Rating: 
Summary: more than a book
Review: it's just the greatest imagination book i've ever read... that's fantastic, fabulous & amazing... just read it... offer it to your closest friends, to your kids... that's the book .. a must have ...;
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely worth the effort
Review: These books can be somewhat difficult to read... there are many names for the same people and places (elvish name, hobbit name, dwarf name, you get the idea) and the names are sometimes not easily pronounced. BUT, if you push through, it is COMPLETELY worth it. You can get used to flying by names (without missing anything because most of the time he writes "and the elvish name is"...). The world Tolkien creates is absolutely amazing. You absolutely get a feel for this world and can put yourself there. If you have not seen the movies (unlikely but possible right?!), I would HIGHLY suggest reading these first. There are so many things you miss in the movie. A quick example is when Gollum/Smeagol is writhing around because of the rope that has him restrained. That is because it is an Elvish rope and it burns his skin (there was a lot of good dialog left out there). As we know, the book is 99.9% of the time better than the movie and these books are no exception (this should say a great deal given how awesome the movies are!). I found that it was a ton of fun to see the story come to life on the screen and it enhanced the already exciting story I had read. If you have already seen the first two movies, you don't have to wait to find out what happens! Although, in the second movie they left out some of the action that happens in the second book. In the movie, Gollum (Smeagol) says something like "she will take care of them". In the book, you aren't told this but, in any case, what he is referring to happens in book two. I would suggest starting with when Frodo and Sam leave Faramir (I believe that would have you starting with the last three chapters of book two)...that is, of course, only if you don't want to read the entire thing! Last thing...it took me a while to push through the first 100 to 150 pages. I was told that I really should have read The Hobbit first and it would have been faster and I would have already known and liked the characters. I never went back but it was suggested to me by several people... ENJOY!
Rating:
Summary: Amazing Story for Everyone.
Review: I love the movies that have come out so far based on these books. I decided to read the books so that I could get all the details and see the differences between the books and movies. There really are alot of differences. The books might be a little slow at times, but the story is so fascinating you just have to keep reading. If you've liked the movies and haven't read the books yet, I strongly suggest you do. Seeing the movies has made reading the books easier. You can see all the faces and act it all out in your head. The maps that are in the book are also very interesting since you can visually see exactly where the characters are travelling. The illustrations by Alan Lee are wonderful. This is a great set to have in anyone's personal library.
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Summary: Far richer than Peter Jackson's vision
Review: I'm a long time fan of the Lord of the Rings having first read the Hobbit 35 years ago! I've since read the trilogy through perhaps 10 times. Many people here have described the plot so I won't bother. Instead I want to talk about the way that Tolkien creates a 'believeable' world out of totally fantastic material -- and why Peter Jackson's movies are bound to have such mixed results. Throughout LOTR, Tolkien employs an interesting strategy for dealing with the most fantastical events that occur -- he only lets us see them secondhand through the recollection of the characters. This happens in many places: Gandalf's imprisonment by Saruman is told to us after the fact by Gandalf himself at the Council of Elrond; the battle with the Balrog on Zirak-Zigil is again Gandalf's recollection. I could go on: the destruction of Isengard by the Ents is not directly narrated but comes to us as Merry and Pippin tell the story to their companions, Aragorn's battle with Sauron to wrest control of the Palantir is told from Aragorn's memory, we experience the harrowing Paths of the Dead in the form of Gimli's painful confessional. There are a few places where fantastic events are directly described but most of the time Tolkien lets his characters tell us about 'magical' happenings after the fact. He does this, I think, because it allows the reader to accept them more easily. Tolkien painstakingly creates human-like characters that we trust (even when they're dwarves or hobbits!) and the lets them tell us what happens. So when Merry and Pippin describe the fall of Isengard I believe them. More unconditionally than if I had been shown it 'directly'. Movies, however, can't work this way. I do like many parts of the Peter Jackson's 'Fellowship' -- Hobbiton, Bag-End, Frodo, Legolas and Boromir are all nearly perfect visions from the books. But when really magical things begin to happen the movie falls into caricature in ways that the books avoid. One only needs to compare Gandalf's economical telling of his contest with Saruman at Orthanc to the 'Kung-Fu Wizards' scene in 'Fellowship' to get the idea. The books are an entirely different experience for this reason and more. I could write another review that just talks about the poems and songs for which the movies have no time. If you've become familiar with LOTR through the movies by all means enjoy them! But then do yourself a favor and *run* to get the real thing and read them over and over.
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Summary: Lisa and Jenna's Review
Review: This is the best book in the WHOLE ENTIRE WORLD!!! (i say this with emphesis!) I wish i was there, this is soo adventurous! Its so exciting with all of the detail. If there is ever a book that you would order online i would recomend that it would be this book! Please take the time to read these phonemoial masterpieces!
Rating:
Summary: The Lord of the Rings
Review: The most outstanding cast of characters in a book. I have had to read it at least 6 times. The plot and counter plots are so involved that once reading is not enough.The settings are so well described that you can actually see them in your minds eye. All in all a terrific stimulation to the brain.
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Summary: Time to revisit the original
Review: With the movies based on this trilogy now coming out, it's time for those who read Tolkien years ago, to re-read the original stories. For those being introduced to Tolkien for the first time, read the books, either before or after seeing the movies. These are the books on which nearly all later fantasy fiction is based. This sweeping story presented in The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King includes memorable characters and a world full of Hobbits, wizards, and numerous nasty creatures, such as the Nazgul and Orcs. It is the story of a quest: to return the One Ring to the fires from whence it was created. Frodo Baggins, who inherited the ring from his cousin Bilbo, is the ring bearer, who in the company of men, Gandalf the Grey, Gimli the dwarf, Legolas the elf, and other Hobbits makes the dangerous journey to the volcano Orodruin. However, the ring is magic, and those who have possessed it are loath to part with it. Lord of the Rings is written in a style that may be unfamiliar to many younger readers. Also, there are many names, hard to pronounce, some people and places having more than one name. But those who read fantasy (or Russian novels) can handle these. This is a story worth any effort to get through, and many readers find themselves visiting this fictional world over and over. Most fantasy readers will find The Lord of the Rings fascinating reading. Don't forget to include The Hobbit, the story of Bilbo's finding the ring and defeating Smaug, the fire-breathing dragon.
Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece for the Ages
Review: Last year, before the Lord of the Rings came out in theaters, I read the book. I felt that I wanted to the movie so I should the book first so I had my vision of the book in my mind and not the vision of movie as I read the book. Well everything from there is history, I finished reading the Lord of the Rings (Tolkien ment for it to be considered as one book spilt into three parts- The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and the Return of the King) and I got hooked from there.
This book is definitely not a children's book, it is will be too hard for them to comprehend and plus they will not enjoy the full effect of reading the book as a child. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It is a book for the ages and a book that you can fall in love with and read over and over again, because trust you will see things you might have missed the first run through. Again I recommend that anyone who has the chance read the Lord of the Rings, a masterpiece by one of the greatest writers of our time, J.R.R. Tolkien.
Rating:
Summary: READERS BEWARE
Review: This has got to be the best set of fantasy books i have ever read in my whole life.
Rating: 
Summary: Good, but confusing
Review: Why do people like these books so much? I admit, the plot is really good, but the names of places are so odd that I get them all confused. Also, a lot of the names are similar, so if you just scan over them and don't try to pronouce them, you have no idea what's happening.
Normally this doesn't happen, but I actually think the movie is better than the books. It definatly has much more action in it than the books, and more emotion, too. It's like the only emotions the charactures have in the books are afraid, not afraid, glad to see each other again, and homesick. Despite of all this, the plot is interesting, and very well put together. The best book was probably The Fellowship of the Ring. I think the best characture was either Frodo, Gladriel, or Legolas. Gandalf was good, but a little too perfect. Of course Gladriel was almost perfect, too, but she's supposed to be; she's an Elf.
Altogether, I wouldn't recomend this book to people who get bored easily, and to people who like to have a lot of emotion in books. Other than that, you should try to read them and see what you think.
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