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Summary: The book of all books
Review: don't listen to the 2 or 3 people who didn't like this book. This book is by far the best I've ever read, the way he paints the picture of what's going on is great. He leaves out no details and thinks like no other. Amazing!
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Summary: This simple, its the best book ever written.
Review: Like i say, if you haven't read this book, you can not consider yourself a truly well read person. It is the ultimate in fantasy literature, but so much more. This man, and this book are the fore fathers of one of the most important book genres today. Read it now, or if you have already, read it again, its worth it.
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Summary: Worthy of Inclusion in the Short List of Literary Classics
Review: I have not actually bought this version of LOTR, but I felt compelled to write about it. Like at least one other reviewer, I first read LOTR as a teenager. I'm now 34 and, having read it about three times, I still remember vividly the images painstakingly created from the choicest language...the sparkling white towers of Minas Tirith...the darkness and filth of Shelob's lair...the terror of the Riders' shadows and their screams in the distance. I remember the knot in my chest as the despair of the defenders of Minas Tirith deepened before the onslaught of Mordor, and then just as a glimmer of hope appears that they might weather the storm, the armies of the south arriving to seal their doom. And I, too, remember fondly the final scene as the hobbit heroes return to their homes to sweep them clean of the foul, cowardly band of rouges pretending to rule the Shire. How can one find words to describe the emotions called forth upon witnessing the struggles of the small, pure, and weak against the big, corrupt, and powerful? How can one describe what it feels like to join their journeys through the foggy swamps and glistening forests with no food or plenty of food? And how could I hope to describe the catch in the throught when watching the horrific, pathetic inner struggle of the ring-bearer and his steadfast companion? Only Tolkien himself could summon the paragraphs and pages to describe the experience of reading his work.Tolkien's work is a literary classic where many other epic works of fantasy have just missed that mark (Shannara, for example) because there is, for lack of a better way to describe it, not a hair out of place. In other fantasy epics I have read, circumstances seem just a bit contrived or convenient, or of insufficient depth to fill the imagination (WHY the sword glows blue). Tolkien creates a legend with the weft of history, the dignity of tradition, the gravity of time and age and blood and tears. He invents and develops not only characters but cultures, histories, languages, and he reveals glimpses of deeper "truths" developed in other masterpieces. I, like many other who have read this work, can truly say it changed my life. I think differently about religion, psychology, history, literature...as a result of having internalized much of this work (and the succeeding works). I hope I can give my son the kind of experience I have had from reading this work. I hope he has that experience while reading this work himself, so I can relive it with him. If you've never read this, don't worry about the print, the binding, or anything but the story. It will carry you away and you will forget who and where you are.
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Summary: The Best Fantasy I Have ever read
Review: I have read the lord of the rings through about 4 times and I am only 15. I love the way that tolkien does the enviroment and I Love the way he immerses the reader in to a world completely different. When I read them its like I am on a vacation to the best place in the world. I even like the evil side they make me think about why wars and stuff are so bad. I also love the strong good against evil themes. I love the complete history of all of the people places and things. It is worth reading again and again.
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Summary: Totally Awesome!
Review: This is my all time favorite book. I've read it several times and want to read it again! Sam Gamgee is my favorite character. Tolkien ROCKS!
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Summary: Great Series
Review: I am 14, soon 15. I read the Hobbit in fifth grade , and the Lord of the Rings in sixth. These books are literary masterpieces. Tolkien gives his characters great depth and you feel as if each one is an actual person. I can say the same for the detailed geography Tolkien produced for his world of Middle Earth. The story is enthralling and you will remember it for the rest of your life. I also read the Silmarillion. It is slow to take off, but when it does it blows you away with the tales of battles, sad romance, and treachery. Forgive me for my repitition, but I must say again that these books are wonderful and timeless.
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Summary: Worst, most overrated series
Review: Ugh, this series is terrible. In fact, everything by Tolken is terrible. Reading his work is like pulling teeth.
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Summary: A book for all ages.
Review: Aragorn son of Arathorn is one of the greatest figures in modern literature. He is the epitomy of what a man should strive to be. The fact that he could see so far into the lives and futures of each character in the book is great. But at the same time the fact that he was merely a mortal man and did not even appear to succumb to the temptations of the One Ring is amazing! His bravery was not questioned when he decided that pursuing the ring-bearer was not in the best interest of the group. If I were going on an adventure in middle earth then I would want Strider to be the leader. "All that is gold does not glitter".
Rating: 
Summary: ponderous but quite interesting fantasy
Review: Best book of the last Thousand Years! Who are these people? O tempora, O mores.
Rating:
Summary: Incredible
Review: I studied Tokien in college and am still amazed with the depth of his knowledge of philology and mythology. If you are interested in reading background mythologies on which his work was based, I suggest getting your hands on copies of Beowulf, Kalevala, the Prose or Poetic Eddas,and, of course, the Bible. No novels can begin to compare with the works of a man who spent most of his adult life creating an entire mythology for England. Although some of his posthumous works are dense and difficult to read (esp the histories of Middle Earth), I highly enjoyed the experience. If anyone is looking for more titles of his, I suggest the Book of Lost Tales 1 & 2 and The Simarillion (although it begins slow - it becomes more interesting) and any biographies - such insight into character development. In my opinion, Tokien was one of the greatest writers of our time.
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