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Summary: Tolkien had WAY too much time on his hands.
Review: Tolkien had WAY too much time on his hands. Just think about it - spending all that time creating imaginary worlds, peoples, languages and events? With a huge appendix explaining it all? It's insane! Talk about wasting his time! Tolkien would have used his time much better if he had used it to cut the grass for an elderly lady, work as a volunteer in a soup kitchen, or collect money for the blind. Anyone who has the time to make so much time in his imaginary world, let alone write a stack of books about it clearly has WAY too much time on his hands.
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Summary: Ahhhhhh totally the best book ever
Review: THIS BOOK IS THE ABSOLOUT BEST BOOK EVER. I swear if you read it you will suddenly fall in love with it. If you dont your just weird. I have made many people read it, and they absoloutly love them. A kid I know never reads a book twice, but not this one. J.R.R. Tolkien put soooooooooo mcuh work into it it is beond your wildest dreams.
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Summary: A must read for for ANY book lover
Review: No matter what your tastes in books are, if you are even slightly interested in any sort of fiction then this is a book for you. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are both outstanding fantasy books. These are by far my favorite books ever, I read them through every year or so they're so good. This hardcover edition is very well made and the illustrations are outstanding. Alan Lee is definitely the best Tolkien illustrator out there. It even has a nifty little red bookmark ribbon, which I really like and think all hardcover books should have.. more for style than anything ;) Again, take the time to enjoy this book no matter your tastes!
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Summary: How To Be A Great Parent:
Review: 1) Take a year and read The Ring Trilogy to your eight-year-old as a bedtime story. 2) Wait five years and then buy them their own boxed set when they're thirteen.Here's why. At eight, most kids are too young to read and fully comprehend the book themselves, but they will enjoy the story, learn a tremendous amount of language, and appreciate the time spent with them. Later they'll have fond, sentimental memories of the book and will reread your gift to them on their own. This is good because the story has it all: love, beauty, nature, hard work, perseverance, courage, good over evil, adventure, every important lesson you'd ever hope to teach them--all told better than you ever could. This book is absolutely guaranteed to offset the negative influence of bad neighbor kids, poor teachers, The Jerry Springer Show, and your own parental shortcomings. --Christopher Bonn Jonnes, author of Wake Up Dead
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Summary: Simply a must read for all
Review: Somehow, I got through childhood and adolescence without having read this book. Now, at the age of 28, I've finished reading it for the first time. I consider myself a serious reader, and the first conclusion I draw from now having read the book is that my experience as a reader of literature has been far enriched for it. The book is a masterpiece on so many levels; as a fantasy story with an insanely detailed inner world, as a story of a quest that ends up being a journey of self-examination for its characters, as a story of the fight between good and evil. And on a personal level, waiting so long to have read the book allows me better to see how far-reaching Tolkien's influence is on the likes of George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and others who have made fantasy and sci-fi something of their mien. Read this book by all means, but if you are not yet acquainted with Tolkien, make sure to read The Hobbit beforehand, as events in that book set up the storyline for Lord of the Rings.
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Summary: Welcome to Middle-earth
Review: Though I completely adored THE HOBBIT as a child, I never got deep enough into THE LORD OF THE RINGS to appreciate what Tolkien was really doing. Twenty years of setting it aside, I spent the end of this past summer slowly and patiently enjoying every minute of Tolkien's grand and masterful tale of Middle-earth. The hobbit Frodo has a simple task fraught with the most terrible of dangers--journey to the Crack of Doom to destroy the One Ring so that the evil lord Sauron cannot use it to subjugate the land and all its inhabitants. The trouble is that the Crack of Doom is in Sauron's own country, and his Eye sees almost everything. Advised by the wizard Gandalf and accompanied by three fellow hobbits, two men, a dwarf and an elf, Frodo's journey is the main thrust of the tale. Meanwhile, preparations for the decisive war are being made on both sides of the mountains that border Mordor, the land of Sauron. Tolkien's style is straightforward and measured--the narrator never gets excited. Tolkien was a Classics professor so it should be no surprise that Frodo's journey is told with several Homeric devices, notably the repeated descriptions of the weather (reminded me of "dawn's rosy fingers" reappearing every day in THE ODYSSEY) and the state of the characters' stomachs. Also like Homer, Tolkien allows his characters to tell their own stories around the fire. To read THE LORD OF THE RINGS well perhaps also takes the skills of a good listener. The length of THE LORD OF THE RINGS forces well-intended readers afflicted with the modern short attention span into a calmer, more relaxed perspective. While Frodo and his dear friend Sam may run till they drop, while Gandalf's horse Shadowfax may outpace all other animals that run, Tolkien never rushes. This deliberate pacing is a prime reason why his epic is so rich and rewarding. THE LORD OF RINGS gives us much to think about on the theme of what any one of us is really capable of. It deals with honor, endurance, treachery and sacrifice like few other stories of the twentieth century. Sit back, relax, and be transported to Middle-earth.
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Summary: A timeless masterpiece. JRR left us a treasure.
Review: I first read LOTR years ago, when I was a teenager, it amazed me back then, and since those days I have read its pages over 6 or 7 times. It's about time I write a few words here about my all time favorite book. Tolkien died a year before I was born (73), a scholar by profession, he was specialized in Anglo-Saxon (Old English) and its relation to linguistically similar languages (Old Norse, Old German and Gothic). He became a master into the language of poetry and the poetry of language. His interest in mythology (shared by his friend C.S. Lewis) and his faith in Christianity also had a stunning effect in his stories. LOTR is above anything, a book about the struggle between good and evil, somewhere in our own world, but in an imaginary time. It all feels familiar, but "glorified by the enchantment of distance in time". In Middle Earth (North-western Europe was probably what Tolkien had in mind) Bilbo, a Hobbit (a branch of the human race) finds himself in a quest to destroy the One Ring, crafted by the elven-smiths and Sauron, the Dark Lord, but lost. Sauron searches far and wide for the ring that would complete his dominion of evil, while the initially naïve Bilbo and his friends (The so called Fellowship of the Ring) journey Middle-Earth, deep into the shadow of Sauron, to destroy the Ring by casting it in the Cracks of Doom. LOTR is amazing by many reasons. The languages presented are most certainly real languages, especially the Elven languages. It is unbelievable how they are not arbitrary gibberish but really possible tongues with established roots, sound laws and inflexions. Tolkien used all his knowledge and imaginative powers deriving them, in a realistic manner. LOTR is narrated by Tolkien, based on ancient manuscripts written by the main characters Frodo and Bilbo, or at least, many people think that Tolkien sought to maintain that he was only the editor and translator. This would be nothing special, as many authors tried to make their fantasies sound as true stories from some ancient times, but very few have done it so successfully as Tolkien. His love for language and his imagination and scholarship produced a work that is hard to translate, at least, without losing much of its impact. For instance, an adequate translation of Rohirric would have to be replaced with some ancient language whose relation to the language of the translation was the same as that of Anglo-Saxon to modern English. Tolkien actually used an approximation of Anglo-Saxon so we it would remain intelligible to modern readers like us. This was not accidental, but carefully devised. New land, languages, races, history, cultures, a whole new world; That is what you will find in this most remarkable work of literature. Tolkien has left us a gorgeous, eloquent and heroic romance, and after you read it you will understand why this has been named the "Book of the Century" many times. Some readers gave it 4 stars because it's "so long". That's the only problem I can point to LOTR, its length, but for the opposite reason. I feel it should be a lot longer. :) It is true that the first 100 pages are somewhat slow for some readers, but they are still rich and interesting. The struggle of good and evil, the depth of all the characters, friendship, love, temptation, war, hate and the inner moral conflicts the characters face, all is presented marvellously thanks to Tolkien's keen abilities for both prosaic and poetic expression, based on his deep love for ancient languages, myth and nature. This is the Bible of fantasy literature, but you will probably still like it even if you're not used to its kind. No other writer of fantasy titles has ever come close. Not even the best like Tad Williams, Robert Jordan or others. Never read it? What are you waiting for? Get it. Get the hardcover illustrated version by Alan Lee. I own a few versions and will probably end up buying more. The best LOTR hardcovers are expensive, but it's fully worth it. The Lord of The Rings is simply a timeless masterpiece! After 6 or 7 reads, I still return to LOTR often, and am always fascinated by it. Every time I read it I find something new and very, very few books have come close to give me as much joy. The complexity of Tolkien's world and all its elements, the detail and richness of the descriptions, this world still makes me sit there thinking a numb "Wow" when I close it and it's over...
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Summary: Tolkien is The Master Story-Teller....he created the genre
Review: The writings of Professor Tolkien are absolutely Timeless. These books are the gauge by-which all Fantasy books are measured. The Hobbit and The Trilogy have been the Inspiration for decades of works by other authors, yet I have not ever seen these works surpassed by anyone. Terry Brooks is the only author I have read who even compares to J.R.R. Tolkien and his epic style. I became fascinated with The Hobbit and Trilogy when I was in the seventh grade. I borrowed them from a friend and snuck them home. I was completely enthralled with the world Tolkien created. I was not allowed to read anything that was even remotely related to Wizards, Witches, Astrology, D&D, etc., so these books were like nothing I had ever seen, before. I was captivated and felt the call to become a Writer. Previously, the poetry and such that we were studying in school BORED me to tears. I found my schooling to be mind-numbingly BORING and Tolkien became my Inspiration to Learn, create Poetry, Write stories, Study, become an Anthropologist, delve into Masonic Lore and so much more.... Throughout High-School, I had pictures of Prof. Tolkien on my wall and I desired to be like him. Not-only was he the Greatest Fantasy Writer the world has known, but he was "Professor of Anglo-Saxon, at Oxford University, from 1925 to 1945....and professor of English Language and Literature....and a Fellow of Merton College from '45 to his retirement in '59." Check out his translations of (book title:)"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl, and Sir Orfeo" (J.R.R. Tolkien) Also, Prof. Tolkien wrote wonderful stories like "Smith of Wooten Major (&) Farmer Giles of Ham" for children. Pop those titles into the search box! I can honestly say that reading Tolkien changed my life...for the Better! Tolkien created the highest standards of writing for generations of authors....I am quite sure he would be deeply disappointed with the majority of books published today, with numerous spelling errors and pathetic grammar. I believe Tolkien is a god-send to English teachers. Perhaps, he can still inspire young people to elevate their Writing and English skills, from beyond. I would fight to keep his works on the shelves. I was not allowed to do my Senior Thesis about this author, despite the fact that he is such an amazing author and advocate of Literature. I lost interest in doing my thesis and threw something together at the last minute. Perhaps teachers should Recognize the potential for inspiring youth, via the works of J.R.R. Tolkien.
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Summary: A classic, no doubt.
Review: This book was my first foray into that fertile field known as fantasy and science fiction. I found myself captivated, and I still am, even though I appreciate different things about it than I do today. The reason why I only gave it 4 stars is because it's so LONG. Three thick books, each chock full of characters and people. Even so, I was never confused about what was going on. Tolkien knows how to write so he was UNDERSTOOD. Lord of the Rings is also the reason for my lifelong fascination with elves. (As you can tell from my name.) Tolkien is a master of making his characters seem REAL, no matter what their race and general shape. Even the orcs. Let's just say I've known people similar to Tolkien's orcs. I've CARED about the characters in this story. I've cried when they cried, I've laughed with them, I've rejoiced with them... RUN to the store and buy this book, if you haven't already.
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Summary: The Shakespeare of High Fantasy
Review: There are a select few writers of High Fantasy who tell magnificent stories, paint striking landscapes, populate their worlds with unique and fully realized characters, and tell their tales with a humbling mastery of language. I am a harsh critic, and count this small group (while recognizing their flaws, as all writers have) as being: Stephen R. Donaldson, Robert Jordan, Tad Williams and George R. R. Martin. But towering above them all, as surely as Shakespeare towers over such masters as James Joyce, Nathaniel Hawthorne, William Faulkner, etc., is J.R.R. Tolkien. LOTR is in a different class than all other so-called contenders to the throne. It is a classic, and is the only work of High Fantasy to be universally recognized -- that is, outside the realm of fantasy -- as one of the greatest books ever written. If you have grown up on Brooks, Eddings, and more recently Goodkind, you may be disappointed (note that I did not include them above!). Do not expect to be wowed on every page, or to have magic thrust upon you at each turn. Tolkien's magic and power is in his words. He needs no special effects to tell his story, and that is what raises him above all the rest. He demonstrates restraint that very few writers would be courageous enough to attempt today -- at least if they were interested in selling books. But take this into account: The Lord of the Rings is *still* selling today, more than forty years after its first printing. It is on every bookshelf of every major bookseller in America. He did something right. Read it, and find out for yourself.
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