The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings

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Summary: Toliens Masterpiece in one set
Review: All of Tolkiens most famous works in one compelete set. The books are paperback but are still durable and long-lasting. Appendex is nicely placed at the end of Return of the King and all features of the original books are maintained.

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Summary: AN EPIC!! YOU NEED THIS, YOU WANT THIS, YOU MUST GET THIS!!!
Review: These books are the greatest epic of all time! J.R.R. Tolkein was an absolute genius. The story, plot, and ESPECIALLY the characters stay with you FOREVER!The Hobbit is just getting you familiar with the setting,and some of the characters. The Fellowship of the Ring scratches the surface of the plot, introducting you to good and evil, characters, and story lines. The Two Towers is the most action-packed book in the series, while The Return of the King finishes the series with a huge bang! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, read the books before you see the movies. You'll understand so much more because Hollywood can't cram in all the extraordiary details of the books! You'll never regret choosing to let these characters into your life. They've stayed with me and you'll come back begging for more! I've read these books over and over and over again! It doesn't get old at all!

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Summary: Recommended- Hobbit and LOTR are Fantasy classics
Review: But you should already know that. Now some parts are slow but believe me it picks up. By the time you get to Return of the King, you'll really get into the characters and story and you'll want more. Don't fool yourself if you think you can get into the Fantasy genre without reading this. It's essential because the creativity put into Middle-Earth and the characters inspired MANY other fantasy writers and makes the genre what it is today. Without this book I doubt we would have as many fantasy writers today as we do. Really really really (three for emphasis) recommended!

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Summary: Lord of the rings and the hobbit box set
Review: I loved these books!! I have no doubt that I will listen to them over and over again!! Would recomend them to anyone.

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Summary: The Greatest Fantasy Quest Of All-Time
Review: I had always known about J.R.R. Tolkien's epic fantasy masterpiece, "The Lord Of The Rings"---I remember we had copies of the books in our library when I was only a little "Halfling" in grammar school---but, for reasons I do not know, I just never got around to reading them. Then I saw Peter Jackson's marvelous film adaptations of the first two books, "The Fellowship Of The Ring" & "The Two Towers" (with "The Return Of The King" coming this December), and I was so mesmerised by this wondrous, classic tale that I saw unfold on the screen, that I finally HAD to read the books, as I was so curious to see how Professor Tolkien had originally written it, in comparison to seeing how Peter Jackson visualised it. So, I bought this specially-priced box set, containing not only "The Lord Of The Rings" but also it's very-important prequel, "The Hobbit," and, without question, they are the very best books I have ever spent money on. It took me, personally, about five months to get through Tolkien's entire Middle-Earth saga (including "The Hobbit"), picking up the books whenever I had a spare moment to read them inbetween my weekly workshifts, and, from the first page of "The Hobbit" to the final page of "The Return Of The King," I was completely enraptured. I can't believe that I almost missed out on reading one of the world's greatest literary works.There are many reasons why "The Hobbit" & "The Lord Of The Rings" are such timeless classics, but certainly right at the top of the list is that Tolkien created such a phenomenally rich, detailed world in Middle-Earth, and populated it with some of the most magical fictional characters ever created. In fact, SO rich are the details of this legendary realm, that Tolkien not only had to devise a precise map of Middle-Earth (included with every book), but also many appendices that contain the various histories & backstories of the characters and the world they inhabit (included at the end of "The Return Of The King"). Admittedly, the plot may be the most familiar Fantasy plot of them all---the quest---but it is a quest that is so immeasurably rewarding, as you, the reader, are literally swept away with the characters and their various adventures. There is great action, drama, and humor all throughout the books, and although the great central mission for most of these characters is to destroy the evil Ring Of Power & save Middle-Earth, each character has his or her own personal destiny to fulfill all along the way. Reading this saga is also like taking the most wondrous guided tour of your life, as Tolkien knows every road, every hill, every mountain, river & stream of this land, and he describes it all to you in fascinating detail (he wasn't a Professor at Oxford for nothing!). His writing style is very poetic and almost like Shakespeare, and there were times when I'd have to re-read some of the paragraphs in order to fully get the meaning of Tolkien's words, but I was more than happy to do so. And, finally, you can't have a classic tale without having classic characters, and Tolkien's vast array of characters in these books are just so enchanting: the loveable hobbits Bilbo, Frodo, Sam, Merry & Pippin, the great wizard Gandalf, the evil wizard Saruman & the mysterious, omnipresent Lord Sauron, the mighty ranger Aragorn, the valiant Elf & Dwarf duo of Legolas & Gimli, the beautiful & fair Lady Galadriel, Queen Of The Elves, the wise Elf king Elrond, the ragged, tormented creature Gollum, and so many, many more. I must also say that if you're going to read "The Lord Of The Rings," then you absolutely *must* read "The Hobbit" first, as it sets up the entire "Rings" saga that follows, and introduces the reader to Bilbo, Gandalf, Gollum & Elrond. Of course, Tolkien wrote a prologue at the start of "Rings" that tells of the "Hobbit" backstory, but it's so much more enlightening to read the actual "Hobbit" tale itself, and see in detail just how Bilbo Baggins set the whole ball in motion with his adventure with Smaug the Dragon. Thankfully, this "Rings" box set includes "The Hobbit," so there's no excuse to not read it first. Consider it the appetizer before the main course, if you will.I know that some Tolkien purists have completely rejected the movie versions of the "Lord Of The Rings" books, despite all of their acclaim, popularity, and Academy Awards. But even they have to acknowledge at least ONE positive aspect of Peter Jackson's film adaptations that cannot be denied: the movies have gotten more people to read the original "Lord Of The Rings" books, myself included, and I think J.R.R. Tolkien himself would've greatly approved of that (and would he have liked the movies themselves? In my opinion, absolutely). So thank you, Peter Jackson, for leading me to these wonderful books, which I, very mistakenly, wouldn't have touched otherwise. And thank you, J.R.R. Tolkien, for getting the whole thing started by giving these great literary gifts to the world. And I can't wait to read more, as I know there's more Middle-Earth delights to be had in "The Silmarillion" & other Tolkien works. "The Hobbit" & "The Lord Of The Rings" are easily the greatest Fantasy books ever created, the blueprint for all Fantasy works that follow, and an absolute joy to read. Praise Professor Tolkien with great praise!

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Summary: Untitled
Review: I totally love these books, but I rated them with 4 stars. You ask why? Well, I rate the stories themselves with about 100 stars, but the maps (in Lord of the Rings) are not the originals! I have another edition with the original maps, and yet it says this is the only edition with the originals. But in this edition, it says the maps were drawn by Shelly Shapiro, and they are obviously different from the real ones. I just think customers have a right to know that when they buy this, they are not getting the real maps.

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Summary: An awesome read
Review: If you like fantasy books, here are the BEST ever written. Tolkien creates a vivid world where good battles evil. If you saw the movies, (cartoon or new) READ THE BOOKS! It only gets better. A word of caution to this tale: There is a very long prologue to Fellowship of the Ring. If to start to tire of it, jump right into the book. After the book, if you're curious, go back to it.

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Summary: Story of the century
Review: I am now truly my father's daughter ~ I have read the books and they were amazing. Highly recommend!

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Summary: Most excellent Series ever Written!!!
Review: The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings is probably the best published series you will put money towards. The character are most certainly captivating and attaching. The plot is just as excellent and the creation of this masterpiece is 2nd up after God's Bible! These books are for all ages and all readers, for it is definently a classic.

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Summary: Tolkein is Great!
Review: Lord of the Rings is a fabulous trilogy and so is The Hobbit and I think that if you read The Hobbit or The Fellowship of the Ring, you will be swept off into Tolkein land and will read them all. This book is one of my personal favorites.