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Summary: Don't read all 475 reviews, read these books!
Review: __________________Oddly enough, Amazon thought I'd not reviewed this. I read these books at least five times in order when I was in my teens and reading fiction. Not only did these books create the fantasy fiction genre and popularize the sword and sorcery genre (Gor, Conan, etc), they're just wonderful to read. The dungeons and dragons people would never have got started without Tolkien, and from time to time I still haul 'em out and reread the various underground journeys in these books. The Hobbit is more of a standalone story than the others of course, but the four are a perfect fit. Those interested in the further background may enjoy the Silmarillion, which Tolkien wrote in order to provide a consistent mythos for these four books. By all means, read these books before you see the movies. I'm going to see the movies, but 90 percent of the details (at least) will have to be dumped to fit each book into a two hour format. The special effects are bound to be spectacular, but the question becomes, which scenes will be included strictly because of their visual impact, regardless of their lack of importance to the story? Which scenes will be compounded with others?
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Summary: Tolkien is The Master Story-Teller....he created the genre
Review: The writings of Professor Tolkien are absolutely Timeless. These books are the gauge by-which all Fantasy books are measured. The Hobbit and The Trilogy have been the Inspiration for decades of works by other authors, yet I have not ever seen these works surpassed by anyone. Terry Brooks is the only author I have read who even compares to J.R.R. Tolkien and his epic style. I became fascinated with The Hobbit and Trilogy when I was in the seventh grade. I borrowed them from a friend and snuck them home. I was completely enthralled with the world Tolkien created. I was not allowed to read anything that was even remotely related to Wizards, Witches, Astrology, D&D, etc., so these books were like nothing I had ever seen, before. I was captivated and felt the call to become a Writer. Previously, the poetry and such that we were studying in school BORED me to tears. I found my schooling to be mind-numbingly BORING and Tolkien became my Inspiration to Learn, create Poetry, Write stories, Study, become an Anthropologist, delve into Masonic Lore and so much more.... Throughout High-School, I had pictures of Prof. Tolkien on my wall and I desired to be like him. Not-only was he the Greatest Fantasy Writer the world has known, but he was "Professor of Anglo-Saxon, at Oxford University, from 1925 to 1945....and professor of English Language and Literature....and a Fellow of Merton College from '45 to his retirement in '59." Check out his translations of (book title:)"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl, and Sir Orfeo" (J.R.R. Tolkien) Also, Prof. Tolkien wrote wonderful stories like "Smith of Wooten Major (&) Farmer Giles of Ham" for children. Pop those titles into the search box! I can honestly say that reading Tolkien changed my life...for the Better! Tolkien created the highest standards of writing for generations of authors....I am quite sure he would be deeply disappointed with the majority of books published today, with numerous spelling errors and pathetic grammar. I believe Tolkien is a god-send to English teachers. Perhaps, he can still inspire young people to elevate their Writing and English skills, from beyond. I would fight to keep his works on the shelves. I was not allowed to do my Senior Thesis about this author, despite the fact that he is such an amazing author and advocate of Literature. I lost interest in doing my thesis and threw something together at the last minute. Perhaps teachers should Recognize the potential for inspiring youth, via the works of J.R.R. Tolkien.
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Summary: Ultimate Fantasy
Review: Tolkien's Hobbit and Lord of the Rings is the ultimate fantasy! I've read it at least thirty times and I'll never tire of Tolkien's masterpiece.
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Summary: REALLY............AWESOME
Review: I would say the first part of this book set, The Hobbit, is 5 *'s, there was a delightful mix of danger, fighting, imprisonment, capture, really werird creatures, weapons, and magic. The end had Thorin acting like a jerk and refusing to share the treasure, but in the end it is ok. The Lord of the Rings was also good. It dragged down the overall score by starting off slow, but it got a LOT better. Hey, the first time somebody good dies, do not panic like I did, because if you get frustrated and stop reading then you will never read what makes up for it in the second part of the book. As a trilogy, this book is awesome, and ends up with a real bang (literally, volcanos blowing up count as bangs) and the end was, well, NOT what I expected from the book, but should have expected from Toilken. I say this book is good for everyone over 10, even if you love to read and are really good at it, because you will think that since the beginning is slow that the whole thing will be slow. You have to force yourself to get past the first hundred pages or so of The Fellowship of the Ring. P.S. I love the hobbits, especially Pippin and Merry!!!! (Gandalf is really cool too!!!)
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Summary: The Best Collection of Book....EVER!!
Review: Welcome,beware those who read these books open a story that none can close.It opens a world,you might have heard of elves, dwarves etc. and said "say what" but read this book and it won't matter. Why? this book is the best ever written every detail will be branded onto your mind, this is Tolkien's world you finish it but the world lives on. Some books devastate you when you finished but this has an ending which only finishes oneof many stories.
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Summary: This is a true fantasy classic!!
Review: Once you start it will be hard to leave your adventure in "Middle Earth"! What I think is neat about this series is the characters truly come to life. The tale is so wonderfully written that you cheer for Bilbo & Frodo as they venture to defeat the evil Sauron. If you like this book, you'll really enjoy the book "Call to Destiny" by Randall J Skrimager
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Summary: WARNING: This book might lead to addiction..
Review: This book is undoubtedly the greatest fantasy epic ever. Tolkien is a pioneer of fantasy writing, and a creator of a whole world, with a history as complete as that of our world. As you read this book, Middle Earth comes alive in your mind - the places, the people, the events. Each place and event is described in detail, and yet there is room for your own imagination to play a part. The book is about the mission of a group nine (an Elf, a Dwarf, four Hobbits, two Men and a Wizard guide) who have to destroy a Ring in order to put an end to the growing Dark power of Sauron the Evil, and save Middle Earth from Darkness. The book is written from the point of view of the Hobbits who are forced to undertake this journey because of the legacy of Bilbo Baggins from "The Hobbit". The first part of the book (The Fellowship of the Ring) starts on a light note, and here, the Hobbits are still simple folk, fond of good food and drink, and the Shire is still an innocent place. As the journey to destroy the ring and defeat Sauron the Dark Lord begins, things begin to get more serious, and one can note the change in the tone and style starting with The Two Towers. This second part is perhaps the most interesting, and contains the core of the book. The third part, The Retrun of the King, is mostly about the last big war between Good and Evil. Each scene in the battle is described in great detail, and one can close ones eyes and see the battle in the Fields of Pelennor. Although Good ultimately prevails over Evil, the book is still a little tragic, for things can never be the same or regain the old innocence. Middle Earth is changed forever, and the personalities of the Hobbits have undergone a great change too. The Third Age of Middle Earth has come to an end, and when the members of the fellowship part, I felt sad that it was all over.. The appendices at the end of the book are very useful. Since the events in the two parts of the Return of the King take place at the same time, it helps to refer to the dates-events table in Appendix B to know what events took place on the same day. At the end, I was converted into a real Tolkien buff, wanting to know more about the Middle Earth and its history and people. The Silmarillion, which narrates the history of Middle Earth is the book where many questions raised in the Lord of the Rings are answered. I highly recommend this book even to those who are first time fantasy readers.
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Summary: Written by the Lord of the Rings himself...
Review: Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky, Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone, Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die, One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie. One Ring to rule them, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
The first and foremost of fantasy fiction, the book that started it all! Filled with elves, dwarves, dragons, evil creatures, hobbits, men, wizards, and so on, this book has less the feeling of a fantasy than of a mighty adventure that took place long, long ago. (I read somewhere that this book partially inspired George Lucas)
"The Hobbit" is slightly detached from the trilogy, an unmatched children's story. Pleasant, ordinary Bilbo Baggins is plucked from his pleasant, ordinary life in Hobbiton by the peculiar wizard Gandalf. Pushed into the middle of a bunch of dwarves, Bilbo finds himself batt!ling hideous froglike creatures, wood-elves, and giant spiders before reaching his ultimate goal: Battle with a dragon.
"The Hobbit" is written in a different style than the trilogy, but you must remember that the story originally was Tolkien's made-up bedtime story to his kids, and is written in a similar style. The Elves are far fluffier and less imposing than in the trilogy. Gandalf is far weirder. But it starts the most important aspect of it all...
"The Fellowship of the Ring" shifts from Bilbo to his young cousin Frodo, a hobbit who inherits the golden Ring and quickly finds himself meshed in a web of good and evil. With a bunch of friends and allies, he sets out to destroy it in the middle of Mordor.
"The Two Towers" deals with the post-separation of the fellowship. Pippin and Merry have been kidnapped by the orcs, and Frodo and Sam are en route to Mount Doom. But a familiar and very sinister figure is following them.
"The Return of the King"! concludes the trilogy. Frodo must face his ultimate temptation, as Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and Faramir struggle to free the city of Minus Tirith. This is a gritty, realistic ending to the trilogy--not everything is nice and tidily tied up, and the feeling of transition gives the ending a real feel of ENDING. This is one of the few books where there truly could not be a sequel.
To anyone who claims this is racist: Yech to you! Good grief, it's inevitable that all popular things will attract some loony claims, but racist? Several of the villains are white (Saruman the WHITE, the Mouth of Sauron, Wormtongue, Boromir's dad whose name escapes me, et cetera) and the Black Riders are OBVIOUSLY not black in terms of skin color. They're "black" in the same way that black holes are black (and don't claim that black holes are racist). Those that claim that it is racist are clearly just trying to stir up trouble.
And anyone who says that these books are not for children: I!f kids put down their dumb trendy books and read this, they would find heroes they can admire, a fantasy world as real as this one, without sex or profanity or much violence (there is violence, but Tolkien deliberately skimps on the details). This book spans all age groups--in my local library, the Tolkien books are in three or four different sections, including children's and young adult. Believe me, your kid could do MUCH worse than this.
The ending is the ultimate in bittersweet and beautiful. Believe me, you'll want to travel to the Grey Havens. Read the book and experience what the fuss is about!
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Summary: Lord of fantasy
Review: "Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky, Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone, Nine for the Mortal Men doomed to die, One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie. One Ring to rule them, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie." I cannot remember how often I read these lines, but everytime I read them they remind me of one of the best books I ever read. If you like fantasy novels, you love The Lord of the Rings. There is only one thing left to say: Do not read it in German (especially The Hobbit)... The original so much better.
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Summary: One of the best books ever wriiten!
Review: I am 11 years old and if anyone tells you children should not read this book... Do NOT LISTEN! Pretty much anyone can read these great books . My name is Kelli Chatelain. Harry Potter is pretty much comparable. I might actually be Arwen for Halloween the year. They are very long but they are worth reading! I also reccomend the Hobbit by the same author . The Hobbit is the book before these. This story is great for anyone!
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