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Summary: A Must Read...
Review: ...especially if you enjoy the movie!! The beginning of the book was a little slow and hard for me to get into, but once the hobbits meet Strider I couldn't put it down. There are many parts of the book that were left out of the movie, that really helps one to understand what is going on. It's a fantastic book of great characters, places, and adventures. I would recommend it to people who love fantasy and who love the movie but have yet to read the book.
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Summary: Hint to alcar
Review: The book was written in 1955. The movie is based on the book, not the other way around.
Rating: 
Summary: SUCKS!
Review: I got this novel because the movie rocked, but it sucked. Who is that Tom bombadil guy and why did they add him? Or those stupid songs? And they ruined the cool intro and never showed Saruman's side of things in the book, making it all one sided. At least it ended where the movie did, but wth is up with Boromir not dead at the end of it? Whoever wrote this should have paid more attention to the script. The characters had FLAWS in it. And doubts. I don't plan to read the others.
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Summary: The Fellowship of the Ring
Review: The Lord of the Rings;
The fellowship of the RingBy, J.R.R Tolkien "It's a strange business walking out your front door; you step out onto the path, and if you don't keep your feet on the road there's no knowing where you'll be swept offto." To Frodo Baggins of the Shire, these words had relatively no significance, but when he found himself in a crucial position in the salvation of Middle Earth; he came to comprehend the meaning of this proverb more thoroughly. In J.R.R Tolkien's epic novel The Fellowship of the Ring, readers are propelled into the breathtaking fantasy world of Middle Earth and introduced to young Frodo Baggins of The Shire. Throughout this spellbinding epic, readers accompany Frodo on his rugged road of hardships and dilemmas leading up to the destruction of the ring of power and the liberation of Middle Earth.
Frodo Baggins was just a typical Hobbit who coexisted peacefully and quietly in his secluded environment in the Shire. He was a normal citizen who was very naive with regard to the many happenings of Middle Earth. However, Frodo's serene life was short-lived, for he soon discovered that the all mighty ring of power was in his household. This book is about how Frodo most leave behind his beloved home and set out to destroy the ring of power once and for all. Along his quest, he faces many arduous circumstances and he sometimes longs for his familiar home. Often, IR.R Tolkien makes the readers really ponder whether Frodo has enough willpower to continue his quest and if he will ever truly overcome affliction. The author does an outstanding job creating this believable yet surreal world and making you really get interested in the characters and events. In my opinion, he is one of the most innovative authors of all time.
Perhaps even more alluring than the predominant storyline are the strong underling themes and messages that permeate the book. Even though this book is a fantasy, it has some extremely important messages that are universally significant. For instance, one of the most dominant themes of this book (and the whole trilogy) is the concept of small people being strong enough to overcome great adversity. At some instances, you can really see that Frodo is a brave person and that he has enough determination to overcome the malice and hatred of the enemy. Another central theme is the notion that fate intervenes with an individual's life. For instance, when the ring of power fell into the hands of Frodo, was it really misfortune or was he meant to be the destroyer of the ring and savior of Middle Earth? I found myself pondering such questions over and over again in my mind and definitely think that this added great intrigue to an already outstanding book.
All in all, you can see that I enjoyed exploring Middle Earth and experiencing the many thrilling events described in this amazing piece of literature. I think that this is an essential read for anybody who is interested in fantasy stories and I strongly recommend it to everyone who has the stamina to persevere through some of the more complicated and confusing parts. This is my favorite book that I have read thus far and I believe that J.R.R Tolkien is one of the most creative and gifted authors of American literature.
Rating: 
Summary: Good, but approach it as a masterpiece of philology
Review: J.R.R. Tolkien's THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING is the first volume of The Lord of the Rings, the 20th century's most important epic fantasy and a perennial for all ages. It presents a young hobbit, Frodo Baggins, as he discovers that a family heirloom is actually a magic ring devised and then lost by a Dark Lord, and then sets off to destroy the ring before it can be seized back. Frodo and his company pass through many parts of Tolkien world of Middle-Earth, filled with many races of mythical beings. There are several ways to approach the work, and for myself the most fulfilling has been from a philological perspective. Tolkien was enamoured with languages of all kinds, and over the course of his life he created many, giving special attention and care to two, Quenya and Sindarin. These two constructed languages are loved by many fans of linguistics, and it is precisely in FELLOWSHIP that we have the most important example of mature Quenya. There are also several important snippets of Sindarin here, especially among place-names. Approaching the work as just good literature will be disappointing, however. Tolkien, a specialist on Anglo-Saxon, tended to write mostly in a faux-archaic style reminiscent of BEOWULF or "The Battle at Maldon". This tone, outdated and overly simplistic, will soon annoy the reader. Fitting in with the style, cliches and repetition abound. How many times must the reader be told Aragon suddenly seems not ragged anymore, but kingly and proud? Also, there are no narrative illusions here; the plot moves as it is overtly presented. If you like untrustworthy narrators, and thin and nebulous accounts where the reader must carefully fill in the blanks, as is common with such writers as Vladimir Nabokov and Gene Wolfe, Tolkien will seem infantile to you. I do recommend reading THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING and even moving on the all of the Lord of the Rings. If you are fond of language, then it will be a fulfilling and eye-opening work. If you are just looking for fine literature to enjoy, however, then it would probably be best to read something by an author with a more modern tone and better academic reception.
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Summary: This book is the best, all i can say is WOW!
Review: This book,in my opinion, is the very definition of a great fantasy novel. This book is so masterfully written. The story was original and had the feeling of a true epic adventure. J.R.R. Tolkien writes in a way that makes u love the charectors and the surroundings in this book. I have read this book numerous times and have recomended it to many people. The only problem I found with this book was that it ended to quickly. Overall I dont think I will ever find a series of books as good as The Lord Of The Rings. This book is truly a classic.
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Summary: [Title Here]
Review: Great book, I must admit when I first tried to start reading it two years ago, I found it very boring, but I picked it up again and began to read it, and found I love the lore! Tolkien is a genius, it is truly the greatest fantasy epic of our time, and is very influential, too.
(For Zeppelin fans, this sparked a lot of Plant's songs, like "Ramble On" and, I think, "Misty Mountain Hop")
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Summary: Best epic fantasy
Review: I'm sure much has been written about the Lord of The Rings series but basically, get through the first 100 pages or so and you'll get caught in the most masterful fantasy saga written to this day!
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Summary: Has all the qualities of a great novel
Review: The Fellowship of the Ring not only lays the foundation for the rings trilogy but shoots the reader off on an entertaining ride through danger, intrigue, mystery, and battles between good and evil. In this book, Tolkien develops the characters and backgrounds of the story and also includes suspense and excitement along the way. As I read the rings trilogy, I found that it was helpful to have seen to the movies to help picture the events, characters, and surroundings. Of course, the movies made much more sense after reading the books, but I found reading the books more enjoyable than the movies. I am really glad that I decided to read them at a friend's suggestion. Tolkien is an excellent writer. This book along with the others is intelligently written. It is not just kid's stuff. It is stimulating reading. He tells a great story filled with complex characters and plots. The story follows a logical and understandable path that sparks the readers full imagination and range of emotions. When you buy this, you might as well buy all three books of the rings set because it is essentially one story divided into three books. This book does not complete the story but only a section of it. And don't think that since you have seen the movie, you don't need to read the book. If you liked the movie at all, you will indeed enjoy the book, especially if your one criticism of the movie is that it didn't make sense. The book will fill in the gaps and will cause you to appreciate the movie much more.
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Summary: The Start of a Great Trilogy
Review: I am not one for fantasy books, but I somehow fell in love with the Lord of the Rings movies. I put it off for a while, but a week ago I bit the bullet and started reading The Fellowship of the Ring. Am I glad I did! Many of you probably know the storyline, but for those of you whom don't, I will briefly put it out. Frodo Baggins lives in the secluded Shire, far away from the real world of elves, men, dwarves, and other creatures. As a hobbit, he lives without much interruption. One day, he discovers his uncle left him a ring with evil powers. His friend, Gandalf discovers this, and they decide they must get rid of it. So Frodo travels with his friends Sam, Merry, and Pippin to Rivendale, to Elrond, a wise elf that will know what to do with it. Along the way, they have many adventures, and almost loose their lives several times. Once there, it is decided that there should be a group, or "fellowship", that will take the ring to Mount Doom, the only place it can be destroyed. The group is made up of nine: Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Gimli the dwarf, Legolas the elf, Boromir the man, Aragorn the man and heir to Gondor, and Gandalf the wizard. They soon realize the quest shan't be as easy as they thought, and the fellowship threatens to break. Once again, I am glad I read this book! Although I knew most of it, it was fun reading it and finding out the history of everything and the new scenes and characters. The first thirty pages or so are hard to get through because it is basically a history of hobbits with a bunch of foreign names and places. Once you get through that, it becomes of wonderful read. Even though they say you should read the book before you watch the movie, I disagree. There was so much description and complicated plots that you should know the story first.
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