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Reviews (57)

It's a Good buy
It is a nice audio book.It does have it's flaws though.
Brilliant, and well worth the money!
I am not a "Total Ringophile", like some out there, but I have read the books three times and loved them. I lashed out and purchased this 46 CD set as I spend a lot of time on the commute to work. It is brilliant!Each CD has approx 15 "tracks" on it so that if you miss a bit as your mind wanders (as it does in the car..) you can just bounce back one track and hear that bit again, no problems. Rob Inglis does a great job, no question. It has added a new dimension to my experince of Tolkien's masterpiece, and I highly recommend it to all. BRILLIANT !

Ingles does a fantastic job
I did not realize what a wonderful job that Ingles had done in this reading until I began listening to other audio books. Ingles manages to give each character a distinct voice and as you proceed, you recognize immediately who it is that is speaking.
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Subjects:  1. Abridged Audio - Fiction/Religious    2. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    3. Classics    4. Fantasy - Epic    5. Unabridged Audio - Fiction/General   

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Reviews (813)

Long chapters, great book
I am 1 chapter away from finishing this book, I have to say it has been an experience. Most of my friends wouldn't go near this book because it is so complicated, you really have to hold your breath and read. I have to say though, from my view point, I find the chapters long and exhausting. J.R.R. Tolkien has a very overwhelming sense of writing. But so unique it's story becomes classic. It took me months to read this book, and it will probably take me longer to start the second. I reccommend this book 10+

A Classic, for a Patient Reader

Oh well, I tried...
Many people gush over the LOTR series like they have nothing more to do. Curious, I went to find the first book, being the FOTR, to see what all the hype was about. Now, don't get me wrong. LOTR is good, but not as good as most people actually say it is. Sure, Tolkien created a interesting world full of unusual people. But must he go over every little detail? Sometimes he just keeps describing something for so long, my head starts to hurt and I keep losing my place or reading the same sentence over and over again. His dialogue is bland and there is really no emotion to it. The characters are just as bland as the dialogue. There is no or little character development in this book, despite its size. Characters should be 3D. Not that all of Tolkien's characters are flat. Actually, Bilbo is more 3D than Frodo. The other characters--Well I won't even start. The list is too long. I just fell asleep reading this book. Believe me, I tried really hard to read this book. But I just can't. I admire Tolkien for being able to create a world where fantasy rules, but the writer must be able to control his world freely and realisticly so that we can read it and enjoy it. It is sad to know that LOTR fans point their fingers accusingly to someone who writes something similiar to LOTR, but the book that person wrote is actually better than Tolkien's work himself. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Audio - Fiction (Unabridged)    2. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    3. Fantasy - Epic    4. Fantasy - General    5. Fiction    6. Unabridged Audio - Fiction/General   

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Reviews (123)

Nicely done
This version(if I can call it that)is Superb. I have no complaints.
Excellent Radio Version
The recent film version of Tolkien's epic fantasy novel inspired me to go back and listen to this BBC radio version from the 1980s.
A must have, absolute fun...
I enjoyed the similarities to Peter Jackson's trilogy. It's like visiting an old friend, and hearing a story in a slightly different and yet very familiar way. I love it!
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Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    2. Audio adaptations    3. Audiobooks    4. Classics    5. Fantasy - Epic    6. Fiction    7. Religious - General    8. Unabridged Audio - Fiction/General    9. Fiction / Fantasy / General   

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• Unabridged

Reviews (354)

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

The Darkest Hour
The middle novel of the Rings trilogy opens with the tragic (though decidedly heroic) death of a second member of the Company, and sees the small band that stands in opposition to Sauron entering its darkest hour. Gandalf, the Company's leader, has at the end of the last novel, fallen in combat with the dreaded balrog; Bormoir has been slain at the start of this book, in desperate battle with a group of orks; the Company is diminished by losses, its members scattered, and Aragorn feels himself a failure in the face of the backsets that have been delivered upon him and his comrades. Where many might abandon a mission that surely seems lost, Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas continue on in pursuit of the hobbits Merry and Pippin, captured by Orks in service to the traitorous wizard Saruman, while Frodo and Sam push on into the foul land of Mordor, home of the Dark Lord and location of the volcanic Mt. Doom, into whose fires the pair intend to cast the One Ring, which has brought so much misery onto Middle Earth. In this oft-disrespected second volume, a reader comes to understand the full depth of Saruman's enslavement by Sauron, recoils as Frodo allows the despicable Smeagol to travel along on his journey, comes to meet the ancient ents, and delves full-force into the battle of Helm's Deep, a conflict which stands to decide nothing less than the fate of the world.

Also the Best!!
As with the Fellowship, this is a really terrific book.Mr. Inglis has the perfect voice for these readings (referring to the whole series).Highly recommend to other fans. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    2. Fantasy - Epic    3. Fantasy - General    4. Fiction    5. Unabridged Audio - Fiction/General   

Editorial Review

A Christian can almost be forgiven for not reading the Bible, but there's no salvation for a fantasy fan who hasn't read the gospel of the genre, J.R.R. Tolkien's definitive three-book epic, the Lord of the Rings (encompassing Read more

Features

• Special Edition

Reviews (986)

The classics in one volume
What can be said about LOTR that a million other reviewers haven't already said?This is the series that essentially created the fantasy genre as it exists today.Many others have imitated it, but LOTR stands above them all.These books were the result of a lifetime's work and it shows.The story is polished beyond the ability of most authors to achieve.Tolkien had to suffer through many bad editors, text changed by typesetters, and reviewers who just didn't get it.He perservered and we all benefit from his decades of effort.
Good edition
My dad has had this edition on his desk for many years. I think it is the best all-in-one edition of Tolkien's classic fantasy novel.

The Best Version of the Classic That's Out There!A Keeper!
This is THE edition to get for lovers of Tolkien.You get the complete trilogy in one volume and what a volume too!It's leather bound with great gold letterings on the cover plus nice illustrations within.The fonts are of a good, easily-readable size and the binding is first class, ensuring that this tome will stay in great shape and is likely to be passed down from parent to child many times over.Recommended. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Baggins, Frodo (Fictitious cha    2. Baggins, Frodo (Fictitious character)    3. Fairy tales    4. Fantasy - Epic    5. Fantasy fiction, English    6. Fiction    7. Fiction - Fantasy    8. Middle Earth (Imaginary place)    9. Fantasy    10. Fiction / Fantasy / Epic   

Reviews (99)

Many pages, little of interest
This is a rather boring novel about a bunch of one-dimensional characters who are at war with a guy who lives in a tower. They are supposed to be good I think, and the guy in the tower is supposed to be bad. But as they all seem to have an equal penchant for fighting, and since we never get much insight into the tower-guy's personality or designs, it is hard to discern between them. Reading this book, I kept asking myself: Why couldn't the "good" just invite the tower-guy over for tea instead, maybe they could have become the best of friends?
Thank You, Professor Tolkien!
It is hard to find words to express my thought about this trilogy.This story has impacted countless lives since it was published.I am not here to review the story, but instead to simply say: "Thank you, Professor Tolkien!"

The best edition ever!
This is by far the best edition of LOTR ever published.I bought it off of Amazon, and it is just amazing!I have never seen a book that looks better than this one!You must buy it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Baggins, Frodo (Fictitious cha    2. Baggins, Frodo (Fictitious character)    3. Classics    4. Fantasy    5. Fantasy - Epic    6. Fantasy fiction    7. Fantasy fiction, English    8. Fiction    9. Fiction - Fantasy    10. Middle Earth (Imaginary place)    11. Tolkien, J. R. R. (John Ronald Reuel), 1892-1973    12. Fiction / Fantasy / Epic   

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Reviews (247)

The Glorious Conclusion
As all things end, so does Tolkien's revered Ring trilogy. In this concluding volume, the surviving Company, minus Sam and Frodo, reunite to make a last stand against the inhuman darkness which has ushered forth from Mordor to swallow the world. Gandalf, resurrected now as the White Wizard, rallies the combined armies of Rohan and Gondor, Aragorn reveals his true nature and is proclaimed the returned king, and beneath the searching eye of the Evil One, a pair of lowly hobbits, exhausted and nearly out of hope, continue on toward a fateful rendezvous in the infernal core of Mt. Doom. Heroism, loyalty, courage, and determined resistance to the powers of oppression are all themes triumphantly proclaimed in this novel, and there are scenes inside The Return of the King which stand so memorable they endure in the brain throughout a reader's lifetime. Many writers would be unable to end such a monumental series on a note of triumph, but somehow J.R.R. Tolkien achieves the nearly impossible and herein delivers his best work of all.

The Return Of The King
Excellently done and entertaining.Prompt delivery and easily found.

The Return of the King
I have read the Lord of the Rings eight times. It is by far the best book I have ever read. The book has a beauty that no other book or author has ever been able to capture or ever will again.
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Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    2. Audiobooks    3. Fantasy - Epic    4. Fantasy - General    5. Fiction    6. Unabridged Audio - Fiction/General   

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Reviews (15)

More Complete Dramatization For Fans of the Book
I own both radio dramatizations (Minds Eye and BBC).On the whole I prefer the Minds Eye one.Both have their pros and cons, but as a fan of the book this one was more accurate to the story and conveyed a better sense of emotion than that of the BBC story.The BBC has a way better sound affects, overall better production value, and a more evened out (and higher priced) cast.Still, though, overall the Minds Eye produced better voices for Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Eomer, and Faramir than the BBC production did, and Frodo was well done also (just not as good as Ian Holm).However, the top factor for me was that the Minds Eye is just far more accurate to the book itself, for my money, than the BBC version.Others opinions obviously very.Know what you're looking for in whichever set you buy.

okay
I'm a HUGE Tolkein fan. This CD way OKAY, here's why.
Wonderful memories - nice to have on CD
Back in the late 1970's, in an era when radio drama was disappearing from public radio, the American prodcution of "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" were created with a full cast of voice actors along with music and sound effects.Reminiscent of the radio dramas of the 1940's and 50's, these productions were usually aired on Sunday afternoons, when a family could listen and enjoy the week's story.Released on Jabberwocky Audio on cassette tapes, I remember the Christmas when I received the entire collection of Jabberwocky's stories on tape.From "The Hobbit" to "Alice in Wonderland" to "The Red Badge of Courage," all were classic tales.They even re-released on cassette some of the original radio productions, such as "War of the Worlds" and "The Gift of the Magi."These stories were designed to get the listener interested and promote reading the books the productions were based on.They were not designed for an adult audience, but rather for children and families to share.Wonderfully edited and masterfully performed, many modern audiences find these old productions a little silly or even perhaps dated, but play it for a child, and they will listen in rapture, just as I did 25 years ago when they were new.Of all my collection of the Jabberwocky tapes, "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" are the only ones that I have trouble playing today, because they have been played so many times over the years that they are worn out.We would play them in the car on road trips, I would play them in my room while putting together a puzzle, and I played them for my friends, who enjoyed them as much as I did.I am delighted to have it on CD to listen to over and over again.At seven years of age, I had not yet read the books when I first listened to the tapes.But the tapes were perfect for a small girl just getting interested in reading.If only all the rest of the old radio dramas were also on CD!I would buy them all.It was unfortunate to come to this website and see the poor reviews written by people who have no understanding of the history of the production or what demographic it was originally intended for.I look forward to the day when I can play these CD's for my own children and see the wonder and delight in their faces when they hear the same stories that I grew up with. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    2. Classics    3. Fantasy - General    4. Fiction    5. Science Fiction - General    6. Unabridged Audio - Fiction/General    7. Fiction / Science Fiction / General   

Features

• Audiobook

Subjects:  1. Fantasy   

Reviews (12)

Experimental, psychoanalytical 20. century novel
There is something strange about this ring business. If the ring is so darned powerful, why did Sauron lose it when he had it? And how come he seems so powerful now that he don't have it?
The Best Book I've Ever Read
I read The Lord of the Rings at the age of eleven. (I'm fourteen now.) I'm the only kid I know who a) read it before seeing the movies and b) read it without my parents making me. That said, I love the movies -- I think the third is my favorite film ever -- and they come quite close to the book. But it is still second-rate...everything is, compared to this masterpiece.
Lord of the Rings (50th ed.) - 2005 HCversion (ISBN 0618645616 )
I will talk about this edition only (2005 hardcover, 50th anniversary version: ISBN 0618645616). I didn't know there is 50th Ann. 'hardcover' edition like this when I first ordered 50th Ann 'collection' version(2004). It's same 50th ann version and it's hard cover("HC") at 50% price compared to collection version.
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Subjects:  1. Baggins, Frodo (Fictitious character)    2. Classics    3. Fantasy    4. Fantasy - Epic    5. Fantasy fiction, English    6. Fiction    7. Fiction - Fantasy    8. Fiction - General    9. Literary    10. Middle Earth (Imaginary place)    11. Tolkien, J. R. R. (John Ronald Reuel), 1892-1973    12. Fiction / Fantasy / Epic   

Editorial Review

Hobbits and wizards and Sauron--oh, my! Mild-mannered Oxford scholar John Ronald Reuel Tolkien had little inkling when he published Read more

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Reviews (1209)

THE GREATEST FANTASY EPIC OF OUR TIME
The Lord of the Rings is genius! They are inspiring to everyone who reads them. It takes place in a make believe world called Middle Earth. There were three rings made for the elves, seven for the dwarves, and nine made for men. They were all decieved when one ring was made by the dark lord, Saron, in Mordor. This one ring would rule them all and bring them into darkness so he could rule the world. The one ring answers to Saron, and Saron alone. It was lost hundreds of thousands of years before and remained lost. The one ring wants to go back to his master but if Saron has it all middle earth will be at his mercy. The journey begins in the Shire when a young hobbit gets hold of the ring. He and six others must journey through Middle Earth to Mordor to destroy it. So much depends on them. The ring bearer has a big job, he cannot fall fait to the ring or use it. Using the ring will only bring Saron closer to reaching his goal. The entire journey is amazing. It is filled with action, suspence, toil, and so many unpredictable turns. It is amazing but hard to read at times. Sometimes it may seem boring and others there is just too much happening. In the end it makes the greatest fantasy ever made. Crafted from J.R.R. Tolkien's genius it will live on for many years to come.

These Are Good
If you look up the definition of good books in the dictionary, there would probably be a picture of these books. If you like fantasy, you're in for a treat. I have to say, though, that if you don't have a long attention span you really shouldn't read these books. They're not the kind of books you can listen to music and read at the same time because you really need to concentrate to understand all of it. Anyway these books are probably the best books I've ever read. When you see the movies your favorite part is always the blood and the violence, but when I read these probably the chapters that took place in the shire are probaly my favorite. Tolkien makes the shire sound so wonderful when he talks about the hobbits' lives and how they are so pleasant. I was actually really sad when they left and did the big battles and things. So overall, these books are the best books ever created whether you like it or not, so if you don't read them you're missing out.

magical and four dimensional!
The Lord of the Rings is particularly amazing and unique because of it's depth. There is a whole history behind it, the past is not just referred to but exists as a whole in its own right; all created by Tolkien. He creates languages, genealogies, in fact an entire world in breathtaking detail. Tolkien was a scholar and as such recognised the importnace of history and how it impacts on present events and choices. Inevitably this makes Lord of the Rings both an engaging story and a complex tome which bears rereading for both pleasure and depth of understanding.
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Subjects:  1. Audio - Fiction - General    2. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    3. Fiction    4. General    5. Literary    6. Unabridged Audio - Fiction/General    7. Fiction / General   

Reviews (7)

Beautifully written
I first read this book when I was nine years old. I enjoyed it, but thought there to be way too much description. As I've grown since then, I've come to realize just how awesome this book is. It's a beautiful piece of classic literature! Yes it can be a bit difficult to read at first, but once you get into it, you are swept away into a land of hobbits and dwarves, of elves and men, of dark lords and wizards, of good and evil. Perhaps that is what makes this book so timeless, so classic - the portrayal of good vs. evil, clearly and definitively. In our culture, with postmodernism on the rise and the new thought that there is no absolute truth (can I please ask anyone who does not believe in absolute truth a simple question, and can you think reasonably about it? Two question actually. One: Do you realize that when you have said, "There is no absolute truth." that you have just made an absolute statement? And question 2: Does 2+2=4 Yes. All the time. Does it ever equal 5? No.) something in us is crying out for definitives - (which we need to find in God).
WOW!!! AMAZING!!!
This story is literally flawless.Tolkien could not change a thing and make it even the tiniest bit better.Every single word in this book makes you want to keep reading so that one will suddenly look up and see that he has been reading for hours!The story is so deep and so good.It made me cry in several places, Tolkien definetely had a way of making you connect with each and every character.I would recommend this book to every single person on this earth.It is also just as amazing when you read it again and again.I have read it at least once every year since I first discovered this wonderful series.BUY IT!!!

the lord of the rings the fellowship of the ring
Frodo gets the one ring from his uncle Bilbo.Frodo goes to Rivendell to seek councle to see what to do wth the one ring.wile in Rivendell Frodo meets Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, and Borrimier.They get the name the Fellowship of the Ring.They start to head out to Mount Doom and find themselves going through Moria were Gandalf loses his life.The fellowship makes it to amen hen were Frodo and Sam Gamgee leave for Mount Doom by there selves. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Baggins, Frodo (Fictitious character)    2. Children's All Ages - Fiction - Fantasy    3. Children: Grades 4-6    4. Classics    5. Fantasy - Epic    6. Fiction    7. Fiction - Fantasy    8. Juvenile Fiction    9. Middle Earth (Imaginary place)    10. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    11. Tolkien, J. R. R. (John Ronald Reuel), 1892-1973    12. Fiction / Fantasy / Epic   

Reviews (18)

Reccomended!!!
Great book, beautiful images and a very special foreword by Viggo Mortensen. In my opinion, satisfaction 100% Guaranteed!

Artists (and others) beware.
I'm an amateur artist and bought this book for some good reference pics--particulary of the actors--for doing some LOTR drawings. The problem is that the pics are rather small much of the time (a lot of fluffy text takes up much of the pages), and the shots usually aren't that interesting, anyway. There are few headshots of the main characters, and Gollum isn't featured at all, outside of the back of his head. Read this and Colin Duriez's helpful guide
Read this and the superb guide books on Tolkien by Colin Duries and you will have all you want to know about the Two Towers. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. (John Ronald Reuel),    2. 1892-1973    3. Adaptations    4. Fantasy - General    5. Film & Video - General    6. Lord of the rings, the two towers (Motion picture)    7. Performing Arts    8. Performing Arts/Dance    9. Pictorial works    10. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    11. Tolkien, J. R. R.    12. Fiction / Fantasy / General   

Features

• Box set

Subjects:  1. Children: Grades 4-6    2. Fantasy - Epic    3. Fiction - Fantasy    4. Juvenile Fiction    5. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    6. Tolkien, J. R. R. (John Ronald Reuel), 1892-1973    7. Fiction / Fantasy / Epic   

Reviews (1)

Towering second chapter
The second volume of Tolkien's epic trilogy never even wavers. If anything, it seems steadier and more controlled than "Fellowship of the Ring," as several characters become more central and the plot focus widens to envelop all of Middle Earth. It suffers from a bit of sequelitis in places, but the overall book is just as enthralling as the first.
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Subjects:  1. Children: Grades 4-6    2. Fantasy - Epic    3. Fiction - Fantasy    4. Juvenile Fiction    5. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    6. Tolkien, J. R. R. (John Ronald Reuel), 1892-1973    7. Fiction / Fantasy / Epic   

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• Unabridged

Reviews (3)

The Dark Lord is Watching!
If you were trusted with a dangerous object, would you use it? A young hobbit did, and it nearly cost him his life. Frodo Baggins was given the One Ring and was told to travel to mount doom to destroy it. The theme is friendship and strength. An example of strength is when the armies of orcs attacked the last fortress of Rohan, Helm's Deep. you will have to read

Better READ the books first before watching the movies...
Peter Jackson has created a masterpiece in it's own right... but Tolkiens books are some of the best literature of the 20th century.
The grand, bittersweet finale
"Return of the King" is the worthy climax to J.R.R. Tolkien's epic saga, the fantasy that created the genre as we know it today. Now, as the blockbuster movie adaptation is over, many readers are checking out the dramatic story that ends Tolkien's masterpiece and life's work.
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Subjects:  1. Children: Grades 4-6    2. Fantasy - Epic    3. Fiction - Fantasy    4. Juvenile Fiction    5. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    6. Tolkien, J. R. R. (John Ronald Reuel), 1892-1973    7. Fiction / Fantasy / Epic   

Reviews (2)

The lord of the Rings
The lord of the rings is a work of art, tolkiens imaination has been said to be the most creative of all time.(with that, how can u not buy the book)

True fantasy Adventure
Not that my opinion means much, but these books may be the greatest works of fiction every made. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fantasy   

Reviews (6)

Dissagreement on Title
I am not happy about the translation made for the first book title "The fellowship of the ring. The person or group that translated to Spanish translated it as "La Comunidad del Anillo"in which "communidad" is trying to translate "Fellowship". The word that would have serve it better in Spanish was "Hermandad" which translated is Brotherhood.I believe brotherhood serve it better to the interpretation than "community",Translation without interpretation takes away a lot from the classic.

Fun to practice Spanish with but too many mistakes
(Very minor spoilers follow.)
Una genialidad de Tolkien
Este libro es definitivamente un libro para toda persona que quiera tener una biblioteca completa. Esta es la obra maestra de J.R.R. Tolkien. La genialidad de poder llevarlo a uno a los lugares que estan siendo descritos, y la habilidad de poder incluirlo a uno en la historia es fascinante.
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Subjects:  1. Fantasy - Epic    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Fantasy    4. General    5. Spanish: Adult Fiction   

Reviews (22)

trepel 0 7 spy kid3spys
there was 3 yung spys andthey spy,ed on Alieandthe way they spy,ed on her was they sneak acros the house & in side and they went in the vent and put the camra on and spy,ed ontel tomor,o &then they left be for she got up THE END

Great Book!
If your a fan of behind the scenes stuff and movie making, this is the book for you. These movies are unlike any other, so seeing what when on during their 18 month filming, premires, etc. is great! Highly recommended!

Ten Thousand More?
I loved the movie, but what I am curious about the most is why Lord Aragon allowed the "Ghost Army" to leave when they were facing another Ten Thousand plus army as they did the first? That didn't make any sense!!!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fantasy - General    2. Film & Video - Direction & Production    3. Film & Video - General&nb