The Illustrated Hobbitses
May 2, 2011 10:17 AM Subscribe
Hobbitish is a site that collects the various cover and interior paintings and illustrations of The Hobbit from versions around the world.
Some random examples:
Swedish: cover, a simple Gandalf
Bulgarian: cover, Bilbo
French: cover, Smaug
Some random examples:
Swedish: cover, a simple Gandalf
Bulgarian: cover, Bilbo
French: cover, Smaug
The Swedish ones, of course, being by Tove Jansson. more of them here.
posted by titus-g at 10:40 AM on May 2, 2011
posted by titus-g at 10:40 AM on May 2, 2011
^w^w^w^w.
They're on the site linked in the orginal article in better versions.
Doh.
posted by titus-g at 10:41 AM on May 2, 2011
They're on the site linked in the orginal article in better versions.
Doh.
posted by titus-g at 10:41 AM on May 2, 2011
Damn, would you look at the fur on Bilbo's legs in this Russian version. Maybe a slight mistake in translation?
I like the illustrations in the Czech one a lot.
posted by MrFTBN at 10:42 AM on May 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
I like the illustrations in the Czech one a lot.
posted by MrFTBN at 10:42 AM on May 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
My favorite is still the cover with the painting by Tolkien.
posted by various at 10:53 AM on May 2, 2011 [4 favorites]
posted by various at 10:53 AM on May 2, 2011 [4 favorites]
Damn, would you look at the fur on Bilbo's legs in this Russian version. Maybe a slight mistake in translation?
I'm more familiar with the illustrations in this older Russian edition, but on closer inspection it suffers from the same problem.
It should be mentioned that Russian does not casually distinguish legs from feet (or arms from hands). The (now standard) Rakhmanova translation just says "на ногах у них от природы жесткие кожаные подошвы и густой теплый бурый мех, как и на голове" — "on their legs/feet they naturally have tough leathery soles and thick, warm, brown fur, the same as on their heads."
Bilbo's likeness in the older edition was clearly influenced by this Soviet actor's appearance. Among other things, he was the voice of the Soviet Winnie-the-Pooh that's been brought up on this site before.
posted by Nomyte at 11:12 AM on May 2, 2011 [2 favorites]
I'm more familiar with the illustrations in this older Russian edition, but on closer inspection it suffers from the same problem.
It should be mentioned that Russian does not casually distinguish legs from feet (or arms from hands). The (now standard) Rakhmanova translation just says "на ногах у них от природы жесткие кожаные подошвы и густой теплый бурый мех, как и на голове" — "on their legs/feet they naturally have tough leathery soles and thick, warm, brown fur, the same as on their heads."
Bilbo's likeness in the older edition was clearly influenced by this Soviet actor's appearance. Among other things, he was the voice of the Soviet Winnie-the-Pooh that's been brought up on this site before.
posted by Nomyte at 11:12 AM on May 2, 2011 [2 favorites]
Wow, these are great! I love the Portuguese one. Specifically, this group picture is so sweet. It would probably make a perfect set of illustrations for a younger reader.
posted by benito.strauss at 11:14 AM on May 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by benito.strauss at 11:14 AM on May 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
various, are there more like the image you linked? It's gorgeous!
posted by benito.strauss at 11:17 AM on May 2, 2011
posted by benito.strauss at 11:17 AM on May 2, 2011
Neat, Nomyte. My Russian is a little rusty, but that's pretty much what I figured (because it's been years since I've read The Hobbit but I couldn't recall anything about them having gorilla legs.)
It's also cool to see the "ye olde"-style Cyrillic scripts on the covers.
posted by MrFTBN at 11:28 AM on May 2, 2011
It's also cool to see the "ye olde"-style Cyrillic scripts on the covers.
posted by MrFTBN at 11:28 AM on May 2, 2011
The Bulgarian Bilbo makes me want to root for Gollum.
posted by DU at 11:32 AM on May 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by DU at 11:32 AM on May 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
When Smaug isn't burning and pillaging, he plays bass in a 70s hair band.
posted by Brocktoon at 11:35 AM on May 2, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Brocktoon at 11:35 AM on May 2, 2011 [2 favorites]
It's also cool to see the "ye olde"-style Cyrillic scripts on the covers.
None of the Russian covers really scream "ye olde"-style to me. This is what pre-revolutionary/liturgical Cyrillic looks like in a Middle Earth context. (previously on Metafilter)
posted by Nomyte at 11:50 AM on May 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
None of the Russian covers really scream "ye olde"-style to me. This is what pre-revolutionary/liturgical Cyrillic looks like in a Middle Earth context. (previously on Metafilter)
posted by Nomyte at 11:50 AM on May 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
Hey, Nomyte, I was looking for those olde woodcut-style renderings of movies recently. Couldn't find 'em. Thanks for the link.
posted by benito.strauss at 12:13 PM on May 2, 2011
posted by benito.strauss at 12:13 PM on May 2, 2011
Holy shit! I was all set to be like "Suck it nerds, I have an Esperanto version and you don't!" but, uh, they do.
This was the ONLY TIME I was ever going to get to brag about owning an Esperanto version of The Hobbit (instead of, you know, cringing) and these bastards took it away from me.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 12:13 PM on May 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
This was the ONLY TIME I was ever going to get to brag about owning an Esperanto version of The Hobbit (instead of, you know, cringing) and these bastards took it away from me.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 12:13 PM on May 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
None of the Russian covers really scream "ye olde"-style to me. This is what pre-revolutionary/liturgical Cyrillic looks like in a Middle Earth context. (previously on Metafilter)
Oh man, that artwork is great.
I guess what I mean is that there's a feeling of novelty in being able to read something like this title, given my tiny vocabulary and limited exposure to Cyrillic typefaces. There's a deliberate styling that I've never seen, but it tickles some part of my brain that gets excited when it sees something foreign but recognizable. Kind of like how I can't help giggling sometimes reading Esperanto because I recognize a lot of the words in their Esperantized forms. It's kind of lame, but there's probably a term for that - "foreign novelty" or something.
posted by MrFTBN at 12:32 PM on May 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
Oh man, that artwork is great.
I guess what I mean is that there's a feeling of novelty in being able to read something like this title, given my tiny vocabulary and limited exposure to Cyrillic typefaces. There's a deliberate styling that I've never seen, but it tickles some part of my brain that gets excited when it sees something foreign but recognizable. Kind of like how I can't help giggling sometimes reading Esperanto because I recognize a lot of the words in their Esperantized forms. It's kind of lame, but there's probably a term for that - "foreign novelty" or something.
posted by MrFTBN at 12:32 PM on May 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
benito.strauss, here are more of Tolkien's own illustrations for the Hobbit. "Bilbo comes to the huts of the raft elves" was the cover of the paperback Hobbit I read first in the early 70's, so I may be sentimental towards it because of that.
Nice post curious nu!
posted by various at 5:19 PM on May 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
Nice post curious nu!
posted by various at 5:19 PM on May 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
If my friend hadn't borrowed my copy, forever, I'd have sent them a Greek version.
Who knew Lobelia Baggins would have made such an impression?
posted by ersatz at 7:28 AM on May 3, 2011
Who knew Lobelia Baggins would have made such an impression?
posted by ersatz at 7:28 AM on May 3, 2011
The Hobbit connection here is a bit tenuous, but bear with me: Remember Barbara Remington's "Wilderness" poster? The left third of it was originally commissioned by Ballantine for the cover of the '65 edition of the Hobbit (long story).
I mention that, of course, as an excuse to bring up the cover art from the original edition of the Harvard Lampoon's Bored of the Rings. (Said cover was a parody of Remington's work, perpetrated by none other than Michael K. Frith. Yes, that one.)
posted by sourcequench at 11:12 AM on May 3, 2011
I mention that, of course, as an excuse to bring up the cover art from the original edition of the Harvard Lampoon's Bored of the Rings. (Said cover was a parody of Remington's work, perpetrated by none other than Michael K. Frith. Yes, that one.)
posted by sourcequench at 11:12 AM on May 3, 2011
For anyone who is into the Tolkien illustrations that various linked to above, I cannot more highly recommend J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator, which has graced many a coffee table of mine for years and I never tire of poring over.
posted by naoko at 3:36 PM on May 3, 2011
posted by naoko at 3:36 PM on May 3, 2011
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