Rating: 
Summary: 5 star story , but why not buy another edition?
Review: Hi, if you're reading this, you probably are already familiar with the movies, and possibly have already read the books. If you have seen the movie and haven't read the books yet, congratulations on taking the next step. Read them. On the other hand. . .maybe you should reconsider buying the box edition with the movie scenes pasted all over it. Why? I enjoyed the movies, but reading through the last few chapters again a few days ago I noticed that the book experience was totally different from the passive movie experience. I would try to distance myself from the images associated with the movie as much as possible while reading this. If you really loved the movie, you're doing the book a great disservice by constantly comparing the two. Let Tolkien's charming, unique style take you on your own journey through Middle Earth. . .leave Mr. Jackson's vision for the silver screen.
Rating: 
Summary: The original Lord of Fantasy!
Review: As a kid I was fascinated by science fiction and loved, as well, the mythic worlds of earlier times. Among my favorites were the northern mythologies of the Norse and related Scandinavian peoples. I also had a soft spot in my heart for old fashioned Celtic mythology. And so, when I stumbled onto Tolkien's LORD OF THE RINGS in my teens (a long time ago indeed!), I was practically floored, since it melded all these elements together into a new kind of tale: high fantasy with an epic cast to it. In truth Tolkien's great work grew out of a very deep cultural vein and had many serious antecedents that came before and set the stage for it, both in modern and pre-modern times (the Greek epic cycles, the medieval chansons de geste, the Amadis of Gaul texts, to name a few). And yet, for me then, his tale was entirely new. I think I read the RING trilogy first, before THE HOBBIT, but am no longer entirely certain. However, in whatever sequence I first found these books, they were utterly delightful and spoiled most science fiction and fantasy for me afterwards because they were so hard to match in terms of breadth of vision, depth of feeling and vividness of the world painted by their author's vigorous and yet very precious prose. Not entirely innovative but largely derivative of the older mythologies, they yet innovated in the way they combined these (Celtic and Norse and Christian and Manichean) into a single and coherent whole. These books tell an epic tale of a quest to destroy a mighty talisman of power, a quest which combines the world-ending themes of the Norse Ragnarok and end-of-days religious fundamentalism with the uplifting feel of revitalization that grows from a cleansing battle between the forces of good and evil. The world we live in, of course, isn't anything like this but it's a tribute to the vision and power of Tolkien as a writer that our own world seems pale by comparison with the one he invented for us, invented out of the whole cloth of ancient myths and traditions. Note: I recieved this boxed set as a gift, however if I were to purchase a set I would definitely purchase the leatherette collectors edition. Trust me, it will be well worth the investment.
Rating:
Summary: Make Your Own Movie
Review: As much as I enjoyed Peter Jackson's vision of Tolkien's trilogy, I'm afraid far too many people have seen the films and have ignored the books. Or worse, they've come away from the movies all juiced up, then read the books and say, "...uh...the movies were better." Oh, you poor, poor souls... One reason that THE LORD OF THE RINGS is so powerful (as literature) is that Tolkien's vision is on every page. But, master that he is, Tolkien gives the reader enough room to build his own images, using his own imagination. And as grand as Peter Jackson's imagination might be, yours is better. You can imagine Gandalf, Frodo, the Orcs, Treebeard, the scenery, the battles,and all the rest using all the inventiveness and creativity that God gave you. This story is so rich and fascinating that to limit your appreciation of it to actors performing on a screen is a cruel injustice. Do yourself a favor - make your own movie with your own imagination. Open the books and prepare yourself for an incredible adventure. Antelope Jones
Rating:
Summary: Review by Nicholas S. Stember, author of "Twilight"
Review: Every reader has a "first book" that captivated their heart and took them where nothing had before. Just like a first kiss or a first love, it is something that you always remember. For me, it was the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings. J.R.R Tolkien pulled me in with The Hobbit, then entwined me with the next three novels. I think I've read the series (start to finish) over twenty times, and each time I find something new I hadn't seen before, and the delight starts all over again. On the surface it can seem like many other fantasy tales. Elves and Dwarves and Wizards and good vs. evil. We've seen it before; The Narnia Series, The Harry Potter books, more Dungeons and Dragons novels than you can imagine... but Tolkien was there first. He set the bar that all other fantasy novels had to set themselves against. He takes us on this fantastic journey through the eyes of the simplest and most innocent of creatures, Hobbits. They are small, friendly, country folk who view the world of the "big people" as something strange and mysterious and definately not a place that "respectable Hobbits" venture out into... In fact, the whole idea of "adventures" is something Hobbit's just didn't do. But a wise and friendly wizard whom you learn to love, Gandalf, steps into one Hobbit's life (Bilbo Baggins) and does just that...whisks him off on an adventure, and his life (and the reader's) would never be the same again. Where as The Hobbit is a light hearted tale of adventure, The Lord of the Rings takes you to a more serious level, as Bilbo's nephew has to pay the price for the spoils brought back by his uncle... namely his magical Ring. For this ring was none other than the "one ring" made by the dark lord Sauron in his evil quest to dominate all of Middle Earth... Hoping just to get the ring as far from his beloved Shire as possible, young Frodo sets off with his cousins and his faithful gardener, Samwise, to do just that... get rid of the ring. But this task becomes more than any of them could ever imagine in their worst nightmares, and thus an epic fantasy saga is born. I can't recommend any fantasy work higher. It will take you where only dreams can, and you almost hope you can never return.
Rating:
Summary: Five stars for the books themselves that is....
Review: While I am loathe to endorse books with movie covers, if those covers are the only thing making you want to read these books, that will have to do.
Tolkien's works in this box set are broad in scope yet focus on these specific characters so well that you never feel intimidated by the world being created around you.
These books are easy to get into and satisfying on each and ever page. The action is methodical and inspiring while the journeying is even more inspiring. The sub-text of the music in Middle-Earth is a wonderful aspect of these books that we miss in the movies.
In any case, these books are a must read, in whatever form you can get them.
Rating:
Summary: About the CD Audio Version
Review: I don't know why Amazon lumps these altogether. Stupid. In any case, I won't bother with a review of the story. Everyone knows what this is. I will give my impression of the CD set. This is a radio drama. Not a straight abridged reading of the book. This has voice actors, songs, music, effects. It's done as a play for the radio and I really enjoyed it. It was worth every penny. I very much enjoyed the Narrator. The voices of the other characters were not what I expected really and to tell the truth, I was a little disappointed at first. About half way into The Hobbit, that changed though. I enjoyed the voices more as I went along and became quite friendly with them by the end. I wished for more at the end of The Hobbit. I would recommend this set highly.
Rating: 
Summary: 4.9 stars for the box set!
Review: There have been few collections that have been held in such high international regard than the works presented in this box set. Even before the LotR movies, Tolkien was synonymous with THE original classic fantasy works and now they're absolutely huge. With this set, you'll get to see what the fuss is all about. The Hobbit is a prequel to the LotR. It is considered a children's tale and indeed Tolkien wrote it for his children. However, it's still very enjoyable for the adult and forms a great, easy introduction the the Middle-Earth universe. It tells the tale of how Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf the wizard and a bunch of dwarves set out to "rescue" a treasure-trove of gold from Smaug the dragon. The journey takes, to my recollection, something in the space of a year. In the course they experience all the classic elements found in a fantasy world - giant monsters, weird and wonderful characters, fantastical battles, spirited and magical helpers and loathsome dungeons. And all this told in the most easygoing prose imaginable. For more serious fans of the Middle-Earth universe, the linkups to LotR give the tale an extra twist of flavour. It is here that the Ring is first encountered, and it is here that we first feel the breath of the enemy...If you've seen the movies and want to read the books, The Hobbit is a great place to start. The Lord of the Rings follows. It is not a trilogy but a series in six books, with appendices. It is a monumental work detailing the struggle of the Fellowship of the Ring against the dark forces of Sauron and the quest to destroy the Ring of Power. This is clear to those who've either seen the movies (95% of people I think) or heard of them (99.9999%). This is what the content of the books is. Except obviously there's much more detail and it's much more epic in the sheer number of obstacles that are placed in the path of Frodo and friends. The thing that would probably be useful is the differences between the books and the movies. The books are very rich in extraneous material. It is said that one of Tolkien's main purposes of writing the series was to create a world with his own invented languages and populate it - the stories are just a background to the languages! The book contains a lot of mythology. There are a lot of poems relating to times gone by and current events (which I personally didn't find very readable). Overall, there are many profound and emotional parts in the book that aren't given much credence in the movie - a great feeling of melancholy and nostalgia over a world in deterioration. This is only touched on in the films with the atmoshere of the elves. The book contains a lot of journeying and this will also be a new feature. Rather than just getting to places like in the film, the characters spend a lot of time in the day-to-day marches. It is here that you begin to learn and appreciate the natural landscape of Middle-Earth, from the plains of Rohan to the little ecosystem of the Shire. The appendices will only be read by LotR fanatics. There are backstories of the kingdoms and lineages of noble families and notes on the languages. One thing that is recommended to browse through is the timeline, especially what happened to the fellowship after the events of the book. Overall, this is still the great book about timeless issues pertaining to good, evil, courage and hope. But it also has the extra emotional and descriptive elements. There is something that is missing, although I'm not sure what, that stops it from being 5 stars in my opinion. A great piece of literary history. Contains a whole universe that's as deep and rich as our one.
Rating:
Summary: Fall into Tolkien's spell....
Review: I hadn't heard much of J.R.R Tolkien until I saw the movies. From the first moment of FOTR I knew I had to buy the books. Shortly after seeing the 3rd movie I did just that. I was blown away by how detailed the books were. This set contains The Hobbit and all 3 of the Lord of the Rings trilogy at a fantastic price. I spent 3 weeks reading these books back to back. I could hardly put them down. The Hobbit was a wonderful tale, and so easily read. It was as if someone was sitting by a fire and telling stories to young children. Much to my surprise the book was written more in common english, and didn't use many of the proper words of the time that could confuse someone. If you're thinking of reading these books only after seeing the movie, as I did, I warn you there are many many things the movies left out. I felt annoyed through the first half of The Felloship of the Ring, becuase I felt that it was overly detailed. But, after you pass the Shire it becomes captivating. The details are very extravagent. Almost far beyond neccessary. It dulls down as the story progresses, though at times it still drudges on describing history of the lands and things of that nature. All and all the books do an excellent job at making you feel like a part of the story. As if you're seeing it first hand, and know the characters personally.
This is no happy ever after story though. There is much despair and feelings of unhappiness through out the entire story. This does not subside at the end. Though if you're reading it after seeing the movies, the end will surprise you.
The appendixes at the end of The Return of the King give loads of information on the history of the races and 'some what became ofs'. The unhappiness is still present there also.
Over all I'd say this is a must for anyone who takes pleasure in fantasy. The plot is wonderful. As is the character development. It does an amazing job at bringing you into the story and putting you under its spell. Captivating, emotionally stirring, and simply brilliant.
Rating:
Summary: Just read it.
Review: One of the most beautiful stories ever written.
Rating:
Summary: Nicest of the Paperback Editions
Review: This is a nice paperback version of the book, and is going to be much easier to read than the cheaper paperback editions of this series. Still, while this is the best paperback edition available, it is not a high quality paperback, and will be unlikely to retain its appearance after one reading of the book. The cover is not a strong cardstock and the spine doesn't seem strong enough to hold up to long periods of reading. The paper quality is also noticably darker and rougher than the hardcover versions making the text to paper contrast ratio a little dark for my taste. It is a shame, because with large books like these, paperback is the most practical way to go. If you care about paper quality and beautiful typography, though, you are toing to have to go out and buy the hardback version of the book, because this particular edition -- nice as it is -- is just not going to please real book lovers. Book content *****, book edition ***1/2
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