Rating: 
Summary: "Lord" still rules
Review: Though Tolkien was not the first or most critically-acclaimed fantasy writer, he remains the most beloved and influential, even though the book is decades old. With the advent of the epic movie trilogy based on this book, new waves of readers are discovering the unique power of the "Lord of the Rings." It has quietly created the fantasy genre as we know it, set the tone for most fantasy ever since, topped many "best book" polls, and helped spawn such entertainment phenomena as "Star Wars."Following up on events in "The Hobbit," "The Fellowship of the Ring" stars the quiet, good-natured hobbit Frodo Baggins, who has inherited a golden Ring that allows its user to become invisible. But his friend, Gandalf the wizard, informs Frodo that the Ring is really the Ring of Power, a tiny invulnerable token that the demonic Dark Lord Sauron has poured his essence and power into. And if Sauron can regain the Ring, he will be able to conquer Middle-Earth. Aghast, Frodo joins a fellowship of Elves, Dwarves, Hobbits, Men and a wizard, to go to the one place where the Ring can be destroyed: Mount Doom. "The Two Towers" begins directly after "Fellowship," after Frodo Baggins flees with his friend Sam into Mordor, with no one to protect them; his cousins Merry and Pippin are kidnapped by orcs of the renegade wizard Saruman. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli begin a frenetic search for the hobbits, and receive unexpected help from unlikely allies. Meanwhile, the Ring weighs more heavily on Frodo, as he is forced to get help from one of the people he most despised, the Ring's slave Gollum. "Return of the King" brings the trilogy to an action-packed, slam-bang and ultimately poignant finale. Sam barely rescues Frodo from Sauron's orcs, and the two resume their journey to Mount Doom, barely escaping Sauron's forces. As Aragorn leads the desperate battle against Sauron's armies at the city of Minas Tirith, Frodo falls increasingly under the seductive spell of the Ring. "Lord of the Rings" is indeed a powerful book, speaking to virtually everyone who has read it. J.R.R. Tolkien drew from legends and myths, ranging from the ancient Norse mythology to more recent legends, mingled with his love of the British country folk and his Roman Catholic beliefs. Though there are no direct linkages or lessons in the trilogy, Tolkien probably drew on his experiences in World War I for the ravaged battlefields and breakneck action sequences, and the mechanization of the countryside for the most moving passages of the book. His beliefs are equally misty but present: they fueled the ethics of the good guys, the fall of formerly-good wizard Saruman, and the themes of temptation, redemption, evil and good that run through every character. Frodo Baggins is an everyman hero, who dreams of adventure but begins to treasure the simple, boring life that he had once he is deprived of it. His deteriotation is saddening, all the more so because he is aware of how he is influenced by the Ring. Sam Gamgee is his loyal gardener, a shy young hobbit who grows in confidence and courage over the course of the trilogy. Gandalf is the quintessential wizard -- crabby, kindly, powerful, with a hidden unique streak that elevates him over the usual Obi-Wan Kenobi wizards. Merry and Pippin start out as a chirpy boy and a well-meaning flake, but are matured and made more multi-dimensional by their harrowing experiences. Aragorn is noble, kind, kingly, and intelligent, but with darker streaks in his personality that make him ultimately human. Legolas the elf and Gimli the dwarf initially grate on each other, but overcome their prejudices to become close friends. Tolkien's writing is evocative and descriptive, though not to extremes; Mordor, for example, is best described through the way that Sam and Frodo react to it. The dialogue ranges from absolutely hilarious to solemn and biblical, or to some combination of the two. And the pacing is gradual but necessary; if you don't have a good attention span, then you won't be able to handle this story. If you do, then probably you can. Even after all the years, "Lord" still rules the fantasy genre and has become an integral part of modern literature. It's an epic for all ages, and no one book has even come close to equalling it.
Rating:
Summary: The best book of all time (Way better than Harry Potter)
Review: Way better than Harry Potter. The Lord of the Rings (leatherette edition) is the perfect book for an adult or a child. This book is good for a die-hard Lord of the Rings fan. This book is definitly worth the [money]. There are many maps and some drawings. There is a large fold out map in the back for referance. Use the map to trace the path of the fellowship. This book is a very good thing to give for birthdays and holidays...I have read the trilogy more than 10 times. What is interesting is the fact that Tolkien (the author of the book) originally wrote the so called trilogy as a 6 book, 3 volume work. The leatherette edition gives you a 3 in 1 volume book. Well, what are you waiting for. Go and buy the book...While your at it. Buy The Hobbit leatherette edition (The prequle to the Lord of the Rings series). Trust me. The book is great.
Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece of Fantasy!
Review: This book of epic scope and magnitude is J.R.R. Tolkien's flagship work. Tolkien's characterizations and descriptions are excellent, and his story stays tight and razor sharp to the very end. It is a lot to handle, its page count being close to 1,000, but it never loses its suspense and action. So much did I enjoy this book I read it twice, and many times have browsed its pages just for fun.
Of the three superb books, my favorite would have to be the third, The Return of the King. This is the place where all the unfolding action finally comes to a head. (I insist, however, that readers do not jump to this book before reading the other two.) Do NOT pass by this trilogy.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful collectible
Review: My daughter asked for this, she wanted a prety copy of the book. I was surprised that she asked, not for the book,but for the collectable version as well as one she would read...It is a lovely edition. When she first asked me for this copy, I was not going to purchae it at the full price the bookstore had it listed for. When I found on Amazon.com, I ordered it right away. It is worth so far more that the price I paid. She is also learning responsibility, taking care of somehting that you care about...
Rating:
Summary: Magnificent epic novel
Review: I read The Lord of the Rings three times in my teens and twenties and decided it was time to try it again to see if it still moved me as much as it did before. I decided to listen to the audiobook version (unabridged, of course; beware of many abridged versions of this and other long books). Narrator Roy Inglis does an excellent job of acting out the myriad of voices in this vast novel. He even sings the many songs, some in the Elvish language. I highly recommend the audiobook, especially to anyone already familiar with the story; hearing it read adds a dimension. If you haven't yet read it, it might be better to read the print version as there are many subplots and characters to keep track of. I think the Lord of the Rings is one of the greatest works of literature in the English language. I'm afraid that it is often dismissed as a mere genre novel, of interest only to fantasy enthusiasts. In truth, I think it is more akin to an epic novel like War and Peace. Indeed, having read the latter fairly recently I was struck by some similarities. Not in the writing style, but in the scope and the amazing subtleties of character. Both novels, in addition to being centered on great wars, focus on the importance of smaller characters and apparent random chance in the making of history. The most impressive quality of Tolkien's novel is the way he literally created a completely believable world that is at once beautiful and terrible. The descriptions of geography, languages and the various races of folk sometimes seem excessive, but these serve to create an unparalleled authenticity. Tolkien's Middle Earth is more plausible than the "real" places of most other writers. One could write an entire book on some of the philosophical and spiritual implications of LOR, especially on the topic of duality. Some, including myself, are not comfortable with the apparent Manichean quality of his universe, where everything seems to be good vs. evil. There may even be some justification for claims that the book has certain ethnocentric qualities -e.g. the constant association of black with evil and white with good, and also the tendency of good being associated with the West, and evil with the East. However, the book also contains enough subtleties and shadings to compensate for this; characters such as Gollum and Saruman, who exist on a shaky moral precipice, show that Tolkien did not see life in simplistic terms. Beyond all of this, and most importantly, The Lord of the Rings is simply one of the most entertaining and exciting novels ever written.
Rating: 
Summary: great book bad edition
Review: this book looks really nice from the outside
but the fact is that the inside is pretty bootleg
the pages are really cheap and thin
and the map they give you in the back is a folded sheet of paper
it definetly is not worth 50 bucks but the book itself is amazing so get it if you don't want to haul around three books at once
Rating:
Summary: For the true devotee of Lord of the Rings
Review: This is obviously an edition designed for every devotee of Lord Of The Rings who ever wanted to hold The Red Book in their hands. I can't think of any better praise than to say that it's obviously been designed for hardcore fans by hardcore fans. It's just perfect in every detail. If you've already read this book many times and want to own an edition that does justice to your love of Middle Earth, get this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Great book, quality slightly off the mark.
Review: I will spare the urge to expound on how great story this book is about as there would not be any more point worth discussing among those who have read it. Instead, anyone who might be buying this leatherette edition should be interested in what kind of physical quality this higher priced print brings about. I, for myself, was so enchanted with the quality of the writing, I decided I should have one that match it, physically that is. Indeed it is one heavy book, bright red leatherette cover with golden linings, black text with red prints for the foot and headnotes (pages, chapter title, etc). The paper is slightly yellowish to give the kind of old, aging air about it, and if you hold it more than a few seconds, it will mold the shape of your fingers into it, as if it begs to be personalized by your touch. The printed text, however, are not entirely uniform, some pages have it really dark and bold, and some are not as much. Nevertheless, it shouldn't bother the overall experience. Only time will tell if this quality will hold for passing it to my great grandchildren.
Rating:
Summary: BEST BOOK EVER!
Review: This is the best book I have ever read!...all I have to say is I if your looking for a great book this is the one. It really pays attention to deatil. When reading it you can see just what is happing in story. So for any one looking for a great read this is your book!
Rating:
Summary: Lord of the Rings: Traditionalist Myth of the 20th Century.
Review: _The Lord of the Rings_ is the most popular work of fiction of the 20th century with millions of devoted fans the world over. The book was inspired by Tolkien's personal ultra-conservative Catholic faith and his study of Nordic myths and languages. One of Tolkien's favorites was of course Beowulf. There is little modernity in LOTR, and the Hobbits who live simply off the land in their small pastoral countryside are given the center stage. The great wizards, wise elves, and warriors don't accomplish the task of destroying the Ring of Doom, they instead play a supporting role--the ultimate cause of victory remains an unknown force that plays its hand in the courses of the world, aiding individual effort. Tolkien borrowed something from the ancient Atlantis and Golden Age myths in the plot of his story. The men of "Numenor" were a semi-divine race that came from the West across the sea and set up kingdoms where they ruled over men of lesser stock. Eventually they declined after their will to life had been sapped from internal decay, stagnation, and violent conquests from outside demonic forces. _Lord of the Rings_ is the story of their recovery and regaining of the their lost king, who reunites their kindoms and establishes his rule on Middle Earth after the Dark Lord is vanquished. The political outlook of the book is similar to the feudalistic Middle Ages and Sparta rather from modern day liberalism, democracy, fascism, communism or other forms of rule "by the masses." The rulers have a higher-than-human origin, but at the same time they are not despots or pillagers. Evil is portrayed as the total corruption of what is natural and free-flowing, such as the destruction of forests, industrialized machinery, agricultural decline, and mindless bloodthirsty soldiers who fight among themselves but obey their demonic masters' every whim. The book concludes, not with the destrution of the Ring, but with the Hobbits' fight to liberate their homeland, which had run itself well independently until one Hobbit began trading with the evil wizard Saruman and the Shire was taken over by gangs of thugs. The book is almost an unconscious indictment of what government control, greedy capitalism and communism alike has done to the planet over the past 200 years: cultural decline, rootlessness, and environmental degradation. Possibly the reason this book has been so popular is because LOTR portrays an idealistic world with settings and characters so radically different in their lives and worldviews from our own. The protagonists are not self-serving hedonists rebelling for no reason, but rather individuals who are concerned with maintaining their traditions, old ways of life, and are in touch with a transcendant mission above and beyond themselves.
|
