2. In Chapter I: "An Unexpected Party", Gandalf called Bilbo after the latter collapsed, an "excitable little man". This was changed to "excitable little fellow". This is obviously a very minor change.
2. In Chapter I: "An Unexpected Party", Thorin translates his map's runes as "Five feet high is the door and three abreast may enter it." This was changed to "Five feet high the door and three may walk abreast." This is a mere stylistic change.
3. In Chapter I: "An Unexpected Party", Gandalf told Thorin, "And your father went away on the third of March", which was changed to "And your father went away on the twenty-first of April." This change simply brings the date into line with dates elsewhere in the book.
4. In Chapter III: "A Short Rest", Elrond translated the moon-letters as saying, "Stand by the grey stone where the thrush knocks," which was changed to "Stand by the grey stone when the thrush knocks." This is yet another slight change.
5. In Chapter VI: "Out of the Frying-Pan into the Fire", Bilbo tells the dwarves and Gandalf, "So I asked for my present, and he went to look for it, and couldn't find it. So I said, 'very well, help me to get out of this nasty place!' and he showed me the passage to the door. 'Good-bye' I said, and I went on down." This was replaced by a much longer passage telling about Gollum trying to kill Bilbo. This is an important change, as it makes the passage consistent with the rewritten Chapter V: "Riddles in the Dark".
6. In Chapter VI: "Out of the Frying-Pan into the Fire", the narrator mentions that the dwarves were impressed with Bilbo's story of "dodging guards, and squeezing through". This was changed to "dodging guards, jumping over Gollum, and squeezing through". Though a small change, it is important in making the passage consistent with the rewritten Chapter V: "Riddles in the Dark".
7. In Chapter VI: "Out of the Frying-Pan into the Fire", the narrator mentions that "Gandalf knew all about the back-gate, as he called it, the lower door where Bilbo lost his buttons." This was changed to "Gandalf knew all about the back-door, as the goblins called the lower gate, where Bilbo lost his buttons." This is yet another minor change.
8. In Chapter XVIII: "The Return Journey", the dying Thorin tells Bilbo, "If more men valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." The word "men" was later replaced with "of us". This last change is also minor.
Thus we see that only changes #5 and #6 are significant. Here, then, is my reading plan for The Hobbit:
I will read my copy of the 2nd edition of The Hobbit until I get to Chapter V, at which point I will set it aside and read the original Chapter V that is reprinted in Masterpieces of Terror and the Supernatural, edited by Marvin Kaye. (And I will certainly picture Gollum the way Tove Jansson drew him.) I will then take-up my 2nd edition of The Hobbit and put a little slip of paper with the two important original passages (see #5 and #6 above) written thereon between pages 98 and 99 of my copy and read those at the appropriate points, and proceed with the rest of the book. This will allow me to read what is basically the 1st edition of The Hobbit.
