When reading a book, I like to read an unabridged complete version. I just checked out two copies of Fellowship of the Ring, one published by Ballantine and the other by Houghton Mifflin and I notice the map in the front of the books are different. Which book should I read, why the difference?

Gnomon

The original map was too big to fit on a single page. It was a fold-out version in the hardback book. When reducing the book to paperback, different publishers handled the problem in different ways. Some cut the map up into sections and put the appropriate section at the start of each volume, others reduced the map until it was unreadable. In general, you won't find a huge difference in the text between different publishers, although the American publishers may change a few words here are there. To get as close to the original Tolkien, you should go for the hardback edition published by George Allen and Unwin. Sep 03 03, 2:17 AM