Lord of the Rings books related reviews
Product: Book Paperback
Title: J.R.R. Tolkien Boxed Set (The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings)
Publisher: Del Rey Books
Authors: J.R.R. Tolkien
Rating: 5/5
Title: J.R.R. Tolkien Boxed Set (The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings)
Publisher: Del Rey Books
Authors: J.R.R. Tolkien
Rating: 5/5
No modern fantasy has ever come close to capturing the epic feel of Lord of the Rings. It is a story full of great deeds and trials. The narrative is detailed and enjoyable. What else is there to say? Read it! By the way, to the reader who thinks that Tolkien is a South African racist, he was born there, but he moved to England when he was a young boy. And, incidentally, he was English. (Actually, his family came to England from Saxony two or three generations prior to his birth.)
Product: Book Audio CD
Title: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Gift Set
Publisher: Recorded Books Unabridged
Authors: J. R. R. Tolkien
Rating: 5/5
Title: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Gift Set
Publisher: Recorded Books Unabridged
Authors: J. R. R. Tolkien
Rating: 5/5
For the price, I was very concerned that the reading would be poor. However, it was absolutely outstanding. This is a must0have item for LOTR fans.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: The Hobbit : The Enchanting Prelude to The Lord of the Rings
Publisher: Del Rey
Authors: J.R.R. Tolkien
Rating: 5/5
Title: The Hobbit : The Enchanting Prelude to The Lord of the Rings
Publisher: Del Rey
Authors: J.R.R. Tolkien
Rating: 5/5
"I saw one of my students had not finished the back of his paper that was due. So I picked it up and scribble 'In a hole there lived a Hobbit.' That is a quote of J.R.R. Tolkien. That is how he began into the adventure of this lovely book. How amazingly awesome this is written. Tolkien has a wonderful way of story telling and bringing adventures to life. (as he diminstrates with this book) Biblo Baggins will be remembered ages from now as the main character in the greatset prelude to the greatest trilogy. The story starts off with Bilbo living hapily in his hobbit hole not bothering anyone. When the wizard Gandalf. (which is my favorite character. If you read LOTRs you will find to love him even more) He tells Bilbo that he has been chosen to come with a band of dwarfes to help get their riches back. Bilbo is reluctant but goes anyways. I would love to write a long review telling all that happens, but that would give away this wonderful book. And the best part about it is the first time you read it, it's amazing. Just know that there is battles with orcs, other hobbits. Great meetings with elves. (Elrond) Battle scenes involving a great archerer. Please take my advice and read this book. It is the book that has changed all fantasy writings and has changed most writting styles. Please read this book.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: The Hobbit : The Enchanting Prelude to The Lord of the Rings
Publisher: Del Rey
Authors: J.R.R. Tolkien
Rating: 5/5
Title: The Hobbit : The Enchanting Prelude to The Lord of the Rings
Publisher: Del Rey
Authors: J.R.R. Tolkien
Rating: 5/5
The Hobbit (in my opinion) is the best book that was ever written! It is an extrodinary adventure for people of all ages. All of the characters are very well developed. The Hobbit is adventurous, humorous, and touching story about our dear Mr. Bilbo Baggins (the hobbit) who leaves his beautiful hobbit hole one fine morning to find adventure. Acompanying Thorin, King Under the Mountain, his 12 dwarves, and Gandolf the Gray as the "expert treasure-hunter", Bilbo undergoes many new experiences and meets a lot of people (not all of them friendly). The Hobbit made me a fantasy fan. It opened a Whole new world to me.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: J.R.R. Tolkien Boxed Set (The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings)
Publisher: Del Rey Books
Authors: J.R.R. Tolkien
Rating: 5/5
Title: J.R.R. Tolkien Boxed Set (The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings)
Publisher: Del Rey Books
Authors: J.R.R. Tolkien
Rating: 5/5
After all the thousands of books I've read, both fiction and non-fiction, I still look upon "The Lord of the Rings" as the finest. It's ranks as one of the cornerstones of 20th Century literature and its impact on the last 30 years of western culture cannot be underestimated. The Mythology that Professor Tolkien created has resonated ever since with the generations of Boomers and Gen X's. After browsing through some of the reader's reviews, I have a feeling that the next generation is getting around to discovering Tolkien's works also. As for me, I even booked my last vacation through an agency called "Hobbit Travel".
Product: Book Audio CD
Title: The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings, Book 3)
Publisher: Recorded Books
Authors: J.R.R. Tolkien
Rating: 3/5
Title: The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings, Book 3)
Publisher: Recorded Books
Authors: J.R.R. Tolkien
Rating: 3/5
Fellowship of the Ring was an audacious, sweeping fairy tale with fascinating (and sometimes silly) characters, a narrative surge that survived tedious pages of description, and a mythic quality that overrode some of the pretension. The Two Towers was a fan's book, filled with boring Nordic warriors and a lot of pseudo-legendary claptrap, but redeemed by the hobbits and some stunning scenes. Return of the King, the third volume of Lord of the Rings, is downright weird. Tolkien seems to have lost it. For much of the first two hundred pages, he is trying to write Beowulf (possibly forgetting that it's been written already and that this is not the year 1050). He even writes passages in perfect Anglo-Saxon poetic style, replete with proper rhythm and alliteration. Much of this is brutal to get through, with its fawning adoration of warriors and its recitations of family histories. Tolkien is so enamored of these Vikings that he downplays the fascinating and scary episode wherein Aragorn leads the armies of the dead against the forces of Mordor. This imaginative incident is offhandedly retold by Aragorn in the midst of all the stupefying knightly courtesies. Even the hobbits, Merry and Pippin, take on the bombastic cadences of the warriors, becoming sycophantic boobies as they bow and scrape to two different (and nearly indistinguishable) kings. The best sections of this Anglo-babble involve King Denethor of Gondor going bonkers and trying to burn his son alive.When Tolkien finally gets to the Big Battle, the writing energizes, especially when Merry and Eowen-the beautiful princess disguised as a warrior--take on the Head Nazgul. But weirdness returns as Aragorn, who apparently is the Chosen One, begins healing the mortally wounded! This is a bit much, especially when Tolkien's prose turns Biblical (lots of "ands").We finally get back to Frodo and Sam, who walk to Mount Doom over many, many, many pages (the slightly homoerotic relationship between these two becomes uncomfortably overt in this volume). Meanwhile Aragorn and all the warriors confront the REAL Head Nazgul in Mordor to distract Sauron, and plotting sense takes a holiday. Sauron--this omnipotent creature of darkness, who can see all--turns out to be as easily duped as a freshman buying a phony elevator pass from a senior. He totally misses Frodo and Sam traipsing up Mount Doom. And the only reason the two hobbits get there is because the orcs conveniently quarrel and slaughter each other.And then comes the Huge Climax, the moment the whole epic has been building toward--and it's over in one paragraph! Frodo wants to keep the Ring, Gollum bites Frodo's finger off and falls into Mount Doom. End of Sauron. Eighty gazillion warriors, two kings, elves, dwarves, and a mighty wizard couldn't touch this Prince of Evil, but he's done in by a bit of slapstick! You look back on a thousand pages and say "What was THAT about?"Then, after pages of pageantry, there's a whole new story! Saruman, the once mighty and evil wizard, has set up shop in the Shire as a kind of Tony Soprano, and the four hobbit warriors rout him and his thugs. Where did this extra tale come from? If you know that Tolkien was a Luddite, you can understand the stuff about cutting down trees and building smoke-belching mills. But after defeating Nazguls, Balrogs, and Sauron, routing a pack of comical toughs isn't exactly a challenge for Frodo and company. Amazingly, Tolkien's prose transforms here, becoming plain and spare. I suppose you could admire Tolkien for the tour de force of transforming his prose to fit his characters, but I find it disconcerting. There is a bittersweet loveliness to the ending, where Frodo, mortally wounded in his soul, sails off to the Gray Havens with Gandalf and Bilbo.So this book is kind of a mess. And yet--with all this, somehow the three-volume epic keeps you engaged, and you care about the hobbits. I'm reminded of Moby Dick--not a similar story, but also a book that is a stylistic and structural disaster and yet somehow works. I read all the way through Lord of the Rings and will probably read it again, infuriating and labored as much of it remains. I suppose Tolkien's fierce belief in his own world lends this flawed saga a touching enchantment.
Product: Book Audio CD
Title: The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, Book 1)
Publisher: Recorded Books
Authors: J.R.R. Tolkien
Rating: 5/5
Title: The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, Book 1)
Publisher: Recorded Books
Authors: J.R.R. Tolkien
Rating: 5/5
This is a great book full of suspense,action,thrills, and alot of words I don't understand... It has alot of thrilling parts (such as being chased in an abandoned mine by orcs). It also features a very complex plot and interesting characters. If you enjoy fantasy books this is for u!!! ELVES RULE!....
Product: Book Paperback
Title: The Hobbit : The Enchanting Prelude to The Lord of the Rings
Publisher: Del Rey
Authors: J.R.R. Tolkien
Rating: 5/5
Title: The Hobbit : The Enchanting Prelude to The Lord of the Rings
Publisher: Del Rey
Authors: J.R.R. Tolkien
Rating: 5/5
The Hobbit, written by J.R.R. Tolkien is the best book I have ever read. The story of Bilbo's journey is exciting, adventurous, and keeps you wanting to read. The Hobbit has many thrilling stories inside the long tale. This book was just fun to read! It is easy to follow and understand, while it still vastly describes the world of Middle Earth, created by Tolkien. It gives a better understanding of Tolkien's world and is a good intro to the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The Hobbit can be enjoyed by all ages and should be part of everybody's bookshelves.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: J.R.R. Tolkien Boxed Set (The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings)
Publisher: Del Rey Books
Authors: J.R.R. Tolkien
Rating: 5/5
Title: J.R.R. Tolkien Boxed Set (The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings)
Publisher: Del Rey Books
Authors: J.R.R. Tolkien
Rating: 5/5
Whether you're a fan of fantasy or not, you cannot go wrong with this series. The world (Middle-Earth) that Tolkien describes is so realistic that you believe it actually exists. Also, all the elements of a great story are here: companionship, love, fear, loss, hope, and ultimate triumph. No matter what genre you typically read, without a doubt, this is the greatest story ever written. PERIOD.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Frodo's Quest : Living the Myth The Lord of the Rings
Publisher: Quest Books
Authors: Robert Ellwood
Rating: 4/5
Title: Frodo's Quest : Living the Myth The Lord of the Rings
Publisher: Quest Books
Authors: Robert Ellwood
Rating: 4/5
I enjoyed reading Frodo's Quest, and I am, in fact, re-reading it again to get a deeper appreciation of the depth of Tolkien's insight in Lord of the Rings (Lord). I have (only) read Lord three times. I first read Lord in college, next some years later and again last year before the first movie came out. At each of these times, at different stages in my life, Tolkien never failed to catch me up in the story and depth of his characters. I know that I am not alone in this, for its not unusual to meet someone who confesses that he or she has read it many more times than that. But I have often wondered why the book appealed to me so much.
Dr. Robert Ellwood who, according to his web page, is both a priest, retired college professor, and a teacher / scholar of world religions, helped me understand just why Tolkien's Lord moves its loyal readers so. Ellwood, with insightful extracts from Tolkien's other works, shows that Tolkien wove into his story the universal themes of mankind's spiritual quest. After reading Frodo's Quest, one can never again see Lord as a mere fantasy story, for Ellwood demonstrates its appeal is that, at its core, it is about our own personal spiritual search. Frodo's Quest makes use of references and quotes from psychological and religious sources to establish that Lord is a quest story in the highest spiritual meaning of that term. In this sense, Frodo's Quest will ring true to readers familiar with the works and viewpoints of Joseph Campbell or Carl Jung. The reader of Frodo's Quest, like Frodo himself, will come to realize, like we all must sooner or later, that we all live in a world that is much more than just that which can be seen or touched. More importantly, we all have a role in the eternal drama of life
But Frodo's Quest is not for everyone. It unabashedly presumes that its audience both knows the Lord books and also has a the insight / spiritual discernment to understand exactly what a universal myth is, and what it does, so it is going to put off some people of a more rigid religious outlook. But if that is the price of such insights, so be it. Frankly, I don't find the exercises at the end of chapters especially useful to most people, but they don't detract from the main message of the book. Frodo's Quest has shown us Tolkien's grand vision of mankind and revealed that Lord of the Rings' appeal is that it speaks to the Frodo within each of us, ala Campbell or Jung. Frodo's Quest is a book well worth reading over and over again.
