Rating: 
Summary: Review on RED COLLECTOR'S EDITION
Review: My review is on the quality of the book, not the actual story. One of the faults I encountered with my copy is the inconsistency of the red ink, which ranged from anything between orange and red. The red ink is also rather light at times. The other problem I found was the map which was snipped off a little at the top left hand corner. The printing of the black text is not as bad as some say. The tilt that some mentioned is VERY VERY minor and not noticeable at all. Overall, the book met my expectations and was well worth the amount I paid for.
Rating: 
Summary: Red Collector's Edition Terrible
Review: In its favor, this Red Collector's edition has the more updated and corrected text. Despite its original publication in 1974, it is not exactly the same book that was on sale in the 1970's and it is not based on an outdated text version of that year as stated by a previous review. Doug Anderson's "Note on the Text" is dated Oct. 1986 in the Red Collector's edition that I had seen on sale last year. The 2002 boxed trilogy with Alan Lee illustrations has a more recent statement by Doug Anderson (dated April 2002), however the text itself is not the most up-to-date and doesn't even correspond with the Anderson note! Far more serious, however, is the poor quality of the Red Collector's edition as mentioned by several reviews. Houghton Mifflin should be ashamed of themselves to publish a wonderful classic in such a manner. It looks like they ran it through the office copy machine--not the nice one you always use, but the one that always seems to be jammed or out of toner. Better still is HarperCollins' British deluxe version. It has both the correct text and is nicely printed and bound. It costs considerably more money, but until Houghton Mifflin gets its act together, it may be the best alternative for die hard Tolkien fans.
Rating: 
Summary: Awesome
Review: I just received this leatherette edition for Christmas, along with the Hobbit, and it is awesome. It looks so beautiful.
Rating:
Summary: The only fiction my husband reads on a regular basis
Review: My husband usually doesn't like *any* type of fiction; he usually finds the stories dull or mediocre at best. But this is different - he eagerly looks forward to reading the Trilogy every 2-3 years. And for him, that's reading a story on a regular basis. (I purchased the leatherette edition - The Red Book of Westmarch - as a Christmas present for him.) As for me, the only reference I had heard to these stories was back in the late 1970's, when I was in high school. An English teacher asked the class if any of us had read the books. I had never heard of them at that point - but one boy, a burnout (this was back when high schools had smoking lounges), raised his hand and said it was the best story he'd ever read! For a boy whose face looked drawn and whose hair is best described as scraggily, I have to admit I was absolutely stunned. Of course, I didn't bother to search out the story. What a mistake! It took marriage to my husband (just 3 weeks shy of my 22nd birthday) to find out about this wonderful Trilogy, and how he originally read it in grade 6, at the age of 11. Although he didn't understand a lot of it at the time, he was utterly taken with it, as his teacher thought he would be. That it took took me another 2 or 3 years after I got married to buy the authorized paperback editions makes me want to kick myself for waiting so long. I have since read it about 7 times, and it has never ceased to move or amaze me. You truly pick up different things each time you read it. In fact, even though I know how the story ends, it always makes me cry (the 1st time through, I could barely make out the words as my eyes were flooded with tears). Yes, the movies don't quite follow the books, but the movies are a visual medium, and, with the books, you can read at your leisure; you can drink in all the vast, lovely details that make Tolkien's Middle Earth a place you want to visit again and again.
Rating:
Summary: For all the "I don't like fantasy" readers out there...
Review: After 900+ reviews, what more could I possibly say about "Lord of the Rings" that hasn't already been said? So, instead, I will try and direct my review to the skeptics out there that don't think fantasy books are worth their time of day. I was one of those people and I am eating my words. I work in a bookstore and it seemed everyone had read LOTR but me. Finally, I gave in and read it, admittedly after seeing the first movie. I can say that I have never been more drawn in or got more enjoyment from anything I have ever read. Tolkien has created an entire world, complete with landscapes, maps, languages and races all from his imagination. But the morality and heart of this book is the true gift. The characters are so believable and trust me, you will find yourself cheering for the fellowship every step of the way. As far as the "bad guys" go, you will be afraid. No matter what I say, I can never do this book justice. I will be reading it again and again. If you haven't read it yet, I envy you, because you are in for a treat. If you have, no point in saying more, because I am sure you know what I mean.
Rating:
Summary: Love this book
Review: I've wanted this book for years. Finally I decided to give it to myself for Christmas. I've been completely satisfied and delighted. A must buy!
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful = the Alan Lee edition
Review: This is a review of the Centennial Edition released around 1992 for the 100th anniversary of Tolkien's birth (Tolkien lived from 1892-1973). The Centennial Edition is devoid of the movie art, photo stills or any similar tie-ins to Peter Jackson's production of The Lord of the Rings movies. The book itself (or books, if you read it as a trilogy) is a classic and doing justice to it in a review of less than 1000 words is nearly impossible. This single-volume hardcover is commonly referred to as the Alan Lee Edition. Lee contributed about 50 watercolor plates for the book and they range from solid (the Old Forest, Treebeard) to spectacular (Dawn over Minas Tirith, Helm's Deep, Orthanc, The Black Gate) and, altogether, render Tolkien's world realistically while simultaneously (through the medium of watercolor with its muted colors, soft lines and blended images) maintaining the mystical qualities of Middle Earth. Lee is probably the most accomplished of the Tolkien artists (John Howe, Ted Nasmith, the Hildebrants, et al.) and his paintings of the Morannon (the gate of Mordor) and Helm's Deep are famous images of Tolkien's world. The print quality of this edition is a larger and clearer version of the text used in the mass-market paperback editions from the 1970s and 1980s. The maps are only ok, and that's the sole problem with the edition. Alan Lee (along with John Howe) was one of the artistic consultants for the Peter Jackson films. His artwork is therefore a basis for the "look" of many of the films key sequences. This edition provides a fine one-volume compilation of The Lord of the Rings, replete with the art gallery of the most influential of the Tolkien artists. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Poor Print Quality
Review: Very disappointed with the print quality of this book. My copy at least, looks like a poor photo copy. The book is readable but not of the quality one might reasonably expect from a major publisher.
Rating: 
Summary: Mind's Eye Audio Production is Garbage
Review: This version is horrid. The elves all sound like non-Tolkein "santa-style" elves, and I think they made Merry a girl (and probably Pippin too, from the voice. It's hard to tell). If you want an audio version, the BBC Radio one is fantastic, the best translation of Tolkein to another medium (including the stellar Peter Jackson movies). Get it instead; avoid this one like the plague.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: What can you say about a book like this? No matter how you put it's wonderful. These are the greatest books of all time! In the beginning its about Frodo, who after being given a magic ring by his uncle Bilbo finds that it is evil and must be destroyed. Frodo sets out with his nine others and they begin the long trip to Mordor to destroy it, but they break up and all go different ways causing the story to revolve around them. As I said before this is a great book.
| 
