Friday, August 28, 2009

Weekly Geeks - Collecting

The Weekly Geeks question this week is about collecting.
...do you have a collection, (or are you starting a collection,) of one particular book title? If so, what's your story? Why that book, and how many do you have, and what editions are they? Share pictures and give us all the details.

Or perhaps you dream about starting such a collection. What title would it be and what would it take for you to get motivated to start collecting?

Or maybe it's the works of a particular author you collect (or want to collect) instead a certain book title?
For me, the third question comes the closest. I collect the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, but not just the books by Tolkien. I also buy the books about Tolkien and his writings. My family says I'm obsessed with Tolkien and Middle-Earth. Given my website on the subject, Finduilas's J.R.R. Tolkien Page, they may have a point LOL (it's been growing for over ten years now).

I don't know what it is about Tolkien's Middle-Earth that's so inspiring to me, but I do know that my reading of Tolkien's books has had a positive impact on my choices and interests, so his books are something I'm glad to collect.

I definitely do collect, as I have over eighty books by or about Tolkien at last count, including multiple copies of the core books (the Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Silmarillion). I don't have any photos of my collection though, as it's overflowing from the shelf, double-shelved and in dire need of re-organization (as are the rest of my books). For that matter, much of it is in dire need of reading as my buying has outpaced my reading.

I dream of getting copies of the first editions for the Lord of the Rings, and The Hobbit, but I know how expensive they are. The same thing is true for a lot of the early minor things Tolkien wrote, such as some of his poetry.

15 comments:

Unknown said...

I love Lord of The Rings and Hobbit. It is definitely worth creating a collection around it.

Mon said...

Great choice, and already a great collection of his works. MiddleEarth is a fabulous place indeed.

Missy B. said...

That is wonderful! What a special collection to have...you must be proud of it! :)

Trisha said...

That is awesome. I love LotR too; I was even part of the LotR Plaza for awhile, and by the end I was Saruman (an administrator). I too have quite a few books by and about Tolkien - although nowhere close to yours. Great obsession!

My post is here.

Elena said...

lilly, it is. There's so many different layers to his writings.

Mon, thanks. It is indeed. It's a place you can "see" as you read about it.

Thanks, Missy. I am. I just wish I had the time to read it all regularly.

Trisha, I'm still over there now and again under the name Endaewen. My collections nothing compared to some of the folks in the lore forums. I'm sure you know who I'm talking about :)
It is. Better than some of the things people get obsessed with, I think.

gautami tripathy said...

Somehow I have not been able to get into Tolkien!

Weekly Geeks: I collect books not titles!

Elena said...

Some people can't, Gautami. I saw over at your entry for Weekly Geeks that you're into poetry. Have you taken a closer look at the poems he wrote (including Sigurd and Gudrun)?

Frances said...

We have more than a few Tolkien written or related books around our house as well, but your collection sounds much more extensive and special. Wishing you those rare first edition one day to complete the package. Happy reading!

Elena said...

Thanks Frances.

Rikki said...

Great topic to collect. Your Tolkien site is wonderful. You must have put a lot of work into it, it looks like a labour of love indeed.

SariJ said...

Great post. I too love the series. There is a housing community in Oregon that is modeled on the Shire. I took a look at it as I could see myself as a Shire Hobbit, but the price, oh my no Hobbit could afford to live there!

Elena said...

Thanks for stopping in, Rikki and SariJ.

I hadn't heard about that community. It would be neat to see, but I can believe that it's expensive to live there.

Glad you liked my site, Rikki. It has taken a bit of work over the years, and there are times I feel like I'm in over my head working on it.

Dark Alice said...

Wow I just spent some time on your LotR site and it's really cool. I've read The Hobbit & the LotR several times. When the movies came out I bought them all again and read them straight through before seeing the first movie. Then on a lark I read The Silmarillion and was amazed because suddenly I saw LotR in a different light. Good choice of collections!

My Weekly Geeks is about various illustrated Alice in Wonderland books. Happy Weekly Geeks!

Deanna @ Collectors Quest said...

The Hobbit is one of the very few books I've ever read more than once... I even named one of my tortoises Took because of the book (she was very Took-ish lol)

(Along with the link in my name to Collectors' Quest, I also have a second and different post at Kitsch Slapped.)

Elena said...

Thanks for stopping by with your comment, Deanna. That's a neat little story you have.

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