[The Lord of the Rings:] by TOLKIEN, J. R. R - 1954-5: The Fellowship of the Ring; The Two Towers; The Return of the King.

London: George Allen and Unwin,, 1954-5. 3 volumes, octavo. Finely bound by the Chelsea Bindery in full red morocco, titles and decoration to spines gilt, "Eye of Sauron" to front boards gilt, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. Housed in a matching leather entry slipcase. Each volume has a map illustrated by the Author. A fine set. First editions, first impressions. The Lord of the Rings trilogy is one of the most influential literary works of the century. Its first reception was mixed: favourable and perceptive reviews from C. S. Lewis and from W. H. Auden, who had attended Tolkien's Oxford lectures, were countered by others who were hostile, sometimes bitterly so. But the trilogy went on to astonishing sales and forged a major change in public literary taste. "Heroic fantasy" has since become one of the most commercially successful literary genres, having a transforming impact upon the entertainment industry, from electronic games to movies.