Rating: 
Summary: Sham Collector's Edition
Review: Nice paper I admit it - but the print type is as splotchy and uneven as the cheapest of paperbacks. Don't be fooled. It is not a pleasure to read.
Rating: 
Summary: This book is the best
Review: I have read the Millenium edition of this book and i loved it. The book is simply addictive. After having finished with The Lord of the Rings, i had wished that there was no end to the story. It is full of mystery. I am now purchasing the collectors edition and am going to read the story over again. This is a must read. So buy your copy NOW.
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Summary: illustrations = yay!
Review: for the longest time, i didn't know whether ot buy the red leather edition or this illustrated edition--both are one-book, hardcover, hefty, and pricey. however, i have finally decided to choose this one because i discovered, while exploring lordoftherings.net, that alan lee (the guy who illustrated all fifty paintings in this book) is the conceptual artist for the LOTR movies. he does all the initial sketches and paintings for each movie set, so the illustrations in the book are very similar, if not identical, to the real-life scenery in the movie. isn't that great? that means the places and backgrounds you visualized in your head while reading the book will be the same as what you see in the movies! for me, that's something i consider very important in movie adaptations. i hate it when i read a book and develop all these preconceived notions about how everything should look, and then i watch a movie adaptation that has completely different interpretations. it bothers the heck out of me because the images in my head are oftentimes much nicer than the ones on the screen. so, if you're a new reader that hasn't yet read the trilogy but has watched the movie, this is a good edition for you to buy. the illustrations will match what you saw onscreen. and if you're a LOTR veteran, like me, it's still a great choice because the illustrations are the best interpretations i've seen in any LOTR book--as opposed to the red leather edition, which has no illustrations whatsoever.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Book, but low quality edition
Review: What everyone else says about The Lord of the Rings is true: this is truly one of the great stories that has ever been put to paper. But this particular edition (the paperback "movie art cover") and several of the other similar editions (the equivalent hardback and individual paperbacks) are missing a line (look in chapter 2, "The Shadow of the Past", where Gandalf reads what is inscribed on the ring--only the second of the two lines is there: "One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them"). In addition, in about 5% of the first 300 or so pages that I read, there were missing splotches of ink. Some of them are small, almost unnoticeable, but some are pretty large. For example, on the last line of page 81, the word "return" looks like "ret n" (and the last 'n' isn't all there). It wasn't just my copy, it was the same in every copy in a huge stack of them that I saw in brick and mortar bookstore. And the corresponding lines (and ink) were missing in the individual paperback editions with the movie art covers as well as the hardback movie art cover.If you can find a place to look at a copy of the books in person, you can decide for yourself if you are bothered by these errors or not. In my case, the book was purchased at the aforementioned brick and mortar store, and I decided to return it. I'll be purchasing another edition here. :-)
Rating:
Summary: My favorite edition of the classic.
Review: I've always wanted a more permanent edition of The Lord of the Rings after having destroyed a few copies of the cheap mass market paperbacks by endless rereading. If you're in the same boat, this is the edition to get. If you're new to the trilogy, you should know that this volume contains "The Fellowship of the Ring", "The Two Towers" and "The Return of the King" all between one cover. These three books comprise "The Lord of the Rings." The prelude book "The Hobbit" is not included, and you will want to read that first if you haven't read it. There are a few nice things about this edition, first off, the whole novel is between one cover, as Tolkien originally wanted (but the publisher thought was too financially risky). Secondly, the illustrations by Alan Lee are wonderful. If you've recently seen the movie, you'll notice some similarities as Alan Lee was one of two conceptual artists used in the film (John Howe was the other one). When I read Tolkien to my daughter, this was the edition I used, because she really enjoyed the illustrations. My wife, on the other hand, still prefers the smaller paperbacks because this book is large and heavy. I also would have prefered a larger map of Middle Earth than the one included in the book. Still, all in all, this is my favorite edition by far.
Rating:
Summary: Tolkien's masterwork the way it was meant to be read.
Review: Tolkien never intended The Lord of the Rings to be a trilogy. It was split into three parts because the publisher felt it could be promoted better and that it would sell better as three separate books. This volume offers fans a chance to read it as the author originally intended, as one complete book. I have had mine for over 20 years and it is holding up very well. The paper is fine quality and it has a sewn binding. It's not easy to carry, though, so I like to keep a paperback set around for portability.
Rating:
Summary: Do NOT buy! Buy BBC instead.
Review: Please do NOT buy this version! It is horrible. For example, listening to Gandalf and Sauruman speak to each other in this version is like listening to two old geezers exchange pointless barbs in a nursing home for demented patients. Part of the reason it is so bad is also that the BBC version with Ian Holm is FANTASTIC. I still remember listening to the BBC version as a child and how it transported me to another realm. It took me years to find the BBC version to buy -- I finally bought it in England years ago. Now that you can buy the BBC production at Amazon instead of the Mind's Eye version, do yourself a favor and buy it instead of spending money on Mind's Eye. You will appreciate the difference. Trust me.
Rating: 
Summary: Beware! Publishing misprint!!
Review: Lord of the rings as a book is supreme. It's my favorite book of all time. My boyfriend bought me (from Amazon.com) the collector's edition as a very much appreciated gift for Christmas. It's a beautiful work, visually and literary. HOWEVER, there is a publishing misprint in the copy I received. This is no mistake, sadly. Chapter four of book 3 is printed in there TWICE. And Chapter five is completely missing! Chapter six begins midstream. I noticed when I was reading a conversation with the Ents and the next page started again with the Orcs. Specifically Page 86 of the TWO TOWERS goes onward to page 55 instead of 87! And then the chapter is repeated and suddenly you go from page 86 to 119. I've double checked and triple checked, but that's the truth. I'm heart broken and confused this Christmas. How this mistake could have occured in a book this beloved is very frustrating for me.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing Story, Heirloom Quality Edition
Review: With the movie coming, I just had to reread the "Fellowship" first. My little brother had copped my paperback copies, which were starting to fall apart anyway. Thus, I had to choose among the many incarnations of the Trilogy. I loved the idea of having the whole story of LOTR in one volume, as Tolkien originally intended.This edition has illustrations, which Tolkien did not intend, but might have approved, as Tolkien himself did illustrate "The Hobbit." I, for one, am extremely grateful for these tastefully done portrayals. As for the story, it's everything I remember and more! If you haven't read it yet, there is an encounter with a creature called a Balrog that will get your heart rate up to about 300. I had no recollection of this chapter and was completely floored. LOTR lacks the whimsy of "The Hobbit" but makes up for it with real characters and a tangible sense foreboding and heroism. Seems some Web site names LOTR the book of the century. BELIEVE IT!
Rating:
Summary: Tolkein, a Great Read Aloud Adventure!
Review: For all parents who have taken your children to the newly released "Lord of the Rings", I challenge you to pick up "The Fellowship of the Ring" and read it aloud to your children. This will work best with kids 10 and older. Read a page or two every night at bedtime. I've read through "The Hobbit" twice to our kids, and have read through "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy once to them. Our boys are all teenagers. We read every night for 20-30 minutes. We've also unplugged our TV and replace this time with reading in our home. Tolkein is an excellent storyteller, with vivid descriptions a cinematographer can only begin to play with. Your child's imagination is so much greater than that of any movie maker. Give them the gift of your time and Tolkein's genius writing: Read Tolkein Aloud to your Kids! For two books filled with other creative ideas for parents such as this one, take a look at "The Family Cloister" and "The Christian Family Toolbox", both written by David Robinson.
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