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Summary: Four of the Greatest Books of all Time!
Review: In this one set you have four of the best loved and most memorable books in history. There is everything in them: action, drama, fantasy, kings, evil overlords, strange monsters, and even a little romance. If you saw the movies first and are afraid that the books are going to be boring, well you're wrong. The movies were great, but i was a little disappointed because of how they focused so much on the fights and left out or changed parts of the books. Read these, I promise you you won't be sorry!
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Summary: Lord of the Bore
Review: I was forced to read the Hobbit many years ago in seventh grade, and it was the only required reading that I skipped half the book and read the end. However with the renewed popularity of this series, I felt that I should give Mr. Tolkien another try. I purchased the books but again could never read more than a few pages. Finally I needed to go on a long driving trip, so I borrowed the unabridged cd version of the first volume of the trilogy from the library. While I did manage to complete the first volume, I was sadly very unimpressed. Mr Tolkien has created a rich fantasy environment, but his characters are very boring. They go on endless nature hikes where they miraculously escape the clutches of evil. Between these nature hikes, they eat, drink, sing, and recite bad poetry. Even after hundreds of pages of hiking and escaping evil the characters have shown no change or growth.I know I am in the minority opinion over these books, but if you did not like them remember you are not alone.
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Summary: Masterpiece of the Twentieth Century
Review: I first read the Lord of the Rings in sixth grade, which began my lifelong love-affair with epic fantasy literature. I re-read it again (at age 29) just before the films came out, and was reminded why I loved it so much. This is a story that can be read by young and old, and it will fill you with a sense of wonder and excitement. Tolkien has certain weaknesses as a writer (he couldn't bear to remove any part, even the bad stuff) and so much happens "suddenly" in the story. Nevertheless, he's vivid imagination, worldbuilding and touching descriptions tower above some of these minor flaws. None single book is truly a novel unto itself. The books were originally published together, and unlike recent fantasy series, each work tends to lack its own storytelling crescendo. Make sure you read all three books together. For me, the Two Towers was the most enjoyable section of the story because it goes the furthest towards exploring the characters of Sam and Frodo. Lord of the Rings wasn't the first modern fantasy of the twentieth century (check out Fritz Leibers stories of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser for something excellent that is earlier). However, it is the most influential. Almost every fantasy book and fantasy roleplaying game created in the last few decades owes something to Tolkien. After you read Lord of the Rings, you will know why! Enjoy it, and be taken on a journey you will never forget.
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Summary: Super book
Review: I think it's a wonderful book.There are many adventures. It's very mysterious. Easy to read. It's never boring. Very attractive and interesting.
It was about Bilbo Baggins although he didn't like adventure he found a ring and this ring put him in adventure.With Gandalf and the dwarves Bilbo goes for the search of a treasure...
I advise everybody to read and enjoy HOBBIT.
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Summary: By far the BEST books ever written.
Review: In these tales of woe and grief, suffering and sacrifice, there is a light that keeps you turning the pages. The beauty of Tolkiens writing. The richness of detail paints a wonderful tapestry of this age and time which practically makes it feel, well, real.These books far outshine the works of C.S. Lewis and Philip Pullman. Though these books are long and take you on a journey as ruin frought as the tale of Odyseyses the gripping plot and enticing details pull you in for a journey that could only be named THE LORD OF THE RINGS.
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Summary: Enchanting
Review: As a young girl I checked the lord of the rings trilogy out of the library, I was probably about 13 then, but for some reason I never read them, I must have returned them without even trying. It strikes me as strange - that something sparked when I read the back covers - but not enough to attempt reading them. Many (12) years later I married a man who considered the series to be his favorite book(s). He reread them soon after we married and offered them to me to try, and I refused saying that I knew 'fantasy' wasn't my thing. But, when I heard they were creating the trilogy into a cinematic event that was to be Peter Jackson's crowning glory - I decided to try. I knew my husband would drag me to see the films and I do have a thing about knowing a story before I see the film. Well really it only took the first chapter to get me trapped. I bought them in my own set of paperbacks so that I could bend them and keep each I was reading with me at all times. This is a series that has subsequently changed my life, considering my husband and I (and millions of others) have spent the last 3 years anticipating the 3 films. I am so thankful that I read these books. I think that much of my reading life has been divided into pre-LOTR and post-LOTR. The only downside is you'll find yourself ever searching for another epic that compares. But - is there one?
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Summary: The Best Novels OF The Twentith Century
Review: I'm not sure how many people saw the movies before reading the books, but I'm one of those people. As soon as I saw the movies,(all three) I knew that I had to read them. They are so good!!! The movies were great in describing them, but, as usual, the books are better. This is a little summary: Though I haven't read all of 'The Hobbit', I know a bit of what happens in that story. Bilbo Baggins, the main charecter, finds the One Ring in the Misty Mountains, and wins it from the creature, Gollum, who has lost, it if I'm correct. Anyway, the first book of 'The Lord Of The Rings' story,(it was made quite clear in the introduction of the first edition that it's not a trilogy) starts with Bilbo celebrating his 'one hundred-elventith' birthday. He's planning to leave the Shire, his home, and go live with the elves in Rivendell, leaving everything behind to his nephew, Frodo, including the One Ring. Now there's a problem, because Bilbo doesn't want to give it up. The Ring kind of binds itself to its owner, if you know what I mean. It's so evil that it's hard to fight off the urge to get rid of it, which is Bilbo's case here. His friend, Gandalf, has to force him a little to leave it behind, and because Bilbo hasn't had it long enough to go crazy after losing it, he feels better once it's gone. But later on Gandalf finds out that Bilbo's magic ring is in fact the One Ring, and he tells Frodo, who now owns it, that he has to destroy it, and the only way to do that is to throw it into the Cracks of Doom in Mordor, the home of the Dark Lord, Sauron, who is now looking for it to take over Middle Earth(isn't that a cool name?). When Frodo starts out, he's joined by his gardener, and friend, Samwise Gamgee, and friends, Pippin Took and Merry Brandybuck. Later on, they meet up with two men, Aragorn and Boromir, an elf, Legolas, and a dwarf, Gimli, who help him on his journey. I don't want to spoil the ending for you, so that you'll read the books yourself. Their something you wouldn't want to overlook.
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Summary: The books that opened up a new world...
Review: I know many people have already seen all three movies and it is pretty much out there but there is more than that for the books. First of all there is the beautiful story telling of the master literati J. R. R. Tolkien. The way he creates a world of fantasy has opened up a whole new genre of literature and entertainment (I am talking about the FRP gaming). Different races, with their different characteristics, treats and traits, histories and languages are major creations based on certain myths. If literature is a cumulative process (which I believe it is) then Lord of the Rings is one of the best available. You can start reading with the first book of LotR but I suggest start with the Hobbit because it lays down some background story. One thing about this edition is that it promotes the movies by putting images from it, I would prefer something separate from the movies, since they are totally different worlds and mediums and I think the promotion of the movie should not over shadow the books themselves. I edition I have is the British edition that has some nice drawings on the covers as opposed to the actors of the movie. I am not claiming that movies were bad or anything like that they are just separate things. Above everything go ahead, these books are definitely worth the time, read slow and enjoy the language! :)
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Summary: If you have to ask you need to know
Review: I've read these books many times and every time I re-read them they amaze me even more. In my opinion the Hobbit/L.O.T.R books are the greatest works of creative fiction ever written.
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Summary: greatest
Review: My first fantasy series. One of the best i've read. To the people who say 1000 pages is a long story i'd say it's pretty short. I'm on my third 5000+ page fantasy series at the moment.
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