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Summary: I'm just a plain ordinary teenager
Review: I can't really explain the immense enjoyment that i got from reading the Lord of the Rings. I was reading during a very rough time, and it was a great help for me to get my mind off things. Tolkein's stories are fascinating, and i can't use any big words like most people here, but all i can say is that this novel is held close to my heart, and i imagine showing my children and grandchildren the wonders held in this book, when i have them. The only thing i have to say about the 7 set black books is that for me, a school student, it was very easy to travel with. But, the box that they come in broke after a month. I would not buy this set unless you planned on leaving the box at home in it's own place. The books are lovely only for the use of traveling with them and the book doesn't seem so overwhelmingly long with it broken up smaller, so it all depends on you really. If you don't buy this set, at least buy some kind of set, I'd rather live with this set then nothing, for this is the greatest book i have and probably will ever read. I was so sad for days after i finished the last page, and i couldn't figure out why. I thought and thought, and it was because i had finished it, it was that good. I had made a routine of reading it during class, after tests, even during PE. I couldn't keep my eyes off of it. You really get attached to Gandalf, and Frodo, even little Pippin grew on me. Please consider buying some kind of set of this book, you won't regret it.
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Summary: *Yawn* Why do so many people like this piece of you know?
Review: Everyone reads these books and sings their praises. I did not like it at all. Tolkien's tedious prose is like trying to walk through a swamp. I think people read this to pretend they're smart. I'd give it -20 stars if I could.
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Summary: Deserves the title "Greatest Novel Ever"
Review: As there are so many other reviews, I will try a different view of this magnificently crafted novel.This is the book that created the Fantasy genre, and all Fantasy books that followed it are copies of this masterpiece. This is the original and the best Fantasy novel, and Alan Lee's watercolors compliment the story beautifully. As you get more and more involved in the story, you begin to appreciate Tolkien's magnificent use of the English language, and his craftsmanship with words. Only Shakespeare wrote English more magnificently than Tolkien. As you read this book, you realise what a beautiful language we have in English, and you begin to yearn for other books written with such skill of language. For anyone wanting to escape the real world, this is the perfect way of doing it. Middle Earth is so believable, you can almost feel the icy winds of the mountains and smell the fires burning in the hearths. My only complaint is this - after reading this book for the first time 20 years ago, I have never been satisfied with any other novel, viewing all novels I've read since then to be inferior. It's just too good!
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Summary: Best book I ever read
Review: It is, in my opinion, one of the greatest books ever written. I recommend it to anyone. This book set the standard for the fantasy/roleplaying genre. I can read it over and over again and never become tired with it. If you havent read this book, make sure you do at least before the movie comes out.
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Summary: ~*!*~AMAZING~*!*~
Review: I am on page 622 and i am addicted, all who consider buying this book 'throw cation to the wind' spend your money this is the best book i have ever read in my entire life, begin reading it and you will be thirsty for more, it helps to read the hobbit and the many other books written by the amazing tolkien authors, i am on buying them right now!The cover gives it a bit of...pizazz you could say.
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Summary: An absolutely FANTASTIC story!!
Review: I'm reading this trilogy for the third time, and I absolutely LOVE IT!! If it gets better than this, I don't want to know about it! If you don't know much about Lord of The Rings or the world of Tolkien in general, you need to start with "The Hobbit". There you will learn the story of Hobbits and how the One Ring came into their possession. This particular review is for an illustrated version that is all three books in one. The art is great, but including the Appendix (A-F) and the Index, this book has over 1193 pages. At times you feel as though you're getting nowhere. I personally recommend a three book set. But which ever one you choose, you'll love it.
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Summary: Excellent world building....pity about the execution
Review: I have attempted to read the 1st book in this trilogy on about 5 occasions over the past 15 years and I never get beyond the Council of Elrond before I yet again find the whole thing too boring to continue. I loved The Hobbit and admire Tolkiens vivid imagination, but his style of writing in LOTR is just too "early 20th century british" for my liking. I have the same problem with Dickens that I do with Tolkien; ponderous prose! I guess I've been spoiled by many of the excellent sci-fi/fanatsy authors (i.e. George R R Martin) that write edge of the seat, gripping & fascinating stories. Unfortunately, in LOTR, Tolkien's ability to tell an interesting tale seems to have taken a backseat to his world building.
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Summary: LOTR Illustrated Edition
Review: I will not cover the book's content; plenty of reviews are available on the content. I will focus on the beauty of the edition illustrated by Alan Lee. Plainly: If you have the money, buy it. If you are wondering if you want to buy a boxed set or the illustrated edition, buy the illustrated edition. The pages are heavy and will last generations. I have read this edition once through and have found the binding and pages to be in excellent condition. The book is large and opening the book incorrectly may cause some damage. What do I mean by opening the book incorrectly? A man who restores ancient books for Spain's National Library in Madrid taught me to always open hardbound books at the middle first and turn to the desired page (as opposed to opening directly to the first page. This helps maintain a healthy binding for generations to come. The illustrations are beautiful and do not detract from the pictures and story that are created by the writing. The book and the story get five stars.
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Summary: This book is targeting everyone !
Review: Uniting all 3 volumes in one book, gives new readers the chance to get into the ring very easily and understand the epic masterpeace. Also for people who actually do not often read books because they do not find the right ones, it has elements that can be enjoyed by everyone.
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Summary: The new epic, the new myth
Review: In a rising tide above the rapidly aging Pottermania comes the sweep of Tolkienmania. In preparation for the three new live-action movies, the famed trilogy is rereleased in a gorgeous new all-in-one volume with movie cover art (tastefully done, it's not just a collage poster or anything) Years before, the One Ring of the Dark Lord Sauron was discovered in the possession of the creepy Gollum - and came into the "ownership" of Bilbo Baggins, a pleasant hobbit in the middle of an adventure. Now, it is given to his relative Frodo, who soon encounters creatures both mesmerizing and evil in the Shire. Wizard Gandalf has him head off to the elf city of Rivendell, but along the way he is attacked and nearly killed by the sinister Black Riders. It is determined at Rivendell that the One Ring must be destroyed, and that Frodo's the hobbit to do it. With Gandalf, he sets off with a group of companions: the hobbits Sam, Merry and Pippin, men Aragorn and Boromir, elf Legolas, and dwarf Gimli. They travel across the length of Middle Earth, from the beautiful gardenland of Lothlorien to the rotting wasteland of Mordor. Aragorn and the others will attempt to save the city of Minas Tirith from the armies of Sauron. Frodo and Sam will try to take the Ring to Mount Doom, the only place where it can be destroyed. But that will take a terrible price. When this book was first published, Tolkien had no idea that he would jump-start the fantasy genre from an odd little collection of fiction to a major part of the book market and would inspire more ripoffs than any other author in history. Lord of the Rings is a sweeping epic of good and evil. Cliche? It is a cliche now, but it's also that LOTR spawned. What sets it apart is two things: the Judeo-Christian morality and ethics that Tolkien held so dear, and the crafting of Middle-Earth. If one carefully examines the themes of temptation, redemption and punishment, as well as the innate nobility of the heroes. I also advise, to get the full effect of Tolkien's beliefs, that you read the Silmarillion. Middle Earth is perhaps the most intricate fantasy world ever created, with Patricia McKillip's Riddlemaster trilogy's world as a close second. Tolkien crafted not just geology and various species for his world; he also created a religious background, complete with a God and a pantheon of deitilike angelic creatures, individual languages, cultures, and several outlooks that are alien to the other species. Add to this his poetic, strong descriptions, pleasant dialogue, occasional song or poem, and you have a true classic. The classic status is cemented into immortality by the fact that this was the first widely-read fantasy. A recommendation: If you've already read the trilogy, then you may want to read two other intelligent trilogies, "Children of the Star" and "Riddlemaster." Though they cannot match JRR (who can?) they are two of the best. If you are one of the few people who has never read this trilogy: Put down your Harry Potter and read the story that introduced the world to fantasy.
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