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Summary: Ear Splitting!!!
Review: This is a very good story, but the different voices of the characters are hard to understand. Some of the characters' voices are just ear splitting, you'll be constantly reaching for the volume button, some hard to hear, others ear splitting. I think I'll stick to audio books read by one reader.
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Summary: Best book I have ever read
Review: This is the best book i have ever read. The ultimat best characters. An unraveling plot. Unending suspence. The constant battle between good and evil. Dwarfs, Hobbits, Goblins, Eagles, Ravens, Trolls, and wizards make up the wide variety of characters in The Hobbit. Magic, strategy, witts, and will are all forces in the outcome of an infinatly long and strenuous adventure. This is a MUST read. Buy it, borrow it, just get it. It is in fact one of the greatest books.
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Summary: Theatrical Production
Review: This recording by the BBC is a Theatrical Production of The Hobbit and not a strict reading. As with most any theatrical production content has been cut for length. The Hobbit would require about 10-11 hours to read aloud and this production is in the 4- to 5-hour range.
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Summary: Beware....
Review: This tape is well done, but IT IS NOT UNABRIDGED! The publisher lists it as unabridged and it is not. If you want the full, word for word, book as Tolkien wrote it, look elsewhere.
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Summary: Hard to follow...
Review: This telling of the classic story seems to have had good intentions, however the attempt to bring the action to life through the use of actors portraying elves, dwarfs etc. leaves the listener confused as to who is saying what and exactly what is going on in the story. Having not read to book I found myself having to listen and re-listen to certain portions to prevent losing the plot in all the ruckus and jabbering voices. Additionally, many of the main charactor voices sounded so similar that it was hard to know who was speaking. For fans already familiar with the story or children who may enjoy the sound effects this could be a good option, but for those wanting to hear the plot unfold unencumbered the classic reading would definitely be a better choice.
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Summary: A Delightful Trip into the Misty Mountains!
Review: This wonderful set of audio CDs has been a delight in my family. About 10 years ago we got rid of our television, and we spend a lot of time listening to audio drama and reading to each other. My five children have spent countless hours listening to this series, with its fantastic dramatizations of Tolkien's characters. The music and sound effects are also a real treat. It's also a great companion to the BBC's other Tolkien series, "The Lord of the Rings."It's my precious!!
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Summary: BBC Hobbit tough to listen to
Review: We were looking forward to a long Christmas drive with our new recording of The Hobbit. Unfortunately, this BBC recording is very difficult to listen to for two reasons. First, the actors talk very quickly in their British accents. Secondly, the range of volumes is quite broad, making it almost inaudible at times. We listened eagerly for about 10 minutes and then gave up.
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Summary: What a wonderful story from another era.
Review: What a wonderful story from a another era. J.R.R. Tolkien had the ability to weave a story and pull the reader (or listener) into his tale. It must be 25 years ago when I first read this story and what a story it was. The Hobbit opened my eyes to a whole other world of reading. Being the son of a librarian, I was accustomed to books, but when I received this book I did not want to put it down. As I have read this story yearly, I was very excited to see the BBC dramatization released on CD. I must tell you that the BBC did a wonderful job with this story, bringing out the highs and the lows with precision and believability. You will not be disappointed with this series. Now is the time to join Bilbo and the company of Dwarves. Your adventure awaits.
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Summary: Do not buy this for your portable
Review: When I read the review that mentioned how this audio book was created to give the listener the feeling of an old time radio show, I did not realise the drawbacks of this format. The sound effects come across as low-buget and amature. The music drones on and on, with the vocals being so quiet and hard to hear. I ran tests on portable cassette and home theater. This book is acceptable if you have a powerful amplifier -- but any environment that has background noise (car, walking) this is not a good tape to try and listen to.
Rating: 
Summary: wonderful for long car rides.
Review: When I was seven or so, I was given the Hobbitt on tape, which got me hooked. I was looking to see if I could track down the same production, as a present. This is not the one. Not as well done as the American production, it is still magical. Great when you have fidgety little ones in the back seat!!
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