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Summary: Crazy Reviewers!
Review: Ok, I'm not here to say I like this book, I already have. But, as I was reading another page of reviews, I found a particularly comical twosome. The first reviewer practically claims that C.S.Lewis wrote the darn thing, and ends the message by thanking him for the book! My real criticism is for the other reviewer, who says we should not mistake LOTR for a "genuine" epic. Who is even thinking of saying LOTR is real, or ancient? No one, as far as I can see. Also, he/she says that there is no or weak allegory in the book. After reading this, I questioned our reviewer's sanity. Tolkien created this world to represent his view of Christianity/faith. I'm an atheist, but even I know that this means basically everything in the book is allegorical. He also says Frodo was not looking for anything, but one of his own examples of a true epic is the Odyssey, in which Odysseus is just trying to get home, but gains true hero status in the process. Much the same happened to Frodo, but anyway, he WAS looking for something - peace.(duh)
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Summary: One of the best fiction books I have ever read.
Review: I started reading "Lord of the Rings" last year, and I stopped a couple of times. I did not think much of the first book (there are six books, or chapters, on the Trilogy), but once I got around page 200... Gosh! I could not stop.Tolkien's characters are rich, and they experience growth along the book (they also grow on you). There is a great complexity in the book, and the history that is narrated on the book (not just the story) seems real. What impressed me most about the book was the pains Tolkien went through to create such a detailed and life rich world, including its past. I do not think I have read a book like this before. Something that got me started on the book again was the upcoming movie Internet site. If you go to the download section, you can see the shadows of Hobbits, Dwarves, Elves and Men, and to me it was really helpful.
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Summary: It belongs alongside the greatest fiction
Review: Tolkien's trilogy, The Lord of the Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King) is, without a doubt, the greatest work of fantasy ever written. With a sweepingly epic tale, grand prose, and beautifully fleshed-out characters, Tolkien has created the War and Peace for the fantasy genre. The characters...what can be said? I have never had the joy of reading a novel filled with so many characters about whom so much is known. Tolkien is masterful at introducing people (from hobbits to wizards), making us fall in love with them, their dreams and desires, their faults, and their fears. Even a character as deplorable as Saruman can be enjoyed because of the instant journey you can see his character has taken (simply from references other characters in the novel make about him!). Tolkien has written a most theatrical work, a little bit of fantastic genius springing from a work of fun and adventure (the Hobbit, its predecessor). It is said that almost all fantasy since Tolkien has drawn in one way or another from this work. I only wish they could come as close to perfection. There is a movie trilogy being filmed (2000) of Tolkien's epic. I know things will be pared down to allow for a movie timespan, but let us hope they preserve the beauty of one of the finest literary works of the 20th century.
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Summary: Book For All Generations
Review: I bought this book, along with "The Hobbit", for my 14-year old son as a Christmas present. I read it for the first time in 8th grade, and wanted to give him an opportunity to experience it also. He loved "The Hobbit" but delaying starting "The Lords of the Rings" for several months. But once he started, he was hooked. I hope he'll pass the word on to his son someday. Now that he's finished it, I'm rereading it myself for the 4th or 5th time. It's been almost 20 years since the last time I read it, so it's almost like experiencing it for the first time all over again.
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Summary: The Fantasy Template--- Here's How It's Done
Review: I can remember how impressed with myself I was for reading the whole work in the late sixties. Now when I go back to this trilogy I'm amazed at what a model of compact efficiency it is! (If only Robert Jordan could get to the point this quickly). Some groundbreaking works don't age well; their ideas are expanded and improved by those who come after. But Tolkein is a scholar, a thinker, and a gifted writer, and no one who's copme along since can handle this kind of material as well as he did. The writing is beautifully crafted, the characters vivid, and the tale built on a solid foundation of mythic story-telling. You read golden age SF so that you can understand the roots of what came later, but you read the Lord of the Rings because it's just that good. A timeless classic, this, so good that I'll take the time to write this review even though it will probably go unread and unclicked simply because this work DESERVES to have a boat-load of glowing reviews attached.
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Summary: Masterpiece
Review: The Lord of the Rings, the story of the quest of a young hobbit named Frodo and his gang to save his realm from the grasp of evil, is unarguably one of the best fantasy novels ever written. It's made up of three parts, each one composed of two books. At the end of the first part of LOTR, `The Fellowship of the Ring', Frodo's party is split. Tolkien's true skill is seen here; the story divides into two or three parts, and each is covered for a while in the book. At just the right moment, the focus shifts to the next, revealing many mysteries. There's a 1000 word limit on reviews, which is much smaller than the thousand-some pages of the full three-part saga. The author's extraordinary writing prowess will keep you interested until the end, and leave you hungry for more.
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Summary: The One Book That Started It All
Review: Tolkien made a book that surpassed any other fantasy book of its time. Today, it still holds true. LOTR is a masterpiece, with vivid descriptions of every event, place, person, Elve, Ent, Dwarve, Orc, Hobbit, Wizard, and Nazgul. I feel that anyone that has given this book a bad review, based on the storyline, has not fully understood, nor is able to appriciate the vast amounts of effort, time and imagination put into this book. Many people have admitted to getting ideas from LOTR, in jobs such as directing, writing books, plays, movies, and many other things besides. The shear volume and immensity of LOTR is enough to keep any reader busy for awhile. LOTR has plently of action, suspense, romance, and humor to enlighten even the most imaginative. LOTR was not named Best Book of the Century by drawing names out of a hat! To be able to devise this kind of book takes lots of talent. I absolutely enjoy the bits of poetry put in. Now, the different types of sentient species included is stunning! It combines, men, wizards, elves, dwarves, and hobbits together on a Quest.Not your everyday Fantasy is it? There are plently of other beings as well, that play an important, but not a major part in LOTR. Not everyone will agree with me, but I feel that it was necessary to submit a review such as this one, to prove that Tolkien is the master and deserves full credit for this nearly perfect novel!
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Summary: The standard by which others are measured
Review: This book has become the standard by which others fantasy novels are measured, and with good reason. Tolkien has created a world with depth, emotion, and a sense of magesty that (after 20 more years of fantasy reading) I still haven't found elsewhere. The story is engrossing, the characters diverse, real, and likable, and the scenes beautifully written. At its roots this is a simple story of good versus evil, but it's so memorable that it's no surprise it spawned a genre. Youngsters may find parts a bit slow (unlike the child-friendly "The Hobbit"). First-time Tolkien readers should definitely read The Hobbit first, as Lord of the Rings follows directly from that story, and doesn't take much time to re-introduce the reader to Tolkien's world.
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Summary: LoTR will forever be the greatest
Review: I want to say that I am new to the Tolkien genre but will forever be a true fan. His wonderful creation of Middle Earth was masterfully done and carefully planned. The Millennium Edition of his classic trilogy brings the books back to there true form as a six book set that tells the final chapter of Middle Earth. Tolkien's use of a Ring that has the power to either save or destroy the world is excellent. The book is very well written and if you haven't ever read the Hobbit or any other book in the seris LoTR is still readable. I love the way that he uses such wonderful detail in the description of his Middle Earth and draws the books conclusion to a fufilling close. This is the closest a book has ever come to perfection. Trust me any true fantsy fan cannot be complete without reading the wonderful history of Middle Earth and meeting Bilbo, Frodo and the One Ring.
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Summary: One of the Finest Books.....Ever!
Review: Tolkien's LORD OF THE RINGS (or perhaps better known by its separate titles The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King)is one of the greatest literary achievements of all time. For those who look upon this as a simple fantasy with elves, dwarves, goblins (a/k/a orcs)and of course hobbits, they miss the greatest part of the story. Tolkien has fashioned a timeless tale of humanity within a world of his own creation. LOTR is an epic, more telling, more indicative of human behavior than any of those epics which are considered part of serious literature. Richly detailed, the book evokes simple themes of bravery, good versus evil, love, magic, wonder and loss while treating the characters not as simple fantasy stereotypes, but as complex individuals. The struggle of good and evil, temptation, fall and redemption is presented marvelously throughout and Tolkien's keen abilities for both prosaic and poetic expression make this a story to remember. The final chapter of the book is one that will remain in thought for a long time. I have read LOTR many times and it is a treasure.
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