The Return of the Shadow: The History of The Lord of the Rings, Part One (The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 6)

Rating:
Summary: Warning-not a novel....but a great resource
Review: Of the thrilling and informative History of Middle-Earth series, this is perhaps the most interesting part. Normal Tolkien fans will get the rare chance to see how the germ of an idea can explode into the most complex cosmology ever created. Although it may seem boring, as it is not a novel per se, it is an insightful analysis of a very beloved book. The Lord of the Rings was initially conceived as a sequel to the Hobbit, growing into something incomparably more vast. We see Bingo in the character of Frodo, the name Frodo applied to another character. Aragorn is named Trotter and the idea emerges that he might be a long lost Hobbit who has had many experiences on the road. Somehow, with many footnotes and comments in the margin, we see the evolution of these ideas into what we know today as LOTR. Fascinating and useful for the Tolkien scholar, the devoted Tolkien reader, or even an aspiring writer.

Rating:
Summary: Warning-not a novel....but a great resource
Review: Of the thrilling and informative History of Middle-Earth series, this is perhaps the most interesting part. Normal Tolkien fans will get the rare chance to see how the germ of an idea can explode into the most complex cosmology ever created. Although it may seem boring, as it is not a novel per se, it is an insightful analysis of a very beloved book. The Lord of the Rings was initially conceived as a sequel to the Hobbit, growing into something incomparably more vast. We see Bingo in the character of Frodo, the name Frodo applied to another character. Aragorn is named Trotter and the idea emerges that he might be a long lost Hobbit who has had many experiences on the road. Somehow, with many footnotes and comments in the margin, we see the evolution of these ideas into what we know today as LOTR. Fascinating and useful for the Tolkien scholar, the devoted Tolkien reader, or even an aspiring writer.

Rating:
Summary: Splendid Historical Overview Of Tolkien's Early "Ring"
Review: Once more Christopher Tolkien does an admirable job chronicling his father's thinking as the early drafts of "Fellowship Of The Ring" were written. It is a fascinating look at how J. R. R. Tolkien began the "Lord Of The Rings" trilogy, which should intrigue not only his fans, but literary scholars as well. Christopher excels at describing all the changes his father made before the manuscript assumed its final form. I strongly recommend it as a fascinating glimpse into J. R. R. Tolkien's creative mind.

Rating:
Summary: The Return of the Shadow
Review: The Return of the Shadow

In the novel The Return of the Shadow by JRR. Tolkien, it is an excellent history to The Lord of the Rings. It gives you the original ideas and thoughts of the author being a manuscript. It is a tough book to read with a lot of different things about it such as names and places. The book also gives you notes so you can reflect on the finished version of the books. It is a very detailed book with a lot of description and adventure. It revolves around the life of "Hobbits" which are little people about half the size of humans. They go on an adventure, which has a lot of scary parts where the characters are in peril. They are eager to go on the adventure and will not give up. The book also tells you a lot about the older family that have passed away and the relations between the characters.
This book is for people who have a lot of time and patience. It is a great book but is a little confusing in the beginning until you get the hang of the context. It has a lot of complicated and confusing ideas and concepts. I suggest this book to older kids and adults. People who like the other Tolkien books would like this book. Have fun reading.

Rating:
Summary: The Return of the Shadow
Review: The Return of the Shadow

In the novel The Return of the Shadow by JRR. Tolkien, it is an excellent history to The Lord of the Rings. It gives you the original ideas and thoughts of the author being a manuscript. It is a tough book to read with a lot of different things about it such as names and places. The book also gives you notes so you can reflect on the finished version of the books. It is a very detailed book with a lot of description and adventure. It revolves around the life of "Hobbits" which are little people about half the size of humans. They go on an adventure, which has a lot of scary parts where the characters are in peril. They are eager to go on the adventure and will not give up. The book also tells you a lot about the older family that have passed away and the relations between the characters.
This book is for people who have a lot of time and patience. It is a great book but is a little confusing in the beginning until you get the hang of the context. It has a lot of complicated and confusing ideas and concepts. I suggest this book to older kids and adults. People who like the other Tolkien books would like this book. Have fun reading.

Rating:
Summary: Return of the shadow
Review: This book was awesome.I recomend this book to people who liked lord of the rings and the hobbit.

Rating:
Summary: Coattail riding to the max
Review: This has to be the worst case of trying to capitalize on someone elses work that I've ever seen. I've been reading fantasy and science fiction for 30 years, and this is the worst. This is nothing but trying to captilize on the popularity of his fathers books in the most awful way. I'm sadly disappointed that he would do this for the only reason it could be, money. His father was a good man, a good christian and a great writer. His son is apparently none of the above

Rating:
Summary: Coattail riding to the max
Review: This has to be the worst case of trying to capitalize on someone elses work that I've ever seen. I've been reading fantasy and science fiction for 30 years, and this is the worst. This is nothing but trying to captilize on the popularity of his fathers books in the most awful way. I'm sadly disappointed that he would do this for the only reason it could be, money. His father was a good man, a good christian and a great writer. His son is apparently none of the above

Rating:
Summary: Essential for anyone who has read LotR more than once
Review: Tolkien describes the Lord of the Rings as "a tale that grew in the telling", and this is the volume that most clearly illuminates that process. If you are one of us who repeatedly immerse ourselves in Middle Earth, you will find this volume occasionally amazing, occasionally hilarious, and always fascinating. Much of the dialogue in LotR remained unchanged from its earliest drafts, but the characters speaking the words changed dramatically. For example, in his original incarnation, Strider was a road-worn, dark and dangerous hobbit! The meeting at Bree alone is worth the price of the book.

Rating:
Summary: Essential for anyone who has read LotR more than once
Review: Tolkien describes the Lord of the Rings as "a tale that grew in the telling", and this is the volume that most clearly illuminates that process. If you are one of us who repeatedly immerse ourselves in Middle Earth, you will find this volume occasionally amazing, occasionally hilarious, and always fascinating. Much of the dialogue in LotR remained unchanged from its earliest drafts, but the characters speaking the words changed dramatically. For example, in his original incarnation, Strider was a road-worn, dark and dangerous hobbit! The meeting at Bree alone is worth the price of the book.