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Summary: Beautiful......
Review: Wow is the word! Please do not read the review by Spokane! This person obviously has no class and knows nothing of Middle-earth. Those of you who do know true magick know that Tolkien is the author of our time and apart from the bible possibly the best books ever written. To finally make a movie that really portrays the true Tolkien we salute and praise you, James!
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Summary: Take the Journy
Review: I cannot think of another fantasy novel that even approaches The Lord of the Rings for sheer story telling magic. It raises the genre to the heights of the best literature the world has to offer. Yes, it is long, but so worth the time and effort. Enjoy!
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Summary: Another Response to A reader from Spokane
Review: You are comparing the work of the father of fantasy, that most all the fantasy books, role-playing games, etc today took the essence from to become what they are today. You say that you are compelled to burn it because you think it is boring and a sad example of work, without knowing anything about it. Tolkien was a world expert on languages, and his work was not written to create a fantasy story, but to create a world that he could practice and put to use his knowledge & creativity with the written word. If you read the book for its text, putting aside the story it is not a couple of misspellings, but more a technique or form, also if you had read about how he had his books published, the editors were his bane not the other way around. Not to mention that before Tolkien's work the way we see elves, dwarves, hobbits (halflings), orc and goblins did not exist, they were fairy tails that did not give nearly the depth that these have today in book or role-playing games. In fact, D&D borrowed most of all the concepts directly from Tolkien in those respects. So what if his writing is slow, so what if he makes those who are not heroes to be heroes, his books should be considered the greatest of all fantasy because of the influence that it had on all contemporary works.
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Summary: Simply the best
Review: I am on my third copy of "Lord of the Rings." Tolkien creates a world of amazing depth. Among fantasy novels, it stands alone -- a masterpiece. I cannot do justice to the plot, or the mythology, in such a short review. It is an epic quest narrative of grand scope, in which the most seemingly insignificant race of creatures -- the hobbits -- are called upon to save the world. This work has influenced probably every fantasy writer since Tolkien's time. It is also a potent tale of good versus evil -- of courage in dark times, of hope amidst despair, and of sacrifice to save others, all of which resonates more clearly with me these days. I am buying TWO copies of the boxed sets, one for my son, and one for my nephew. This is one piece of literature it is a joy to share.
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Summary: The journey was long, but became shorter at every step.
Review: I write this immediately after commenting on the Hobbit. I was inspired to write another after this, for the Silmarillion.
To me the three books intertwine into three levels of journey, from lower to higher levels of conciousness and expression of imaginative genius.
The Lord of the Rings can certainly stand it's ground as a saga and a work of a brilliant mind. Having learn't a little of Tolkien himself, it is clearly evident this work is the result of a lifetime of toil. The cumulative expression of his experiences and knowledge, accentuated with the playful abandon of a child, sobered by the grim wisdom of a sage; this is the Lord of the Rings.
The scale of this work had an effect on me similar to mythologies and legends of ancient civilizations - of our own world. But the world Tolkien created here was a complete immersion. I could taste and smell it. I yearned for it. I suffered with the heroes in the book, and I revelled with them in their moments of joy. I felt the yawning agony of defeat and death, and the mourning of times lost.
The world Tolkien created was ever in a state of decay. Call it entropy in our scheme. Evermore the purity and innocence of ages past faded away and died.
This did not distress me. For every now and then brave souls on this journey gathered their spirits, and in mutual kindness, brought forth joy. That was the victory, that was the achievement. And those moments made up for all the suffering and toil.
The book is HUGE, but I relished each page and dreaded the end. Such is it's excellence.
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Summary: My favorite series.
Review: I read the LOTR when I was in 3rd-4th grade, and believe me, I have been profoundly affected by it like no other fantasy genre.
It gave me a clear sense of what was right and what was wrong, and it also showed me that the temptation of power is a force that is inexblicably hard to cope with. LOTR had a profound effect on society in the past, and now, with the world at war, I hope that people shall read this book, and be comforted by the fact that good shall overcome evil.
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Summary: 5 Stars for the Story / 4.5 Stars for the Edition
Review: I just received the boxed hard cover edition. I had read some other reviews about how terrible the quality would be, but this edition has a wonderful 'Old-timey' feel. Cloth covers with attractive dust covers. The print is the older style serif font like fine old literature. Each volume feels like a real book. The appendices and maps are wonderful. My only wish would be for acid free paper, so I don't have to get a new copy every 20-25 years. As for the story...
I read this trilogy many times several years ago. My sisters and I have named pets after characters, bought Hidebrandt calendars to see what the characters look like, and spent many an evening discussing various aspects of the plot. It is a wonderful story full of great heros and truly sinister villains, wizards and monsters, good and evil. It has become a part of my life. I can't wait to read it again.
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Summary: Great gift for the hard-to-buy-for teenager!
Review: Bought this set for my 16 year old brother for Christmas.
He loved it! He said,
"You couldn't have bought me a better gift!"
We were both impressed with this set of books.
They are beautiful to look at as well as handle.
What a great buy too!
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Summary: A brilliant piece of 20th Century Literature
Review: J.R.R. Tolkien's use of languages and encompassing a massive landscape based on medieval England, combined with his extensive use of multiple races (Elves, Men, Dwarves, etc.) prove, without a doubt, that he was a very talented author. His extensive histories in the appendices of "The Lord of the Rings" show how much depth he had and how much he wanted to inspire his readers. His use of good vs. evil, while not really original, shows that he cared about the influence that his books might have. All in all, "The Lord of the Rings" is definitely one of the classic 20th century epics and is a brilliant depiction of Tolkien's inner thoughts.
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Summary: The most engaging trilogy of all time.
Review: This set of books will cause one to burn the midnight oil. The movie arrives in theaters on December 19th. See the movie, buy the trilogy, You will NOT regret it, folks. I first read it in 1973, and have read it again and again, always finding something new within. It's wintertime, curl up with a good book! The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy!
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