Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Audio Version Of LOTR!
Review: There are two audio dramatizations of the Tolkien classic -- this one and the one done by The Mind's Eye. This one is the better of the two IMO. Done in thirteen parts on 13 cassettes (each cassette roughly 45 minutes to an hour long), this British production is well produced!The voice actors were well picked and do an excellent job of bringing characters like Gandalf, Frodo, Stider, Sam, etc. to life! One of the nice things is that plenty of voice actors were hired and if one did more than one voice, it was not noticable. Those who know TOTR very well will miss parts like the entire Tom Bombadil (sp) story as well as some other minor cuts. However the edits are done in such a way that one who's never read LOTR will not know something was missing! I HIGHLY recomend this audio collection not only for long road trips, but for home or work. I know I entertained many a co-worker by bringing this collection in and playing it. You can't go wrong buying this one!
Rating:
Summary: Audio adds a whole new dimension..
Review: "The Lord of the Rings" has been labeled as the best book of the century, and as millions of readers can attest to, it very well could be. Now prepare to rest your fingers, and let your ears take the journey into Middle-earth. The BBC has put together a masterpiece. The box itself is very nice. The cover slides off to reveal four full-color booklets with thirteen (yes, thirteen!) compact discs. The first booklet has a full color map of Middle-earth on the front, and more detailed maps on the interior. It holds three CDs. The second and third booklet also holds three CDs, with the fourth booklet holding four. The cast of characters, production personal, and a bio of Tolkien are included on these. Now, on to the dramatization. In a word: fabulous! The story follows the story faithfully, with each character seeming to come alive. The music and sound effects are also top notch, composed specially for this production. If you love the book, and want a new experience, pick up this box set. You won't be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: Review of the Audio CD Box Set
Review: One thing to know before you buy this audio version of the Lord of the Rings is that it is not a book on tape; it is an audio performance adapted from the book. The story is told about 90% in dialogue, 5% in sound effects, and 5% in narration. Of course, in order to adapt a description-heavy set of books into a dialogue-heavy audio production, a lot of Tolkien's own words have been necessarily changed to make the dialogue more descriptive of the scene. In other words, this is Tolkien's story, not his storytelling. Unfortunately, most of what I love about Tolkien is his writing. The story is not so captivating for me as the way it is told. This production is not a substitute for the book. I am not enjoying it as much as I would have enjoyed a more strict reading, or even a dramatization with a lot of narration (which is what I expected). I would only recommend this to die hard Tolkien fans--people who could appreciate this as an adaptation or interpretation. And of course, to people who love fantasy radio shows.
Rating:
Summary: Review of the Audio CD Box Set
Review: [EDIT: This review is for the "The Lord of the Rings (BBC Dramatization)" only.] One thing to know before you buy this audio version of the Lord of the Rings is that it is not a book on tape; it is an audio performance adapted from the book. The story is told about 90% in dialogue, 5% in sound effects, and 5% in narration. Of course, in order to adapt a description-heavy set of books into a dialogue-heavy audio production, a lot of Tolkien's own words have been necessarily changed to make the dialogue more descriptive of the scene. In other words, this is Tolkien's story, not his storytelling. Unfortunately, most of what I love about Tolkien is his writing. The story is not so captivating for me as the way it is told. This production is not a substitute for the book. I am not enjoying it as much as I would have enjoyed a more strict reading, or even a dramatization with a lot of narration (which is what I expected). I would only recommend this to die hard Tolkien fans--people who could appreciate this as an adaptation or interpretation. And of course, to people who love fantasy radio shows.
Rating:
Summary: Ian Holm and Lord of the Rings
Review: A beautiful dramatic adaptation of Tolkien's brilliant fantasy, this CD version brings to life the humor, suspense, and pathos of Lord of the Rings with heart and joy. The acting is superb, the casting (with one minor exception) outstanding, and the production painstaking and moving. I heartily recommend it for the LOTR fanatic in love with Middle Earth.
Rating: 
Summary: Action Sequences poorly done
Review: A voracious reader, LOTR understandably still ranks among my top five all-time favoites. So of course I wanted to share this fantastic story with my non-reading husband. Alas, this collection is only acceptable insofar as an abbreviated narrative of the story line, without heart. It falls substantially short of the mark when "depicting" the vital action sequences, but actually inhibits the storyline. Segments such as Sam's battle with Shelob, Gandalf's with the Balrog and the all-important vital battle sequences towards the end of the book, are represented as disconnected sounds and discordant and confusing noises. And, as you might guess, Gollum's verbalizations are almost unintelligible if one has not read the book first. I advise anyone thinking about purchasing this edition to stop the CD at action scenes,and read them aloud to whomever they're sharing the story with. Otherwise, it becomes a frustrating and horribly disappointing experience.
Rating: 
Summary: A Pursist's Perspective on LotR Audio CD Box Set (BBC)
Review: If you're looking for an exact rendition of LotR, you won't find it on these CDs. It stays true to the story well enough, but many details and characters are omitted to squeeze the production into 13 hours. Tom Bombadil is a good example. The plot unfolds differently, spending shorter but more frequent periods with the remnants of the fellowship. It's no substitute for the book, but it's time well spent in the car. If you're a selective collector of items like art, calanders, and criticisms, you'll enjoy this addition to your collection. I would have rated it higher had it been longer and more detailed.
Rating:
Summary: Masterfully done.
Review: What an incredible rendition of the epic tale "Lord of the Rings". I read the trilogy years ago, and when I bought the cd collection, the characters jumped to life as magically as they did when I first read the books. The musical scores, the actors, the sound effects, are wonderfully done. To be honest, when I first purchased it, I thought to myself "when am I going to have time to listen to 13 hours of cd's?". A week later, I am done with the entire set. I listened to much of the tale in my car... works wonders for hectic traffic jams to sit and listen to Frodo, Samwise, Gandolf and the rest go about their journey through Middle Earth. In fact, I think I will start listening to it again right now... bye!
Rating:
Summary: CD version?
Review: For anyone who is considering the CD version as appose to the cassette, you may just want to get the cassette. It is kind of irritating to have to listen to a whole eleven minute section just to re-catch a few lines.
Rating:
Summary: Worth the money, by far...
Review: When I first looked at this box set I knew I had to have it. Then my eye glanced the price, and my heart skipped a beat. I knew that they were a long series, and would therefore require many tapes, but never had I imagined they would cost so much. Still, I purchased it, and must say, I am very glad I did. It even held my daughters fleeting attention, and many a lunchtime have we sat around her boombox, eating grilled cheese sandwiches and listening to this enchanting tale.
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