Rating: 
Summary: An Epic Beginning
Review: After nearly ten years of people telling me I *had* to read the Lord of the Rings trilogy I broke down and finally did so. Having read The Hobbit in high school I thought I knew what to expect from Tolkien's trilogy. I was very wrong. The world he creates here is richer and more fully realised than the Middle-earth of The Hobbit. This, unlike The Hobbit, is a story on an epic scale and Tolkien never lets you forget that.As the first novel in the trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring, obviously, must set the stage for the next two novels. That means a lot of back story and that many characters and themes need to be introduced. It also means that it doesn't wrap things up in a neat little bow when you reach the last page. This bothers people for some reason. Some other reviewers here have said that Fellowship is boring. While I would agree that there are slow spots in Fellowship, I would never call it boring. The bits of the story you learn from Gandalf's meeting with Frodo in the Shire or the Council of Elrond are important much later and Tolkien needs to bring them in when he does. Even the journey to Rivendell (what I thought to be a rather slow bit) introduces a good many characters. The pay-off for the dull parts come in the sections dealing with the Mines of Moria and the journey down the river from Lorien. Tolkien is a master storyteller and he does not waste a single word. If you've enjoy reading works on an epic scale (The Odyssey, Beowulf) then you'll enjoy Tolkien's world.
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Summary: Part One Of The Finest Fantasy Saga Ever Written
Review: Tolkien's "The Lord Of The Rings" trilogy literally created the genre of heroic fantasy, spawning works as diverse as those written by Ursula K. Le Guin, Samuel Delany, Terry Brooks, and of course, even J. K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" series. You can also hear echoes of "The Lord Of The Rings" in both the "Star Wars" saga, and especially, "Babylon 5" (Indeed J. Michael Straczynski, the creator of "Babylon 5" has often acknowledged his debt to Tolkien.). Yet it stands head and shoulders above them all as an epic tale of friendship, devotion, and faith as a motley crew of heroes valiantly try to stop the evil Sauron from conquering all of Middle-earth. In "Fellowship Of The Ring", Frodo Baggins undertakes a perilous journey as the Ring bearer, the keeper of Sauron's one ring of power, without which the dark lord can not hope to conquer all of Middle-earth. Frodo is joined in his quest by such noble figures as the Human ranger Strider (later revealed as Aragorn, the last surviving descendant of a legendary lineage of kings), the elf Legolas, the dwarf Gimli, the wizard Gandalf, Frodo's kinsmen Merry and Pippin, and his ever faithful friend Samwise Gamgee. Much to my amazement, Peter Jackson's filmed adaptation of "Fellowship Of The Ring" remains remarkably quite faithful to the text, though compressing some details for dramatic license, and omitting the important character of Tom Bombadil. Indeed, the film ends at the very opening of "The Two Towers", the next installment of "The Lord Of The Rings", with the fellowship dispersed and with Boromir, another of the humans, dead. If you haven't read Tolkein's epic before, you're in for a veritable literary feast after seeing Jackson's elegant adaptation (One of the finest filmed adaptations of a literary work I've seen in a long, long time.). However, I'd recommend reading this splendid work first before viewing Jackson's cinematic masterpiece.
Rating: 
Summary: long-winded but still good
Review: J.R.R. Tolkien took forever to write this book, but I think both he and I would have been saved a lot of time if he just cut down his lenghthy descriptions and stuck to the plot. The ridiculous songs, included to add an ancient, mysterious tone to the book, really don't contribute to the book's success, nor do the historical ramblings or repetitive descriptions of the characters' surroundings.
Yes, yes, I know some nut who's so caught up in fantasy that he dresses like a hobbit himself will no doubt criticize my review, stating that the descriptions and songs and countless pages of dribble make the story SO REAL and it's the alternate reality that makes this story a masterpiece. But for those of us still living on planet earth, it's just a bit too much to have to deal with the long-winded, unnecessary parts of this book.
BUT, the plot is excellent, and that's what kept me reading. Although not as exciting as The Hobbit (a superior book in my opinion), the great storyline and exciting turn of events were enough for me to call this book a good one. I will read the other books in the trilogy, now knowing what to expect.
I do recommend this book, but just realize what you're in for. If you have the patience, it's worth your time.
Rating:
Summary: No Folly
Review: I loathe some of the newer forms of literature just because they are so tame, I think that they have nothing compared to Tolkien's genius. His quick wit and serious situations make you want to keep going throughout the story. If you put it down for a few minutes you are literally craving to begin again. ] I saw the movie first because my fiancé pointed out that it would be worth my while. I had never taken the time to read these books before. I saw the movie and was awe struck. The book is full of fun adventures, interesting people, like Aragorn, Legolas, Frodo, and the famous Bilbo. I think if Leonard Nimoy would have read this book then istead of Bilbo being "The greatest little hobbit of them all" Frodo would have been talked about more. I liked the story, dialouge, and the vivid presentation of all the people, places, and things the fellowshop comes across. Spontaneous, sad, happy, and merry are only a few words that I could use to describe the story. All inspiring and fun Tolkien is a master of the Fantasy tale. I enjoyed this tale, continuing the saga is a must. It just isn't right any other way. READ THESE BOOKS! If you like fantasy, adventure, drama, and comedy rolled into one book!
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Summary: The best fantasy book ever written
Review: This excellent fantasy trilogy paved the way for just about all fantasy books that we have today. Even if some people find Tolkien's writing style "boring," if you can appreciate a great descriptive style that goes in-depth with everything, this is the book for you. As soon as I read this book, I was so caught up in Tolkien's world of Middle-Earth that I didn't really think that any other fantasy book could live up to this, and so far none have. Even though the movie was very good, in my opinion you couldn't get quite as much out of it if you had read the book. Anyone who appreciates great fantasy should read it. Even if you don't like it, you should recognize that many fantasy books written today are written after this great trilogy. This is a great adventure of good against evil, how some friends will stick by you forever and how some will someday let you down, and how so small a thing can cause such a huge struggle.
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Summary: Prepare for the journey of a lifetime
Review: I first read this book when I was in the 8th grade in 1984. I had just finished The Hobbit and I didn't know how much this book would affect my life. Prior to picking up the LOTR series, I was not much of a reader. These books got me into reading and it seems I haven't stopped. The Fellowship starts the journey and I enjoyed every step. Tolkien has a way with describing his world that you feel a part of it. As I re-read the book (in preparation for the Movie), I was transported to two places at once. I felt like I was back at Adams Junior High School in Tampa Florida and in Middle-Earth at the same time. I have just picked up Two Towers and am looking forward to continuing the journey. I encourage everyone to meet Frodo, Sam and the gang and walk through Middle-earth with them.
Rating:
Summary: Slow to start, but builds to a great finish
Review: OK-first I've got to confess that I avoided "Ring" geeks in high school-they were way too passionate (zealots?). Over the years, I've resisted and when I finally read and loved "The Hobbit" I decided to read "Fellowship" a year ago. Since then I put it down twice, getting bogged down in the lengthy history of Middle Earth that precedes the actual story. Once I decided to skip it altogether, things built speed rapidly and I ended up really enjoying the book. Since many will consider reading this based on seeing the film, I'll add that I saw the movie and was blown away by how well the filmmakers told the story, leaving out the parts that are nice but superfluous, and keeping the core intact. That said, the book makes more clear the monumental task of gathering opposing forces against a common enemy and shows why the choices characters make (the elf-queen, for instance) are not as simple as they appear in the film. I also realized how thoroughly George Lucas "borrowed" from "Rings" in the first 3 Star Wars movies...
Rating: 
Summary: It's not the same book I read in grade school
Review: I first read The Hobbit in grade school, and loved the adventure and excitement of Bilbo's journey to Lonely Mountain to defeat the evil dragon. But I grew bored mid-way through Fellowship of the Ring, as the second half of that book focused on the ancient histories and alien geography of Middle Earth. I never finished the trilogy. When I picked up both books fifteen years later, I had the reverse experience. The Hobbit was still fun to read, but rather childish and simple. On the other hand, FOTR captured my imagination because of the incredibly complex, detailed lore surrounding Middle Earth. Tolkien spends much time discussing the differences in attitudes, customs, and languages of his three major races ' men, dwarves, and elves ' almost as if he were writing an anthropology textbook rather than a novel.
Frodo's mission to destroy the Great Ring, while exciting, serves primarily as device to flesh out the mythos of the Middle Earth universe. Indeed, some of the most exciting action scenes in the recent movie version (Gandalf's battle with the evil wizard; the capture and escape of Gollum) occur 'off camera' in the book and are related to the reader second-hand. Other important sequences, such as the battle with the demon balrog, occupy only a few brief pages. This book is not for everybody. It demands a lot of patience through long passages of exposition and backstory. It leaves gaps in the narrative for readers to flesh out in their imaginations. But, once you begin to understand the intricacies of Tolkien's world, it becomes an engrossing experience. I will wait another year before reading the next volume (just in time for the movie, probably). But I plan to buy a copy of the Silmarillion this week to brush up on the stories of ancient Middle Earth, events alluded to in FOTR but never fully explained.
Rating:
Summary: Seen the movie yet?
Review: I just read The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring in preparation for seeing the movie. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The writing style was good, believable and yet easy to read. I would highly recommend reading The Hobbit first because there are too many references in Fellowship that won't make sense unless you do. For those considering reading the book before seeing the movie - I would recommend this. The movie was great and fairly accurate but left out many interesting details. Also, in rare form, the movie does add some to the book as it is more dramatic and slightly embellished in some places. For those who have read the book but not seen the movie - WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best Fantasys
Review: Thsi is a great book for people 11 and up. This book becomes part of you because the characters are so real you feal like you know them. Its is written well. Just get through the first 50 pages or so and it satarts getting good.
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