Short answers, pulled from the story.
Edinburgh publisher Archibald Constable began producing three-volume novels in the early 1800s. The first novel was Kenilworth, released in 1821 at a price that became standard for seventy years.
By 1821, Archibald Constable increased the price to ten shillings and sixpence per volume. This equaled half the weekly income of a modest middle-class household.
One hundred eighty-four novels appeared in 1893 while only fifty-two appeared in 1894. Production numbers dropped sharply that year because libraries refused to pay the old price.
Charles Edward Mudie owned the most well-known library system. He bought novels for stock at less than half the retail price and charged subscribers one guinea a year to borrow one volume at a time.
The work was published in three volumes from the 29th of July 1954 to the 20th of October 1955. Volumes carried titles The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King.