Hompen — the first translation of any work by J.R.R. Tolkien into any language, and one of the rarest Tolkien editions in existence. Published in Stockholm by Kooperativa Förbundets Bokförlag, 1947. Translated by Tore Zetterholm and illustrated by Charles Sjöblom.
A controversial publication: Tolkien was deeply displeased with the light-hearted, colloquial tone of the translation and the publisher’s failure to consult him. He subsequently suppressed it, and it was replaced by a new Swedish translation, Bilbo, in 1962. Copies of Hompen are consequently rare, and nice examples exceptionally so.
Bound in pictorial boards with a red cloth spine, 269 pages, illustrated throughout with vignettes and full-page drawings.
Condition: A pleasing copy, square and firmly bound. Minor bumping and rubbing at the corners, a minor scrape to the front board and microscopic scrapes to the board edges. Text block fresh, free from owner names and print-soiling. A very clean and bright example. Unquestionably Very Good to Near Fine — a superior copy of a very rare book.
