Rating: 
Summary: Stunning, superb, absorbing
Review: There are several words to describe 'The Fellowship Of The Rings' yet few seem good enough. It is a true classic of its genre and will be remembered in many years to come. I have to admit that I was only tempted to read this book when I had seen the movie (which is also superb) and after a few reservations I had become hooked. The story is basically about the Ring of Power, controlled only by the evil lord Sauron. It is carried by a hobbit named Frodo who can only destroy it in the cracks on Mount Doom. On his perilous journey he is accompanied by a fellowship, including fellow hobbits Sam, Pippin and Merry, the wizard Gandalf, ranger Aragorn, warrior Boromir, elf Legolas and dwarf Gimli.Firstly, the flow of the story is fantastic, although there are some areas where it tends to drag. However, not only are the key points of the novel mesmerising but they are also well written and will absorb even the most cynical reader. What is perhaps most admirable though is the background detail that has gone into the making of 'The Fellowship Of The Rings'. Not only are there various areas in a world entirely created by Tolkien, but different races have different lanugages, lore and culture which adds to the already superb characterisation. The frienships and rifts built up as the book progresses are also realistic and at times genuinely touching. Moreover it is a stunning work of fiction that deserves to be read by anyone with a passion for adventure, fantasy or mystery.
Rating:
Summary: A Must Read!
Review: All who has seen the movie, they must read the book. It is incredible and full of adventure. There is a lot more to the book. I wished they had added another scene in the movie that was in the book. There is part in which the Company encounters a group of Wargs (wolfs), and that would have made an interesting scene in the movie. Anyway, the movie is basically about 3 1/2 hours long, but why not add another 30 minutes to it- Hey, its Lord of the Rings for crying out loud, it could've been 4 hours or even 6 hours (with everything else from the book in it) for all I care. But anyway, the movie war GREAT! and they did a excellent job of editing it. I was born in 1978, and pretty much grew up in the entertainment world of fantasy (ex. the Smurfs, the Hobbit, Legend, the Laberynth, etc.). I'm glad that this imaginary world is coming back.
Rating:
Summary: You've Seen the Movie, Now Read the Book
Review: Hopefully the first film of "The Lord of the Rings" will cause many viewers to read the original books. Open the books, start reading, and you'll find the real treasure. If you have seen the movie and are new to the books, be prepared for a few things to be different: 1 - Tolkien has to construct his world (Middle Earth) with words. Sounds ridiculous and obvious, but Tolkien spends a LOT of time describing this world, these people, and their history. In fact, most readers new to the book will probably find more information than they wanted to know. Understand, however, that for this world to be believable, Tolkien had to dive in and create a believable world that you could sink your teeth into. There's a lot of description and it's all important. Don't get discouraged. 2 - The action is not as frequent as it is in the film. Get used to that. The action comes, but Tolkien wisely leaves a lot of the detail here up to the reader's imagination. When it comes down to it, the book is really not about the action as much as it is about the characters and how they behave. You get a little of this in the film, you get a lot of it in the book. Savor it. 3 - Read 'The Hobbit' first. Even if you saw the film, you need to read the "introduction" to the series. It's fun, not too long, and will help you understand the goings-on of Middle Earth. If you are about to undertake the journey of Middle Earth for the first time, I envy you. "The Lord of the Rings" is one of the great works not only of fantasy, but of all 20th Century literature. Be patient. Before you know it, you'll find yourself in the world Tolkien made and loved. I think you'll love it too.
Rating: 
Summary: A Great Reading
Review: After seeing the movie Lord Of The Ring I thought that it would be pointless to read the book, but I was wrong. I thought that The Fellowship of The Ring was a great book. It was one of the best fantasy books I've ever read. It was so exciting and very interesting. There was never a monment when I was bored with the book. The only part that I didn't like was that it was a little hard to read. I loved how there were so many different places and characters that I could have never thought of on my own. The Fellowship of The Ring is a great book for someone who has a good imagination!
Rating:
Summary: The Fellowship
Review: Every one who has read this book has to admit there is some parts to this book that are wonderful and some parts that need work. Even so, I thought this book was excellent. If you read this you have to see the movie. The book has even more background information and there are better and funnier parts. The characters come alive. It pulls you in. JRR Tolkien made the characters not human and yet have human feelings. My personal favorite character was Legolas. Mr Tolkien made him seem even more alive than in the movie. Read the book and find out what character is yours!
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Incredible!
Review: This narration is tremendous! It is COMPLETE and not overdone with stupid special effects or a whole cast of characters. Rob Inglis has the most wonderful voice and creates all of the characters as though they were in the room with you. He makes you feel like you're cudled in front of the fire in the House of Elrond listening to tales of old lore. I can honestly say that my favorite part of the day, the part I look forward to all day, is the half an hour before bed when I listen to these CDs. It's strange to say that a set of CDs brings you closer to inner peace...but I dare say that if any could do that, these are among their number.
Rating:
Summary: Brillance from the Grandmaster of Fantasy
Review: The Fellowship of the Ring is beautiful and rich in texture, character development, and writing style, and in my opinion transcends the realm of "book" and "fantasy", becoming true literature and a classic. The book should not be confused with the movie, as the two are aimed at different audiences with different expectations. Fellowship is without a doubt dated. As some reviewers have pointed out, Tolkien may spend 80 pages walking down a road, or 2 pages in a song. He may spend pages developing a character's style, then mere paragraphs describing an action scene. Tolkien wrote to a British audience back in the 30s and 40s who didn't mind this and actually expected it. An audience who were not as rushed as we are today, who did not expect the instant gratification TV and computers bring and were used to pure imagination to visualize action scenes. An audience who had 2 or 3 hours a night to become absorbed in a book and who were willing to put forth the sustained effort to delve into complex character development. The movie in turn is geared towards maximum action and gratification in a short time period. There's nothing wrong with that; in fact I think the movie is brilliant, a visual feast. But that is not, nor can it be, the aim of the book. The point of this book is to close yourself off to the real world and lose yourself entirely in Tolkien's fantasy. If a sentence has to be reread a couple of times, or only 20 pages are read in an hour or two, than so be it. This is not a novel to be rushed.
Rating:
Summary: One of the BEST books!
Review: I really liked FotR because it has to deal with fantasy and magic and all that fun stuff. I read the book because I wanted to see the movie, and I never see a movie before I read the book. It moved along at a fast pace once the story got started, and I didn't find it boring at all (except in the very beginning)! I would definitely reccomend this book to anyone who likes fantasy, enjoyed the movie, and is looking for a long, good read!
Rating:
Summary: What an Adventure
Review: This is the nexted book I read after the book before this "The Hobbit." To me it still had the adventure I've always wanted to read in fairy tales. I'll just tell you about the book just alittle to see if you would like to read this book. Bilbo has aged over the years since the last book. He's the towns hero ever since his mysterious disappearance and his remarkable return. He has brought alot of gold so he doesnt have to do anything and worry about anything. But since then people have bugged him and taking all his stuff! And people dont respect him as much. So when its time to leave he passes on his magical ring and all of his things to his cousin and heir Frodo. Then one of Bilbo's best friend the wizard Gandalf tells Frodo to becareful because the ring has strong powers more powerful then he can imagine. So it is his turn to have the adventure. And he too will have hardships but will he have sucess? or will he perish? Thats your job to read the book and find out!
Rating:
Summary: From The Shire to Mordor
Review: I thought that this was a pretty good book. The characters are well described and played out throught the book. Their journey starts in the Shire where we meet Frodo and Bilbo Baggins. Gandalf the Grey comes to Bilbo's 111th birthday party and Bilbo shares plans to leave the Shire to adventure again after his party is near over. Gandalf sees a change in his life long friend from the last time that he saw him. Bilbo mentions of a ring that he found on his last adventure that he took and also mentions that when he has the ring with him he doesnt feel a year older. When Gandalf trys to convince Bilbo to leave the ring behind when he leaves, Bilbo goes crazy. Gandalf finally convinces Bilbo that it is best to leave the ring to Frodo when he leaves. Frodo doesnt know how powerful the ring is until he is instructed to leave the Shire because it is not safe with him there. He travels with 3 other friends (who are all hobbits like him) to Bree to find the Prancing Pony Inn. There they meet Strider who is a trusted friend of Gandalf and protects the boys through the night from the Ring Wraiths. The Next day the party of five now leaves for Rivendell to reunite with Gandalf. On the way during one night the group is attacked by the Ring Wraiths and Frodo is injured by one. Arwen (the daughter of Elrond) is trusted by Strider to take Frodo ahead of the group to Rivendell because Frodo needs Elrond's treatment to stop his transformation into a Ring Wraith. Frodo arrives savely and recieves treatment, then soon learns of why he was attacked specifically. The Council of Elrond, which consists of a representitive of the nine areas of Middle Earth(with the exception of Mordor). Together they decide to have Frodo take the ring to Mordor to destroy it in the place where it was created. Now the Fellowship consisting of nine members, four hobbits, two warriors, an elf, a dwarf and a wizard, set out on their incredible journey across Middle Earth to take back the one ring of power. Through The Misty Mountains and the underlying caves, the Fellowship embarks on a journey that faces them against such foes as: Orcs, A Giant Octupuss, Ring Wraiths and a Balrog. Though the party loses Gandalf to the Balrog, the Fellowship pushes on toward their goal of Mordor. Facing many other challenges and triumphs.
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