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Summary: THE ONE BOOK YOU NEED TO SURVIVE ON
Review: IF I WERE STRANDED ON A DESERT ISLAND AND COULD ONLY TAKE ONE BOOK WITH ME, IT WOULD BE A NO BRAINER: J.R.R. TOLKIEN'S LORD OF THE RINGS.WHY YOU ASK? WELL, FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF, BUT BELIEVE ME, YOU WON'T BE WASTING YOUR VALUABLE TIME OR MONEY ONCE YOU GET THROUGH THE 1000 PLUS PAGES FILLED WITH FURIOUS ACTION AND SUSPENSE, NOT TO MENTION THE FACT THAT THE CHARACTERS SEEM TO GROW ON YOU AND YOU BEGIN TO THINK OF THEM AS YOUR FAMILY. THE FACT IS, LORD OF THE RINGS REMAINS, AND WILL ALWAYS BE A BONA FIDE CLASSIC IN AMERICAN LITERATURE AND IS A MUST FOR ALL FANS OF FANTASY AND ADVENTURE.
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Summary: "The Lord of the Rings" Book Trilogy
Review: I was going to read "The Lord of the Rings" book trilogy about three years ago. But I have decided not to because of the spectacular "Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy. Sure there are some differences in the movie trilogy than what is in the book trilogy. But why read such a long story when there is a movie trilogy based on it that goes by the books fairly well. It is a waste of time if you read these books now, isn't it? But that is just my own opinion. I am sure the author J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" book trilogy is a marvelous story; but I am just sticking with director Peter Jackson's movie trilogy instead. The next two Special Extended DVD Editions of "The Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy ("The Two Towers" and "The Return of the King") will go by the book trilogy even better than the origional movie versions. The Special Extended DVD Editon of "The Fellowship of the Ring" has many added parts in it that are said to be in "The Lord of the Rings" book trilogy. So now I rest my case: I am a HUGE fan of "The Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy; but I am not a fan of the book trilogy.
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Summary: Lord of the Rings- the best book on Earth! ....
Review: The Lord of the Rings is the best book i have ever read!(and that's saying something) Tolkien creates such a detailed and believable world that you forget you live in the present and get totally absorbed into the books. (I start thinking in elvish...)You can feel the things the characters are feeling, you can imagine the places Tolkien creates, and most of all, you can relate to the books. Most people would think me too young to understand the meaning and depth of the Lord of the Rings. But I do. the Lord of the Rings is about friendship, trust, honor, and most importantly, hope. If you haven't read the lord of the rings, you should- now. Like order it now or run off to the nearest bookstore and buy it. In my opinion(any many others opinions)it is one of the best literary works of all time. Anyone who doesn't get to experience the brilliance of Tolkien's work has been truely deprived. The Lord of the RIngs deserves more than 5 stars.
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Summary: Lord of Books
Review: CS Lewis, in a letter to JRR Tolkien, once wrote:
The essence of a myth [is that] it should have no taint of allegory to the maker and yet should suggest incipient allegories to the reader. The Lord of the Rings is not an allegory, but a mythology. The elements of the storyline can't be traced to a particular religious tradition or system of ethics. Beyond its basic function as a "recreational mythology" of northern medieval Europe, the story means very different things to different people. They flock to Tolkien because he shows them a way out of a dreary office cubicle, inspires good to triumph over evil, or sends them on their own spiritual life adventure. People approach this book as if it were a remarkably successful self-help book or even a religious scripture. There exist world-wide organizations devoted to Tolkien scholarship and even fans who read the book annually. It changes priorities, minds, hearts, and lives...and yet it's simply one intricately woven fiction. There's something about the way the story builds and broods in the first book, launches into a head-long adventure in the second, and triumphantly climaxes at last, that catches the reader and binds him to his seat. Tolkien's ability to seamlessly weave together the small and the gigantic carries the scope of the work to phenomenal heights. That one little Hobbit could, by his own courage and a greater grace, conquer insurmountable odds and save the world is a lesson for all of us. And yet somehow we have a hard time living what we know deep inside and what Tolkien tells us: greatness really does live in meekness, wealth really is giving to others, and a fulfilling life does require a tremendous sense of bravery. But this isn't just a typical hero's journey. The never-ending appeal of Tolkien is largely the result of his ability to set a remarkably believable historical backdrop for a truly spiritual story. And this is not the dry factualism comprising so much of modern academia; there's something truly ancient lurking in the depths of Khazad-dum, a primordial force-content to remain perpetually mysterious-underlying the power of the Istari or The One Ring. Indeed, The Ring itself, imbued with the spirit of Sauron, arises as an invasive and destructive force in Middle Earth, sent ultimately from the Void of Eru beyond the bounds of the Earth. And the light of the phial of Galadriel is the same light emanating from the two trees of Valinor, made by the song of Yavanna and watered with Nienna's tears. This very light, arising by the power of the gods themselves, is the very thing that saves Frodo and allows the ring to be destroyed. It is this sense of interconnectedness, of divine providence and grace, that gives the work a profoundly meaningful place in the lives of so many readers. And the quest of the Ring doesn't just depend on sheer luck or divine intervention, but on free will. After all, it is Frodo's power to forgive evil-against all reason and common sense-that allows him to succeed in the end. Divine saving grace offers aid to those who make right and moral decisions even when it appears probable that such decisions will lead to failure. This is exactly the position espoused by Gandalf when he encourages Frodo to respect Gollum's life or pleads with Denethor at the tombs of Minas Tirith. It is the basic notion of hope that is fundamental to Christianity. And not just hope, but the idea that we human beings are completely fallible and inadequate for the task of life. Frodo carries the ring as far and as best he can of his own power and strength, but if he failed in the end to conquer the ring it is only because the task was too large for any mortal being. Only grace could tip the scale of failure and success. So you could say that Frodo succeeded in the highest degree, for what greater triumph exists than that of God over Satan for the benefit (and by the will) of human kind? What a grand vision it is that the mortal and the divine are fighting together for the benefit of humans! After all, God doesn't need our help. In the beginning, evil arose as an offspring of the thought of God, and the cosmic dream was set in motion so that its creative elements could partake in the Music of the Ainur that is its source. The laboratory of the universe, with its polar forms of temptation and illumination, houses the developing consciousness of creation; it is the relationship to this finite yet eternal creation that we seek to cultivate. The Quest of the Ring is nothing less than the internal struggle within each of us to overthrow the enslaving forces of our own minds. We are thereby unified with divinity, and not through our own will and for our own selves, but by and for the glory of God. Tolkien himself acknowledged Frodo's ultimately averse attitude toward the shire as a last lingering pride, a desire to be the hero and conqueror of the Ring which he could not be. But in the end Frodo realizes that "It must often be so...when things are danger: some one has to give them up, lose them, so that others may keep them." The sacrifice of the self is not made to rebuild the self, but to uphold a greater good. And somehow I feel as though I haven't seen the last of Frodo, though he may have long ago past into the west and relinquished his mortal life on the undying shores of Osse. I'm like Sam, still stuck on the other side, hoping that one day my "time may come."
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Summary: Awesome
Review: I think this book was pretty good. my favorite part was at Helm's Deep. I like when the elves were shooting the arrows at the orks. The men were trying to hold the ork off but they were breaking in. I like how Gandelf the white brought more warriors and finished up the battle. When the Ents came and destroyed the tower of Saurumon. I think the king was harsh of saying everybody that could wield a sword should fight even young kids and old gradpas had to fight. This was my favorite book.
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Summary: Houghton Mifflin hardcover boxed edition
Review: The Lord of the Rings is simply one of the most magnificent examples of story-telling in the English language. This is not a review of the literature, but a review of the Houghton Mifflin hardcover boxed edition. Having read The Lord of the Rings five times previously, and having lost my dog-eared paperbacks, I decided to splurge on an expensive edition for my sixth tour of Middle Earth. The weight of these tomes and the high quality illustrations made for a very nice renewal of acquaintance. My only complaint is the paper. It is too glossy, and reflects the incident light too much. Otherwise, this is a terrific effort.
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Summary: Fantastic Imagination and Dialect
Review: The case concerning opinions with LORD OF THE RINGS (the movie mind you), usually runs along the lines of "I love it" or "I hated every moment of it". That, however is not the case with the literary works. Opinions flare from "It is my bible!" to "I wasted a whole godamn month to read all three!" and with the mediocre "Meh, not my favorite." Truth be told, Tolkien generated all the necessary requirements to create an outstanding fantasy epic: a lush, EXTREMELY detailed account of a non-existent world, races/species with distinct character traits, a "magical" presense, and an elaborate tale worth telling. To reach these requirements, an author must spend years burrowing deep into their imaginations reaching for ideas, and Tolkien did just that. It is worth the time just to take a glimpse of Middle-Earth by reading the trilogy, and the devoted often go on to read "the lost tales" and "silmarillion", because in fact, Tolkien's creation of Middle-Earth IS amazing. He created a world for our minds to dwell, and filled that world with abundant information to keep us returning. Devoted, "cult" fans of Middle-Earth, ofte know more about It'S history, than they do about the history of their own country. Not only that, but he was also one of the first authors to accomplish this feat, which makes him worthy of merit. Middle-Earth is not a place for children, nor a place for the "soap" geru. If you want access to a new world and aren't discouraged at the idea that you might be spending a lot of time digesting the environment and not as much time digesting the plot, than you're good to go. Tolkien should gain mucho "props" for created Middle-Earth, but less for the art of story-telling. While the plot is wonderful, courageous, and easily-loved, the characters and emotions are not. In my own personal opinion, I think the movie did a much better job of addressing the clear emotional turmoil, and in almost forcing you to fall in love with the characters. Tolkien did not acheive this. Charming Meriadoc, Clumsy Peregrin, Burdened Frodo, Moody Samwise, *Arwen and Aragorn*, Gimli, Legolas, Smeagol....while these character's personalities and relationships are MENTIONED and touched upon in the book, you do not feel for them, you do not mourn or cheer, or laugh, (perhaps with the exception of Smeagol, Tolkien did retain his often dark but inevitably lovable demeanor in his books). The emotion was not, however, necessary for the story to come alive, so this flaw is minor.
Read the books and love them or hate them, it doesn't matter, because regardless, the story of the war of the rings is a real fantasy masterpeice.
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Summary: Not knowing when to stop
Review: I love the quiet sinister beggining - up until bree this book is good. So thats all i recommend you read. After this point for all it's gratuitous description it becomes almost a synopsis - all the atmosphere is gone. this atmosphere almost returns in the mines of moria but is obliterated soon after by the elves. There are two reasons people enjoy this book 1) they read it all so don't want to admit it was a big waste of time and 2) they are those strange immature people who read sci fi/fantasy and haven't picked up a real novel once in their thus far wasted lives...
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Summary: A great collector's edition
Review: This classic boxed set of the Lord of the Rings is great. The illustrations are breathtaking and bring Tolkien's world to life. If you love Tolkien... and the Lord of the Rings, this is a must have for your library. The construction is great, the maps add a lot of detail. I am very pleased with this edition.
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Summary: Lord of the Rings
Review: These are some of the best books i've ever read. Tolkien's best works! They absolutely capture my imagination and have made me become more interested in the old world. I love these! With the action, the romance, the just plain fantasy of it all, who couldnt??????
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