Rating: 
Summary: GOOD
Review: Yes, this was a good novel like the other two. (And yes I know it was written as one novel) But Again we have so many names to remember it was a chore to keep track. Also I thought the end was a tad weak, on Mt Doom, but thats just me. Actually Frodo makes out quite well in the end and I was satisfied. Cheers!
Just and aside. I thought the movie of part one was very Good.
Rating: 
Summary: THE BEST BOOK EVER WRITTEN BAR NONE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: This trilogy is the best piece of literature ever concieved. If you havent already I have two words for you. READ IT!
Rating:
Summary: The Return of the King read by Rob Inglis -- Awesome!
Review: The Return of the King starts out slowly, but quickly builds to offer some of the most gripping and emotional battle scenes ever written. The seige of Gondor is awe-inspiring, so well written you'd swear Tolkien was standing there watching it happen before him as he was taking it all down. And that's only in the first 6 discs! It only gets more gripping from that point! *Reading* J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings "trilogy" (I think we all know now it's not really a trilogy, but rather seven slimmer books slapped together to make three fat ones), is wonderful. But *hearing* the books read by a master like Rob Inglis is nothing short of breathtaking. Inglis transforms the books from something you merely imagine into something you actually experience. Each character comes alive and becomes someone you'd instantly recognize should you chance meet him/her. The Return of the King follows on the heels of The Two Towers and picks up the tale of the quest to destroy the One Ring. King is written in the same way as Towers, with multiple tales going on simultaneously. In the Two Towers, the tale is split into three: Frodo and Sam...Merry and Pippin...and Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas. The tales never converge (Inglis' characterization of Gollum in The Two Towers is chilling, by the way -- what a brilliant performance!) and, in fact, seem to splinter even more at the very end of the book. (I won't reveal what happens lest you haven't heard/read it all yet.) King begins with Merry, Pippin, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli more or less together -- then going their separate ways again...only to come together, miraculously, at the battle for Gondor. And then...well, you'll have to listen for yourself to discover if Frodo succeeds. As with the previous RecordedBooks editions, this CD set is perfect. The sound quality is flawless. Very clear and crisp. Every nuance of Rob Inglis' marvelous voice is heard without spot or blemish. And the 16 CDs (some 15 hours!) seem to fly by. I swear there were times when I didn't want to leave the car because the action was so gripping. As I listened to The Return of the King -- in fact, as I experienced the entire series on CD -- I kept feeling a stirring inside of me that was hard to explain. I think it has to do with knowing one's place in the world, doing what's right, chivalry, gallantry, royalty, kings, queens, etc. For example, whenever I heard one of the characters address someone like Aragorn as "lord," or when Merry and/or Pippin chose (out of love and respect) to serve their kings to the end if need be, I wondered if we're missing something these days. Actually, I longed to experience the same thing. Some days I just want to be commanded by my king. And I want to follow wholeheartedly as a loyal subject, bravely wielding my sword in battle. Life is so much simpler when you know exactly what to do. Much more clear-cut. But such is the world of J.R.R. Tolkien. Part of its allure is the majesty of the language. Part of it is the unparalleled imagery of the world he created. And part of it is the gallantry and bravery of the characters. If you're new to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series, don't start with The Return of the King. That's the last chapter. Start with The Fellowship of the Ring. Or The Hobbit, which is the "prequel" to the series. But if you want some of the finest audio book experiences you'll ever enjoy, get this set read by Rob Inglis. His deep, expressive, British voice is perfect to make Toklien's world spring vibrantly to life.
Rating:
Summary: A fitting finale.
Review: For those who want a review but not be told much about what happens-here it is. You want to read it yourself, so I won't give much away-not like a friend of mine who told me just how Sauron was defeated! Don't worry I won't do that! Of the three books it is probably the most hopeful and the brightest, although it certainly doesn't start that way. Characters- especially Merry, Pippin, Frodo, Sam and Aragorn, as well as Eowyn and Faramir and Denethor, come into their own. There are cameos from Elrond, Arwen (who will surely get a lot more place in the film), and a host of new characters, new uglies, and new suprises thrown in. The Battle of Minas Tirith is really detailed, and will feature prominently in the upcoming film in 2003, to be sure. Tolkien fans will also be waiting with anticipation for such images as Mount Doom erupting on the big screen. One of the more interesting parts for me is towards the end in the "Scouring of the Shire"-a suprise thrown in by Mr Tolkien with some ingenuity. It brings evil back into the homelands of the hobbits, which they must defeat for themselves. When you finish it's on to "the Hobbit", if you haven't read it already, and then "the Silmarillion" if you're really keen. Good luck!
Rating:
Summary: Goodbye to Middle Earth
Review: Tolkien refuses to end things quite as expected in the conclusion of the Lord of the Rings. As it begins, Pippin stews in Gondor recuperating from his traumatic experience at the end of his story in "Two Towers" under Gandalf's watchful eye, while we see the final battle through Merry's eyes as he unexpectedly plays a major part in the end of the war. Meanwhile, Sam attempts to rescue Frodo, who is weakened both physically and mentally as they near Mordor... This is the most emotional entry of the trilogy, ending not with the war but it's aftermath as the hobbits return to the Shire only to find that trouble has hit home. Merry leads a defense as Frodo begins to learn the price he must pay for having been the Ringbearer. Not only the greatest fantasy ever written, the trilogy also becomes, in this final installment, an allegory about why isolationism doesn't work - and why sometimes the good fight has to be fought, occasionally at great cost, long before home becomes the battlefield.
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Summary: Top Ten Features of the Return of the King
Review: 1) Gollum (Smeagle) is the epitome of the lowest creation. From the beginning when he murdered his best friend for the ring Gollum was doomed. He had the ring, but it possessed him. However, he lost the ring and even though it pained him he still loved and longed for it. It was his own, his precious. Gollum disappears, but then returns during the fellowship. After guiding Frodo and Sam he betrayed them in an effort to seize the ring. In the Return of the King he reappears and shadows Frodo and Sam. He plays an integral role in the completion of the task of the fellowship in Tolkien's ironic way.
2) The unconventional way of wizards is an example of Tolkien's creativity. Most wizards have a wand, but Tolkien's wizards, though they are mystifying, seem to be the caretakers and historians of the world and are concerned for the greater well being of the earth and its inhabitants. They also seem to gain power from knowledge. When Gandalf returned as Gandalf the White he speaks of learning much and he has also increased in power. However, wizards are susceptible to the temptation of evil because a dark wizard is more powerful.
3) The main object of the epic is the ring. The ring is inanimate yet it can turn anyone who possesses it towards evil even if they wish otherwise. It also could turn those who put it on invisible. The rings main purpose is to return to its master (Sauron). When it was created Sauron put part of him in it, in order to make him more powerful. It was also part of a masterful plan to force every creature under his power.
4) Tolkien's depiction of the evil Sauron as a lidless eye that sees all is interesting anthropomorphism because he possesses the attributes of most evil beings, but since he is unable to take physical form he is a mysterious unseen powerful ruler. The Eye of Sauron sees all yet its attention can be focused on an area, allowing things to slip.
5) The Ents are a truly original Tolkien conception. They are trees that have been awakened. Though their major role is in the Two Towers they do appear in this novel. They live to be extremely old, and don't like to be hasty. They also can break stone easily.
6) Though the title of the book concedes the knowledge of the king's (Aragorn) return, after this event the book unexpectedly continues. After all the hobbit's hardships, when they reach home they still have to deal with an unforeseen difficulty. Saramen, a character who was thought to be out of the book, resurfaces at the head of the conflict. In the chapter the "The Scouring of the Shire," Tolkien twists the plot and creates a small climax as the four hobbits rebel against men.
7) This book, as with the previous two novels, showcases Tolkien's conceptual world. He masterfully is able to take the reader into this world, as if the story was fact.
8) This verse opens the book. "Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie." It sets the stage for the coming tale and leaves the reader waiting to uncover more
9) A skilled linguist, Tolkien's elven language further contributes to the overall sense of reality.
10) By focusing on minor characters, such as Merry and Pippin, Tolkien is able to keep the reader from predicting the next event.
Rating:
Summary: The Spellbinding End To The Finest Fantasy Saga Of All Time
Review: "The Return Of The King" is a rousing conclusion to the "Lord Of The Rings" trilogy. Tolkien weaves a mesmerizing account of the War of the Ring as the Dark Lord Sauron sends his armies against Gondor. With the timely help of the Riders of Rohan, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Merry and Pippin find themselves preparing for the final battle against Sauron's dark legions during the first part of "The Return Of The King". The second part chronicles Frod's and Sam's perilous journey through Mordor, followed by Gollum, as they head towards Mount Doom. It also depicts the final battle in defense of Gondor against Sauron's forces. Last, but not least, the tale ends surprisingly where it all began, in the Shire, at Bag's End. I don't know whether Peter Jackson's filmed adaptation of "The Return Of The King" will be as mesmerizing as the book, but judging from his excellent adaptation of "Fellowship Of The Ring", I think it most certainly shall.
Rating:
Summary: An Epic Conclusion
Review: The Return of the King picks up where The Two Towers left off. In this final installment our attention turns to the western part of Middle-earth as the Ring continues its journey toward Mount Doom and Aragorn and Theoden lead their armies toward Minas Tirith. I've read some reviews here that express disappointment with the lack of a final face-to-face conflict with Sauron. They ask "How could he be so dumb?" These people, I think, have missed the point. Just as I think the second book is about the acceptance of destiny, The Return of the King is about the arrogance of Evil. Sauron and his minions never believed they could be defeated. Gandalf said as much when he figured that Sauron couldn't even imagine so simple an assault could be his undoing. Also, I find Sauron more frightening in his non-corporeal form. If he made a physical appearance at the end it would have greatly diminished his ability to frighten. I find that the strange ending with Saruman works. It shows how the Shire can no longer be isolated from the affairs of the world. The Ring Quest dragged the Shire, kicking and screaming, into the Fourth Age all the while seasoning her future leaders for the tasks that lie ahead. The appendices included here are invaluable to anyone who either wants to read more about Middle-earth's past.
Rating:
Summary: The Resurgence of the Hobbits
Review: The title of Tolkien's third part of "The Lord of the Rings" is both true and misleading. It points away from the heroism of the minor characters who carry all three parts of the Ring Saga, and it points to the tragic nature of the heroic epic. The dark and hopeless tone of the first two parts of the novel are fully realized and brought to a bright, if overcast conclusion in "The Return of the King." Despite my bleak overview, the plot and characters are still masterfully rendered as the epic concludes. "The Return of the King" begins, as does its predecessor, "The Two Towers," with everything in chaos. Here, the Fellowship of the Ring is further fractured - Merry departs with the newly-resuscitated wizard Gandalf for the beseiged fortress of Minas Tirith (the primary fortress of Gondor) to rejoin the valiant Pippin; Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, and the Riders of Rohan pursue supernal aid on the Paths of the Dead; meanwhile, Sam faces despair as Frodo is borne away by a band of Orcs out of the dark maze of Cirith Ungol. Tolkien's plotting is fantastic, even Dickensian, as characters separate, reunite, and coincidences and chance govern the fate of Middle-earth. The action of "The Return of the King" involves Gandalf and Aragorn's attempts to stave off the elimination of their patchwork defense at the hands of Sauron, desperately trying to buy time for Frodo to complete his mission. Unfortunately, for me, the intensity of the denouement necessitates Tolkien to privilege, in the main, plot over character development in "The Return of the King." Where character does govern the story, as with the first two parts of the Ring Saga, minor characters manage to take precedence over the huge scale of the action in which they move. In this context, "The Return of the King" belongs to two little hobbits, virtually overlooked by everyone in the novel, Merry and Sam - their efforts and concerns make them the most human and fully-realized characters in the third part of "The Lord of the Rings." The legacy of "The Return of the King," is just that - the title - the consolidation of power by Men - as the final confrontations between the forces of good and evil envelop dwarves, elves, and hobbits alike, Men begin to assume a place of leadership and control. Herein is the melancholy of the Ring Saga and of part three in particular - this is what Tolkien offers his readers, 50 years after the epic was first published. As important to-day as it was in the aftermath of World War II, what do we of the 'race of Men' do to make our world habitable? Tolkien's final installment of the Ring Saga implores us, the legatees of a fictional, fantasy world to act, as rather ordinary human beings, to be welcoming and hospitable to each other in this Dark Age; to reconcile our differences and somehow find lasting peace. Whether we are judged as Gandalf or Saruman, as Sam or Gollum is in our hands. It is a heavy burden, but one which Tolkien asks us to embrace.
Rating:
Summary: the last of the great books
Review: this is where it all comes together. gandalf defeats saruman, frodo is thought dead and sam leaves to try and find the others or home. frodo is captured by orcs who are under the control of sauron. the ring grows heavier everyday as it gets nearer the fire of mt. doom. the book ends as it should. the quest was to destroy the ring and they succeeded but not without alot of pitfalls and lost members of the fellowship along the way. the end of the third age of middle earth has come to pass and they are together again. all three books are filled with poems, songs and tales of the ring in it's first years of life. these books are beautifully written and told with excitement. some names and places are confusing but it in no way stops you from enjoying the books. i recommend all of tolkiens books to anyone who enjoys reading abt other places and being right there in the action.
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