The Silmarillion
Epic Fantasy High Fantasy Classic Fantasy Mythology Mythopoeia British Literature Collector's Editions
The Silmarillion First Edition hardcover (George Allen & Unwin, 1977) is the cornerstone text for every serious Tolkien collection, predating Peter Jackson’s films and even The Lord of the Rings paperbacks that flooded the 1980s. This vintage 1977 printing—still sturdy after four decades—delivers the complete myth-cycle that underpins Middle-earth: the forging of the Silmarils, the tragic fall of the Noldor, and the epic wars against Morgoth that set the stage for The Hobbit and LOTR. Because later impressions and mass-market reprints abound, a true first-issue is the fastest-appreciating Tolkien volume on the secondary market, making this copy both a reading treasure and a blue-chip investment.
What separates this copy from ordinary book-club reprints is its untouched 1970s provenance: the original Allen & Unwin binding, the unclipped dust jacket with the £4.95 price, and the heavy cream stock that absorbs ink like fine art paper. Yes, the jacket shows the edge-wear and light foxing typical of a book that has lived on shelves rather than in vaults, yet the text block is tight, the maps are pristine, and the evocative John Wyatt silhouette artwork still glows on the spine. A neat previous-owner name on the front pastedown and a few thumbed page corners testify that this copy was actually read and loved—adding nostalgic character without diminishing readability.
For collectors, a 1977 first is the missing keystone that turns a row of Tolkien paperbacks into a curated library; for new readers it is the gateway to deeper lore—why Elves grieve, why Sauron became evil, why the One Ring matters at all. Demand for first-edition Silmarillions has outpaced supply for years, so acquiring a readable, jacketed example under the four-figure mark is increasingly rare. Whether you shelve it beside your Easton Press LOTR set or gift it to a teen ready for high-epic fantasy, this edition anchors the mythology that continues to shape modern fantasy fiction, gaming, and streaming series more than forty-five years after its posthumous release.
Refer to our eBay listing for a full condition report and many more high-quality pictures of this item.
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