The Hobbit — Houghton Mifflin / SFBC Fantasy Edition (Donato Giancola Cover, 1997).

A highly attractive modern collectible edition of Tolkien’s classic, featuring the dramatic Smaug cover artwork by Donato Giancola.

This is the Houghton Mifflin / Science Fiction Book Club (SFBC) Fantasy hardcover edition of The Hobbit, issued in 1997 in the United States and featuring the striking and atmospheric cover illustration by Donato Giancola — one of the most powerful modern visual interpretations of Smaug and the Lonely Mountain.

The edition presents the classic text in a clean and readable format, complete with Tolkien’s original illustrations and maps. While not a trade first edition, this early SFBC issue has become increasingly sought after by collectors for its visual appeal and display quality.

The book is offered here in excellent, collector-grade condition, with a bright and well-preserved dust jacket, now protected in a removable archival sleeve.

Condition
– Hardcover with original dust jacket
– Clean, tight, and square binding
– Pages fresh and unmarked
– Dust jacket bright with minimal signs of handling
– Presented in a protective sleeve

Bibliographic details
– Title: The Hobbit; or, There and Back Again
– Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
– Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company / SFBC Fantasy
– Year: 1997
– Format: Hardcover with dust jacket
– ISBN-10: 0-7394-1074-1
– ISBN-13: 978-0-7394-1074-5
– Printed in the USA

Collector’s note
With countless reprints of The Hobbit issued over the decades, certain editions stand out through their artistic interpretation and presentation. This 1997 SFBC issue, with its Donato Giancola Smaug artwork, has become one of the most recognisable modern illustrated Hobbit editions, offering strong visual appeal and enduring shelf presence.

A very attractive and increasingly appreciated collectible Hobbit edition — combining classic Tolkien text with one of the finest modern cover interpretations.

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