Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.912
EAN: 9780618260263
ISBN: 0618260269
Label: Houghton Mifflin
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 398
Publication Date: September 08, 2002
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Sales Rank: 2060214
Studio: Houghton Mifflin
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
The first volume in J.R.R. Tolkien's epic adventure The Lord of the Rings
'Here are beauties which pierce like swords or burn like cold iron.' -- C. S. Lewis
'Exciting . . . Tolkien's invention is unflagging.' -- W. H. Auden
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkeness bind them
In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, The Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell into the hands of Bilbo Baggins, as told in The Hobbit.
In a sleepy village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task, as his elderly cousin Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must leave his home and make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Original fantasy
Anyone says that the movies are preferrable to this needs to learn how to read (that said, I'm a huge of the movies--they are cinematic masterpieces).
But this is classic fantasy at its best. Every other fantasy author to come along, as great as they are, still have not managed to create the depth of what Tolkien created.
Stemming from the world he created for "The Hobbit", Tolkien writes a truly epic story of good vs evil, friendship, and loyalty. All simple, wonderful themes that speak to us whether we live in Middle-Earth or the real world. He has managed to great an entire culture that the reader finds himself caring for, a world that needs to be protected at all costs.
Tolkien is a master of plot. While the story isn't unnecessarily complex, it is broad and you have to hand it for him for juggling so much.
The characters even more so are wonderful. They are flawed, but at the same time properly heroic.
"The Fellowship of the Ring" is an excellent beginning to a classic trilogy.
Rating:  - I don't care what anyone else says about it, this is an excellent adaptation.
The title pretty much says it all. In fact had it not been for this very version of the story I might never have been able to read the trilogy in its unabridged form. The Library of Congress version, better known to some of you as the Talking Book version recorded mainly for blind would-be readers, just didn't capture the story at all. Because of the narrator's voice I just couldn't get into it.
Then along came Recorded Books Incorporated with their unabridged recordings. In fact when I have a choice of audio book companies I generally go with them because of their excellent narrators. British stage actor Rob Inglis does a fine job of bringing these classic novels to life, and Fellowship of the Ring is no exception.
The book comes in a very portable box and consists of about sixteen disks in four cardboard holders, although only the actual novel and the afterward that Tolkien wrote are featured here. The Concerning Hobbits material found at the beginning of the book is absent, but it can fortunately be found on one of the final two disks of Return of the King. It's actually quite a nice setup. In fact I've got the entire trilogy, now including the Hobbit, stacked on my dresser beside my bed, next to a small boom box for easy listening.
As for the performance, as I said, Rob Inglis does a very admirable job. With his deep, calm English voice he's able to convey the narrative quite well, and while his voices aren't extremely varied it's still easy to tell who's speaking, whether ... Read More
Rating: - A wonderful addition to a Tolkien collection
If you are a fan of The Lord of the Rings, this audio recording is must-have for your collection. I love to read and re-read the trilogy; there is something magical about these books. Sometimes I focus on the poems, sometimes the characters, sometimes I just read them because they are familiar and comforting.
This unabridged audio recording brings the book to life in a new and wonderful way. The narrator's voice is a perfect match for the story. Rob Inglis gives each character an appropriate voice, and his reading of the narrative is excellent. It's wonderful to listen to the story read aloud by such a fine actor!
I've purchased dramatic abridgements of the trilogy, and was disappointed. So much was left out! With an unabridged reading, I can enjoy the whole story. If a poem or passage strikes my fancy, I can listen to it again.
I am very pleased with this version, and highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good audio version.
Rating:  - Listen to the BBC Radio adaptation instead!
The BBC verison is superior in almost every way than this NPR version, but this does have a few things to recommend it. Tom Bomdadil sounds just as I imagined he would. Sam's voice is childish, but for the most part endearing because of that. I imagine this is how he sounded at nine when he first met Frodo and you can easily hear how much he loves his master as this version includes my favorite scene from Book IV as Sam watches Frodo sleep and the light that is shining from within and says to himself, "I love him" and the loving reunion in the tower. Both are interesting inclusions because Americans usually shy away from the showing of same-sex affection so this was welcome in showing that beautiful, pure bond of theirs. The scene with the Barrow-wights is very well done and quite terrifying. You can very easily understand why Frodo would have been scared enough to want to run away. The narrator's voice sometimes gets really caught up in the action, dramatically describing the fell beast of the Ring-wraiths or especially Sauron's realization that he is doomed as Frodo puts on the Ring. I almost felt sorry for the Dark Lord there for a minute as he frantically sends his Nazgul to stop that little one, but then I crowed in delight, "Too late! Too late!" Unfortunately, the narrator is the only one that is enthused in this, except for Sam. Frodo is quite lackluster. Don't try to take the Ring away from him, but otherwise you have no idea that his soul is being torn apart. When he claims the Ring/is claimed ... Read More
Rating: - classic
This is one book to enjoy. Tom Bambadil is the best! Tolkien creates interesting stories with classic creatures that most people have a slight background of information to, thus not wasting time on creating a new world of different names.
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