Rating: 
Summary: Great performance by Inglis, but some quibbles
Review: This reading of the entire Lord of the Rings is hard not to rate highly because of the quality of the performance. Mr. Inglis seems to have a whole world of different voices. I can't imagine how he managed to come up with so many or how he managed to remember what voice he picked for each character. He performs so well that this is really more a dramatization of the whole book rather than just someone reading it; even his voicing of the narration is perfect.I've not listened to the whole yet, being about half-way through the Fellowship of the Ring. I assume that the quality of the performance will be just as good for the parts I've not listened to yet. However, I do have several quibbles (which are not enough to lessen my rating, but which I found surprising against the overall quality). The first quibble has nothing to do with Mr. Inglis himself: Sometimes I can hear, faintly, another voice in the background. It sounds like this voice is also reading something. To the creators of this recording: get better sound-proofing. Mr. Inglis's voice and performance are so wonderful that it is a pity to have this distraction. The second quibble has to do with Mr. Inglis: I happen to be listening to this recording while following along in my printed books of the trilogy, therefore it becomes obvious when Mr. Inglis departs from the text. I really don't mind the sometimes excessive use of contractions that are not in Tolkien's original (even though "don't use the ring" really does not have the same emphasis as "do *not* use the ring") and it's not so bad when he substitutes one word for another of the same meaning (possibly he may be reading from a different edition). However, occasionally, Mr. Inglis makes boo-boos that change the meaning of the sentence being read. At least two come to mind (and these from the first half of the Fellowship): Near the end of the Tom Bombadil episode (when Frodo and Co. are taking leave of Goldberry) a "morning" is changed to a "misty morning". The word "misty" is not in the text and confuses the meaning of the passage as the sentences that follow imply that the morning is a clear one. The other most noticible change is that Sam's statement "How do *we* know that you are the real Strider..." gets read as "How do *you* know that you are the real Strider...", which makes no sense. These are the two errors of reading that first come to mind, but there were more. Enough, let's say, to surprise me in a performance that is almost pitch-perfect. However, like I said previously, these quibbles don't reduce my rating and the set is well worth any amount of money.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Fantastic
Review: I have read The Lord of the Rings countless times and have always enjoyed it. I have listened to, and enjoyed, the BBC "radio play" version, but this unabridged reading by Rob Ingles was far superior. To say that Rob Ingles "reads" the book misses the point. He ACTS the book, and he is wonderful. Each character has his own voice, his own mannerisms of speech. The songs are sung and stories are told, not just read. By listening, you are cast into the world of Middle Earth. You are along for each moment of the journey, each excrutiating step of the bearer's quest.
Listening to this story read aloud brings the full richness and complexity of this timeless tale to life. It has been a wonderful experience. I know I will listen to this time and time again.
Plus. . . It's worth the whole price just to hear Gandalf's voice!!
Rating:
Summary: This is the one!!!
Review: This unabridged version is the way to go. I have heard the dramitization versions and they are OK if that is your thing. I prefer this simpler version. The entire story is there and Rob Inglis does a great job changing his voice and reading generally very dramatically. I really love this audio book!
Rating:
Summary: What a Perfect Performance!
Review: Perhaps you will not believe me when I tell you that I have listened to this recorded book upwards of twenty times, but I have! I love J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpiece, but when Rob adds his incredible powers of voice and rythem the book wraps you up in its spell. The voices he gives each character are distinct and lifelike; Frodo, Sam, Gandalf, and Aragorn are all portrayed to the life. Every character is so real you can almost see them.
Rob Inglis sings each of the songs (which pack the books with life and color) with a nice, rich voice that does them justice. He makes the tense moments tense, the beautiful moments beautiful, and the tragic moments tragic (I still cry when Gandalf falls in Moria)...may seem alot to spend...but this audio book is worth EVERY penny. I know the books almost by heart now...
Rating:
Summary: Perfection.
Review: Inglis' delivery was very nearly flawless. He also has an excellent singing voice; I was astonished to find there were so many songs written down in the books. The only major problem I had with this set is that it was finite. I had never heard of Mr. Inglis before listening to this set. He actually made me look forward to an hour-long commute. If someone were to publish his reading of the Zip code directory, I would purchase it immediately. He's that good.
Rating:
Summary: Super Fantastic!
Review: Super fantastic! I have read the "Lord of the Rings" (LotR) trilogy eight times. I think that Peter Jackson's movies are the best to day. I think that the 13-hour BBC production is the best radio play to date. Although this 55-hour 46-CD set is the only unabridged audio book for LotR, I doubt that it could be surpassed. Inglis does an excellent job at articulation and dramatization, giving different intonation and mannerisms to different characters. It really is as if you were reading the book. The recording is very good. The CDs performed well. The packaging is excellent, in a cardboard case, with three cardboard boxes, each with three liners that can hold up to four CDs each. One thing that I liked about this is that each track is around three minutes long. This is great for when you have to stop and pick up later -- especially if your portable CD player does not remember the track! Another thing that I liked was the lack of dynamic range. Yes, the lack of it. The loudness is very even across a wine range of topics. This is especially important when listening in the car or with headphones, typically in noisy environment. With some other products, I was constantly turning the volume up and down. Not with this set. However, the performance of the reading did not suffer at all because of this. That is great! This should be in every library of LotR fans, especially those that travel a lot and want to listen while on the go. Highly recommended!
Rating: 
Summary: Astounding book, good presentation
Review: It is so welcome to finally have 'The Lord of the Rings' in an unabridged popular-price edition. I've awaited it for many years. In edition to reading the book, I have often listened to the excellent 13-hour BBC radio production (also highly recommended) but wanted the full text as Professor Tolkien wrote it. My rating for the book content is, of course, fully five stars. It is unique and wonderful. For reader Rob Inglis, also very good marks: he is a very clear, warm dramatic reader who does well at creating the various voices, without overdoing it. I've listened to hundreds of audio books, and would rate him in the top 15 percent. (He's not a great singer but renders the many songs pleasantly, as a hobbit might.) The audio quality of this tape set, recorded in 1991, is good. Let me be clear: I have no complaint. It's very good, clear, not distracting. Just not as aurally pristine as the highest modern standards make possible. Separate and apart from that, the very first tape in the set had infrequent but annoying sound drop outs of about 1-2 seconds, every few minutes. The other tapes did not have the problem. The problem may not be on other copies or on the CD edition, but it's worth noting, especially since it was the first tape. However, with those minor quibbles, I highly recommend this wonderful addition to the ways to enjoy the book. For those who have only seen the magnificent movie, there are many surprises and additions (and some changes) here. Don't miss it. It will make your car rides and dog walks and yard mowings a pleasure for 50+ hours.
Rating:
Summary: Fantstic!
Review: I checked this CD book (and The Hobbit CD Book) out of the local library. I recommend this to any and all, especially those with copies that are missing discs. This recording is everything one could wish for in a LoTR listening experience... outstanding feeling, correct pronunciation (after all, J.R.R. was a linguist... the whole purpose for the books, really), ease of use... just fantastic! Inglis does a great job.
The movies are great movies, but they are NOT The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien... they are The Lord of the Rings by Peter Jackson. These discs are The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, and one can give no greater praise than that!
Rating: 
Summary: Addendum!
Review: I'm a big LOTR fan. I hoped to find this a way to enjoy the books while walking, etc. And up to now it has been wonderful. The production of this audiobook is great (five stars)--the care in putting it together physically is nil stars--so I've opted for three. Inglis manages to bring Middle Earth and its inhabitants to life--and while some say he sounds bored at times, I think it may be that curious "story-telling" inflection, not boredom at all. It's like having someone tell you a rousing good story without being over dramatic and loud. No musical distractions No bombast, no sound effects. Just a warm, jolly voice telling me a great tale. Although I must say I was disappointed not to hear the prologue. However, I am missing disk 16. I see someone else is missing disk 15. I wonder if the makers were in a rush to get some product out there after the success of the films, and were a bit lax in quality control. I wish to make it clear that in NO way do I blame AMAZON for this problem. They have been more than fair...and I am quite happy with their service and wouldn't hesitate to deal with them again. I will also say that the package arrived almost a full month before I expected it! I will put it down to a freak of packaging. Still...one anticipates, and I am disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Missing disk!
Review: Don't get me wrong, I love this book, this audio CD version as well! So far...I too have TWO disk 15s and NO disk 16!! I waited MONTHS for AMAZON.CA to finally admit they couldn't get it, finally "lucked out on AMAZON.COM and now this. I am SERIOUSLY displeased!
| 
