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The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Gift Set

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Gift Set

List Price: $129.99
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Gift Set
Review: This reading the of Lord of the Rings by Rob Inglis is completely outstanding. I higly recommend this recording to anyone. My children have listened to it several times, and what a great item to have on a long trip!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: It has its moments...
Review: Generally, I really liked this audio series. There are only a few quibbles I have with it. First of all, Rob Inglis's singing on Tolkien's many songs is quite enough to make you lose your lunch. Somehow, these songs seem like commercial breaks in which you can get up and go to the fridge before the program resumes and you can continue listening to the stuff you came to hear. At least in the print versions you can easily skip them without batting an eyelash. The Fellowship is the worst offender in this regard, as the characters break out into song more often than the cast of Cats.

Another problem with the Fellowship is that the story really takes a long time to get moving. If you ask me, Tolkien's descriptions of what the hobbits ate on their way out of the shire can be skipped in their entirety and wouldn't detract from the story one bit.

Some of Tolkien's writings sound silly and pretentious considering they were written in the twentieth century, what with all of his "ere's" instead of "before's" and "hither's" instead of "here's," etc. Further, many of his descriptions of people and places seem a bit overwrought, and much, again, like annoying commercial breaks before you get back into the action.

Lastly, Tolkien's admiration of his fiction "Elves" who seem to look better, sound better, cook better, make prettier stuff, than everybody else in his fictional universe seems to sound like the worship of some non-existent hero race to me. It hardly seems possible that one group can be better than everybody else in every conceiveable way. Just gave me the heebie-jeebies. Oh, and Gimli's obsession with Galadriel gets tiresome after a while.

Now, if you think all of this makes me sound a bit like one with an attention span that's too short, I'll grant you that you may have a point, but that said, slogging through over a thousand pages of this stuff takes a bit longer of an attention span than average.

Generally, good compelling literature, but it does have some major drawbacks in its pace and tone. Greatest novel of the twentieth century? Probably not, but still good stuff.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: For the price, I was very concerned that the reading would be poor. However, it was absolutely outstanding. This is a must0have item for LOTR fans.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This should be in any Tolkien fan's collection
Review: I have listened to the majority of the CDs in this collection and what a terrific experience it has been. Rob Inglis' voice is absolutely perfect for the story. All the characters come to life from this single narrator. What's more, the songs and poems in the book are sung and read brilliantly. The passage where Aragorn and Legolas sing to the western, southern, and northern winds for the passing of Boromir has been done exceptionaly well.

As noted by others, there are some minor word substitutions and differences in the edition being read from but that in no way diminishes this elegant work. The story is timeless, the reading masterful. It's almost as if the Rob Inglis' voice has been tailor made for this type of story. The imagery of the book really comes alive with the reading. One passage sticks in my mind. It's the one where the Fellowship is travelling down Anduin and Legolas steps out of the boat to shoot down the Nazgul and his flying steed. The reading and imagery are so vivid that the entire scene just builds an image in the mind. Few books and readings have achieved such a high level.

Undoubtedly others will find their own favorite moments. That's what the combination of literary and narrative masters provides. At the very worse this work will provide hours of enjoyment. No Tolkien fan should be without this exceptional effort.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Lord of the Rings
Review: I've recently read this entire trilogy and think it is not only a wonderfully written book, but is an amazing work of imagination. J. R. R. Tolkien's characters, creatures, languages, and settings are all so very interesting. I really enjoyed the movies, but I think, whether you've seen them or not, you should definitely read the books. The way they portray the Christian life is another thing I strongly admire. There is much more to say about this book, but I'll leave the rest for you to decide when you've read it for yourself!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A winner
Review: Sensational. Rob Ingels is a real talent and makes this so entertaining. This classic is one of the true treasures in my library.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: New reader
Review: Well, I had never read LOTR or ever really known what the story was all about. Of course, I saw the movies.

These sparked my interest to read LOTR. Not having a lot of time on my hands, and having to commute on a daily basis, I opted for the audio CD version.

I think this is a great way to "read" the books. Many times I got to work and wanted to just hang out in my car to see what happened next ;)

Anyway, I have gone through Fellowship and Two Towers so far, and the recordings have been perfect. I think Inglis adds another dimension to readings.

I have just restarted Fellowship again, and it's just as enjoyable as the first time through :)

Recommended!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Near perfect performance, less than perfect packaging
Review: This is an extraordinary performance. I've read LOTR cover to cover many times, but through Mr. Ingles reading I discovered a new richness previously missed. All those tough historical names and long songs come to life. And his treatment of the the song to Boromir, by Aragorn and Legolas, will make you cry. The 52 hours of disks reduced my long comutes to a complete joy. When they were over, my first thought was to play them again!

Unfortunately, the quality of some of the 64 CD's was less than perfect. Many had skips due to small scuffs caused by the harsh cardboard sleeves. One unscuffed disc was very poor in recording quality - almost unplayable. Of course, it was the very last disk of the story! After moving it between (5) CD players I found one that would, with some serious audio problems, play it so I could hear "The Grey Havens" chapter.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed this thoroughly. In fact, I would pay twice the price for a higher quality CD.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Amazing reading by Rob Inglis
Review: This is a must have for any Tolkien fan. Rob Inglis does a brilliant reading of the entire book, with songs and everything. Every single voice is done with perfection. It is incredible how one man can make his voice to so many different things. I only wish I had more time in my life when I have nothing to do so I could listen to these CDs. It is worth ten times the amount of money that you're paying for it. This recording is the best.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A great narration of a great book
Review: It's a great book and it's a great narration. The voice of Rob Inglis is warm and lively. Sometimes it remembers me of a voice reading a fairy tale to children. You can get lost in it, just close your eyes and put your headphones on.
It's so easy to know who's speaking, because every voice differs from the others and that's what makes it so lovely. You can see Gandalf when you hear him speaking.
Sometimes you may seem a bit strange to the other passengers in the train, when you sit there smiling, but nobody knows why you are smiling. But what does it matter?
You can hear that Rob Inglis loves what he's reading. It must have been a pleasure to read it and it's a pleasure to listen to it. 52 hours is much to hear but I think I will start again immediately the day I will be through.


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