Heard of this?

[Samwise]

The Book, "A Hobbit's Journal?"

A description I've found:

EDITOR's NOTE:
In the fullness of his years, Master Samwise, thrice mayor fo the SHIRE, and last of the Ringbearers, took to mind the words of Frodo, that it would be his task to complete the narrative of the great WAR OF THE RINGS. Being a practical Hobbit, he realized that simple drawings save many words, but when he set his hand to the taks, the craft of capturing a likeness eluded him. Remembering that many skillful artisans had gathered to the court of Minis Tirith, hee sent there word of his need. Scarcely two moons had grown full when there appeared at the gates of the Shire one Michael the Green, King's Illuminator. ~ Many daysthe two spent, Sam and Michael, hobbit and man, strolling the byways of the Shire, or sitting by a crackling fire. While Sam described the remarkable adventure Michael's pen brought it to life. Eventually, several folio's of drawings were completed, each page leaving room for the hobbit to write his stories. ~ But the final work, it is told, filled Sam with such delight, that he could never bring himself to mark the pages. ~ Now some of these folios have been lovingly reproduced in this handy journal so that you, Dear Reader, can herein write your part of the story. ~ There is only one hero, he has a thousand faces. One of them is yours.

[Oddwen]

I think I saw that last year-yeah. Wasn't there some picture of Arwen with a unicorn? ( [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img] )

[Samwise]

Well, on one of the copies of the book.

What I wanted to know was, where/who did this book come from, if you understand my meaning? [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] [img]smilies/confused.gif[/img]

[Gorwingel]

Yes, I have seen this book (or actually to me it seemed like a type of journal with pictures). They sell it down at a local store in my town. The first time I saw it I was kind of like "what is that". I have no idea who makes it and if the publication of it has anything to do with Tolkien's family. But it is kind of a cool little thing.

[Samwise]

Ah. Thank you, Gorwingel. That was more the answer I was looking for. There are a slew of them for sale on ebay. (yes, I know, I shouldn't be going there...BAD ME! [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img] )

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

I clicked on this thread just out of selfish hope that I might actually have heard of whatever it was, and lucky me! I have. I actually own one. I write a lot of poetry, so I use it to copy the final drafts into.

Alrighty: here's some more information if you want it. If not, feel free to completely ignore me. On my version:

Front cover:

"A Hobbit's Journal: Being a blank book with some curious illustrations of friends & foes of the Nine Companions From the Collection of Sam Gamgee".

Also on the cover is a picture of some of the Fellowship crossing a narrow stone bridge.

Back cover:

"What has become of the Firstborn?
What has become of the King?
What has become of the seats of banquet?
Where are the joys of the hall?
O for the bright cup!
O for the White Towers!
O for the glory of the Prince!
How that time has passed away
And grown dark under cover of night
As if it never had been...
~ Lay of the Passing Ages".

Also on the back is a picture of two golden goblets and some falling leaves.

On the page with the copyright, it's got the little ditty:

Wayfarer
Ringbearer
Stranger or Friend
Rest here a while
And take up your pen"

The copyright itself:

Copyright 1979 by Running Press. All rights reserved under the Pan-American and Innternational Copyright Conventions. Printed in the U.S.A. Library of Congress Card Catalog Number 79-20203. ISBN 0-89471-090-7 paperback. This book may be ordered directly from the publisher... (yadda yadda yadda, boring legal stuff)... The illustrations in this journal are the original work of Michael Green, inspired by the immortal charaters of J.R.R. Tolkien-- and by the ancient traditions from which he drew inspirations. They were created independently from the publisher of Tolkien's works.

And yes, there is a picture of Arwen with a unicorn. There are a really lot of cool pictures. Some are just like my interpretation, but others... aren't.

Examples:
The Rangers of Ithilien are awsome. They look almost ninja-y, but not. They've got recurved bows, arm-guards... They're perched behind some bushes. However... Faramir... in as few words as possible: Robin Hood gone very wrong.

Hope this helps.

Fea

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Hmmm, since this is a discussion of a "blank book", I'm moving it to the Novices and Newcomers forum. Please continue to read and post there!

[Samwise]

Wow...thank you, Feanor! (Sorry about posting this originally in the wrong place, Miss Estelyn [img]smilies/redface.gif[/img] )

Actually, like a dummy (UGH...I'm getting a paycheck again, soon...)I bid on a copy like the one you describe before I discovered the "Red Book" one. Hm. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] Don't know now if I'll give the second one as a gift or keep it too...

[Luthien_ Tinuviel]

I own it too. And it is just what everyone else has said, a journal-like blank book, with some good pictures and some that are not so good. The art-work, though, being evaluated purely as art and not as an interpretation, is quite good.

However... Faramir... in as few words as possible: Robin Hood gone very wrong.

This is true! My thoughts exactly! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

[Samwise]

Hm. Sounds like I'll know what page to skip over. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

[Neferchoirwen]

Oh yes. I have seen this. I finally remember reading the Samwise intro from the journal a few months ago in a bookstore. What gave it away for me to finally remember was the Faramir description. He did look, well, different. The art was great, though, I can agree to that.

The funny thing is, the display item the store had seemed to be the only one they happen to have left. Never saw it again [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]

[Kaiserin]

The artist's name is actually Michael Green (Quite nice, huh? "Michael the Green"? [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img] ) I've seen some of the illustrations at, er, another Tolkien-related site... it's against forum policies to advertise other sites here, isn't it?... Oh well. Anyway, the art was quite good. Not John Howe-good, or Ted Nasmith-good, but just good. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

[Samwise]

The funny thing is, the display item the store had seemed to be the only one they happen to have left. Never saw it again

The guy who was selling this particular one on ebay had a couple

more with different colored covers. You might have to look through the list to find them, but they were there the last time I looked.

[ August 28, 2003: Message edited by: Samwise ]

[Eruwen]

Actually, A Hobbit's Journal was the 2nd edition of that type of book that I found for I already had another called A Hobbit's Travels.

---------------------------------------------
On the cover, it shows the following:

A Hobbit's Travels: being the hitherto unpublished Travel Sketches of Sam Gamgee
~with space for notes~

The cover also shows a colorful picture of a dirt rode with a tree to the right and grass on both sides with a forest and mountains in the background. It also has a lovely border around the edge.

The Editer's Note on the first page:

Michael Green is a noted illustrator and traveler who would also have made a very good detective. Some time back, he happened on a particularly hamdsome journal that seemed in some way vaguely familiar. After a bit more investigation, Mr. Green discovered that what he found was the long-lost journal of Sam Gamgee, known to many as the steadfast and loyal member of the Fellowship of the Ring. In his retirement, Sam was often asked to recount his adventures, and this collection of scenes from the Fellowship's travels was apparently a gift for an especially deserving young friend. Sam was, of course, a gardener by profession, but as readers of the Ring trilogy know, there was to Sam "more than meets the eye," and his craftsman's hand can easily be discerned in these unassuming sketches. Having thus been assured of the journal's authenticity, we have spread no effort to faithfully duplicate both Sam's handiwork and the curious Bywater paper he used. But remember, Dear Reader, that this notebook is not just to be admired! Sam meant it to be written in, so don't hesitate to set out your own adventures from cover to cover. That's the way he'd have wanted it!

The 3rd Page's writing {A.K.A. A letter from Sam}

My Dear Young Hobbit,
It seems that your questions about The Great Journey are altogether endless, and my time isn't, so I've gone and drawn it all out for you, start to finish, in this little book. And I don't mind saying I hope it earns me a little peace.
But I'll not have you dreaming like a dandelion about times past and all. This is a proper notebook, you'll see, and in it you're to write your story. Plain as a pikestaff, if you only pay attention, your own life is every bit the same adventure, if you get my meaning.
And remember, if your path darkens, "All's Well as Ends Well."
Yr Friend,
S. Gamgee

Writing on 4th page
A Hobbit's Travels
may the stars shine upon your face
---------------------------------------------

After this page, it continues out indeed with many pages of sketches done by "Sam" of their journeys. I looked through A Hobbit's Journal one time and saw it held pictures of characters from LOTR. This one, however, contains pictures going all the way from a picture of Bag-End to the ship at the Grey Havens. It is a lovely book and I told myself that after I finished writing in this one, that I would buy A Hobbit's Journal to write in as well.

[Daisy Brambleburr]

I think I know the book your talking about. Does it have a purple cover? I think I have leafed few it in a couple of occasions in bookstores. I can remember liking the pictures of Pippin and Legolas the most.

[Samwise]

Aw...letters from Sam himself? [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] Looking forward to that.

The first book I bid on was not the one with the pictures, as it turned out, but rather just a journal. However, the cover is RED leather(real leather? Not sure, but it looks and feels nice). Heck, it's a Red BOOK! [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

I also bid on a copy of the book with the pictures, and while I lost the original auction, the seller had more than one copy, and offered it to me for my bidding price, so, I thought, what the heck, and am going to purchase it anyway. (The letter from "Sam" will be an added bonus). [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]