Bilbo's Last Song

Considered to be Bilbo Baggins' epilogue to The Lord of the Rings sequence, Bilbo's Last Song is his short but beautiful farewell poem to Middle-Earth. The lyrical text in this new gift edition is accompanied by some stunningly detailed colour illustrations by Pauline Baynes that are worth the cover price alone. Baynes, who famously illustrated CS Lewis'sNarnia Chronicles, was much admired by Tolkien as well as a good friend of his.

Bilbo Baggins, the famous Hobbit adventurer, composed his last song after arriving at Grey Havens to board the White Ship on its journey west. He reflects on the leaving of Middle-Earth and the voyage that would take him to the Undying Lands at the end of the sunset. Like Elrond, he had indicated to Frodo that his thoughts were turning towards departure.

There are extensive notes contained within about Baynes' illustrations, which depict two journeys. The larger ones depict the journey that brings the ring-bearers and the company of elves to the Grey Havens and the beginning of the final voyage. Another sequence of smaller vignettes show scenes from The Hobbit as Bilbo remembers his first journey on the eve of his last.

Interestingly, the copyright of Bilbo's Last Song was a gift from Tolkien to a young woman seconded from his publisher in the 1970s to help him with his correspondence--which was vast. He used to joke that if ever a diamond bracelet fell out of an envelope it would be hers. Once, when she was helping him pack up his office before he moved house, Bilbo's Last Song fell out of a book and she loved it so much that Tolkien said it could be her diamond bracelet. It was never published in his lifetime.

Suitable for readers aged 10 and over, this is a stunningly beautiful book that collectors will treasure. --John McLay

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This poem made me cry - Rated
There is a risk, if you have Peter Jackson's epic as your visualisation of Middle-earth, that you might find Ms Baynes' illustrations too primitive; they are the sort you might find in a childrens book. I found them enchanting. The 24 line poem is spread throughout the book with illustrations of Bilbo's last journey with the Elves, meeting Frodo and Sam, then on to the Grey Havens and the Blessed Realm. Illustrations from The Hobbit sit in cameo,like a memory, on each page. In this way, the pictures mingle with the poem and become part of it; the journey experienced as the poem forms and the memory of Bilbo's finest hour. It's almost as if you're inside Bilbo's mind as he journeys to leave Middle-earth forever. This is a great book to give to a Tolkien fan, and to any child who has read The Hobbit, or had it read to them.

Beautiful Poem. - Rated
The poem itself is wonderful. The drowsy inconsistent rhymes somehow making vivid pictures of ships and waves appear in your head.

Aye, the poem itself is very good.

However, I don't feel the illustrations do the poem justice. Tolkien's favourite artist or no, just wasn't to my taste.

Perhaps you will love the pictures that accompany it? But I would buy it anyway just for the poem's sake. Something you should memorise for a nice long walk.

Poor value for money - Rated
Consider when you are buying this that, for the price, you are getting one short poem by Tolkien, plus a few pictures. I didn't think it was a great poem, and the pictures I found very poor indeed. Bilbo's furry feet make it him look like he is wearing a pair of carpet slippers. I think the amount of enjoyment most people will get from this book will be next to nothing. Unless you absolutely must own everything the author ever did, take two minutes to read it in a book shop, put it back on the shelf and save yourself the money.

A wonderful collector's item - Rated
Having only recently read the poem on a website, I became incresingly aware of its intense emotion and beauty. I found myself re-reading it again and again, I must say I really fell in love with it. When I found this book for sale at Amazon I was initially afraid that it might be a disappointment. Now that it has just recently arrived, I find that it has become preciouss to me... Pauline Baynes' drawings are just wonderful, suitable for a child or an adult in the same way as "The Hobbit" itself fits both audiences. The hardcover is beautifully decorated and comes covered with a perfectly identical removable softcover. On each odd page you get a bit of the poem, while each even page is illustrated with a large drawing relating to Bilbo's departure from Middle-Earth. On the bottom of every page there is also a small illustration from "The Hobbit" which, as a set, roughly depict the main passages of J.R.R. Tolkien's wonderful book.
In the end, I must say that this book truly conveys part of the emotion of "The Lord of The Rings" and "The Hobbit", so it should appeal to anyone who's already a lover of these books.