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Title: A Mixed Bag
Review: I thoroughly appreciate the illustrations of how the Hobbit has been illustrated in other countries that are included in this edition. The introduction is first rate, though mysteriously it uses end notes while the rest of the book uses annotation in the margin. The notes that delve into the possible sources and influences on Tolkien's thought and work are mostly interesting and informative. The main negative I find is how many marginal notes are devoted to textual variants between the various editions. For example, in the section where the company meets the trolls, a note explains one version has "they dropped him" while another version has "he dropped him." Although the textual variant notes are usually more extensive than this, they are an uninteresting disappointment to me. The level of detail is high, but at times, almost to the point of being pedantic. Still, if you love the work of Tolkien, you will find this version enjoyable as well.
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