Bilbo's Last Song [Import] [Hardcover]

J.R.R. Tolkien (Author), Pauline Baynes (Illustrator)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd; New Ed edition (July 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0261102540
• ISBN-13: 978-0261102545
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,123,412 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

J.R.R. Tolkien (1892.1973), beloved throughout the world as the creator of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, was a professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford, a fellow of Pembroke College, and a fellow of Merton College until his retirement in 1959. His chief interest was the linguistic aspects of the early English written tradition, but even as he studied these classics he was creating a set of his own.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Tolkien's farewell, October 15, 2002

By 

Michael Szczepanik "MSz" (Columbus, OH United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bilbo's Last Song (Hardcover)

Strictly speaking, this book/poem is neither "the last poem in The Lord of the Rings" (as the Horn Book review misstates) nor "a sequel to The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings" (as one of the customer reviews claims). "Bilbo's Last Song" is not in The Lord of the Rings, and it's not substantial enough to qualify as a sequel. It's a short but moving poem that was originally published as a poster (shortly after Tolkien's death, if memory serves). It's Bilbo's farewell to Middle Earth and, by extension, Tolkien's farewell to both his fictional world and our world. In its current form, this little poem has been stretched into a book to capitalize on the current resurgence of interest in Tolkien. Pauline Baynes' drawings are characteristically simple and effective but not a good enough reason to buy this book. Unless you're a Tolkien collector, skip this one and spend your money on something more substantial of Tolkien's, such as The Tolkien Reader or Unfinished Tales. What we *really* need is a collection of *all* of Tolkien's poems in one volume.

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the perfect encore, July 18, 2003

By 

Roxanne L. Koehn "rlko" (Michigan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bilbo's Last Song (Hardcover)

This book was one that I stumbled apon in [a local store] as I was browsing the Tolkien area as usual. Since it was a rather short read, I sat down at a table in the back of the store. By the time I reached the last page my heart ached, tears came to my eyes, a smile appeared on my face, and I knew I could never put it back on that shelf. I could truly sense the love Tolkien felt for his Hobbits, and all of their friends. It is the perfect encore to the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. I've enjoyed Bilbo's Last Song so many times since that day that I highly recommend this book to all true Tolkien fans. Ignore the price and buy this wonderful book!

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Last and possibly best, February 20, 2003

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bilbo's Last Song (Hardcover)

In the recent swell of Tolkien-related books, because of new fans of the movies, this little gem is often overlooked because it is basically a gift book, one of those tiny little books that are mostly pictures. But even if you don't buy gift books, this is so far and above the other ones that it should definitely be purchased.

This is Bilbo's song as he arrives at the Grey Havens at the finale of "Lord of the Rings," at the Elven ships that will sail for the Undying Lands. His thoughts as he prepares to leave Middle-Earth are looking back on his long, adventure-filled life -- poignant, peaceful, and a little bit hopeful for the future.

While this is not a story or a sequel, it is nevertheless very Tolkienish. The rhythm, meter, and wording of this little poem is very recognizable as Tolkien's work, for anyone who has read his books and the wonderful poetry that is sprinkled through them. And Pauline Baynes has augmented the poetry with a series of beautiful pictures. Quite detailed and pretty, they have a slightly unearthly tinge, like the starlight around the Elves. And this new edition has excellent paper and printing, very high quality.

Even those who aren't die-hard Tolkien fans can appreciate the beauty of his poetry and the perfect accompaniment of Baynes' pictures. Lovely little gem.