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The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, Book 1) Review
User Submitted The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, Book 1) ReviewsSeptember 27, 2008 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. September 22, 2008 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. Actor Rob Englis 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 fourteen or so are given over to the actual story. The remainder are given to Tolkien's afterward and the Concerning Hobbits material actually found at the beginning of the book. It's actually quite a nice setup. In fact I've got the entire trilogy, minus 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 Englis 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 it be Aragorn, Boromir or one of the hobbits. I particularly like the fawning yet sinister portrayal he gives to Gollum. All in all this is an excellent version, not the least because it includes everything found in the print editions. An excellent narrator only makes things better. It's great for lying at home reading or taking a long trip in the car. I listen to them at least once a year, generally more than that. August 6, 2008 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. February 11, 2008 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 by the Ring is done well though. January 27, 2008 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. January 24, 2008 Underwhelming I know this is going to rile the defenders of the novels, but the films were much better. I remember how the "purists" were all up in arms when Peter Jackson changed the plots around, involved characters in certain areas, completely deleated others, etc. Well, I have to say, Jackson did a better job in telling Tolkien's work than Tolkien did. Tolkien's problem I think is that he created such a complex fantasy world with so much detail that he spent his whole time telling us about every single minor character and the minute details of every scene and completely forgot to move the plot along. There were times when I was reading this series and I thought, "wait, wasn't that a part that was pretty big in the movie?" Such as the Ringwraith's attack on Weathertop or the battle of Helms Deep. These events were described with as much emotion and excitement as if Tolkien were describing his morning routine. And I ended up groaning when one of his characters would launch into a long speech about how he ended up somewhere or especially when one of the Hobbits would talk about the Shire. At one point in "The Two Towers," Gandalf actually warns Theodan NOT to bring up such topics...I wonder if Tolkien himself even figured out he was spending too much time on these pointless back stories. Don't get me wrong, I love reading books that are rich in depth but this is a bit too deep. Then there are the songs and poems which are nice but...I stopped reading them after a while and went on with the story. The entire premise of the Lord of the Rings was supposed to be a conflict of good vs. evil and trying to stop evil from obtaining the one ring. Sadly, much of the book is devoted to telling us how these Elves ended up here and what happened at these ruins and who was there...again, all stuff that probably would have been better in a companion piece rather than clumsily put into the story like a concrete roadblock. The plot itself was also odd. Now I understand that Tolkien wanted to publish his work all in one giant book but was forced to divide it up. The man obviously doesn't know about climax and plot resolution and this is where Peter Jackson came in. The end of the first book just ends...Frodo dissappears and the rest of the fellowship are looking for him. The beginning of the second book starts with Aragorn finding a mortally wounded Boromir; we don't even get to read about the heroic stand of Boromir, just that he fought well but was overpowered. For the first half of The Fellowship of the Ring, we get to learn more than we cared to know about the Shire and the journey to leave the Shire and the surrounding area is just painfully slow with little or no action at all...just a long history lesson about these woods or this hedge or that village....ughh In The Two Towers, the first half of the book is devoted to Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas while the second half is solely devoted to Sam and Frodo. I don't know, Tolkien could have worked the plotline better concerning this and made it more enjoyable. Maybe he got lost in his own world as writers sometimes do and they forgot what the reader doesn't know. As for character development...there is none. The Aragorn you meet halfway through the first book is the same Aragorn that you see crowned as king at the end of the story. Whereas in the film, he is a conflicted man, unsure about his destiny and forced to decide. The characters in the book are one dimensional and you sometimes forget they are even there. I'll say it again, the films were much better or atleast the story was told better by Jackson than by Tolkien. Had Jackson been totally true to the story, we'd still be watching the movies I write this because every single back story would have to be told and the dozens of minor characters would have to be introduced and so on and so forth. In my mind, the movies are how Tolkien would have wanted his story told. His own books are the companion piece, to give more of a history and back story on the world that he created. January 20, 2008 Classic Everyone knows that the Lord of the Rings is a fantastic fantasy epic and a classic work of literature. It shows that genre writing does not have to be hack writing. Clearly if you want to get into the series you have to start with The Fellowship of the Rings. I do not think you can think of yourself as a true fantasy lover unless you have read or tired to read this book. It is not for everyone as it is very dense, but it is also just a great story with great characters. January 8, 2008 Excellent My husband doesn't get alot of time to read, the audiobooks are perfect and they keep him awake while driving...HUGE BONUS!!! Perfect for road trips or just your general busy life. You always have time for a CD, in the car, while cleaning the house or even on the treadmill. I really don't have much to say about this one in particular, (Who hasn't seen the movie)except it is better than the movie. No need to say more. Listen to it for your self....no excuses. November 16, 2007 Most peaceful sleep I've ever had I'm a nurse who works the night shift, and I have to sleep in the day time. Although I have heavy curtains on my bedroom windows, I do not live in an isolated area and so have to deal with the noise of the "outside world" to some degree. I would periodically have a hard time getting to sleep or staying there, before I started getting these CD's. The other collection I have is the dramatization of the hobbit, which is also quite good, but much different overall, as it is only 4 discs long, and without much of Tolkien's flair, as descriptions are minimized in favor of dialogue. This product, however, I find completely rewarding. The guy who reads has a lovely voice, pronounces everything impeccably without hesitation, varies his tone just enough to distinguish between characters (but not dramatically enough to be distracting), and as it is completely unabridged, you don't miss a single word of Tolkien's masterpiece. And as for his singing, well, I don't imagine the characters in the books to be divas, if you catch my drift, so I find it quite realistic and not at all off-putting. I play a disc when I lie down to sleep, and usually listen to the same one several nights in a row until I am sure I heard the whole thing, as I find that I am asleep within 15 minutes. I have had this collection for about two months and I am on the 8th disc (of 20). I LOVE IT. I also have been more courageous about instituting positive changes in my organization as of late...hmmm...could it be that my nightly dose of Frodo has been subliminally inspiring me? I hope this helps you make your decision! October 24, 2007 The Lord of The Rings If you were a little Halfling called a "Hobbit" and all of a sudden a ring of power and evil comes to you, what would you do? This book shows how two hobbits come together and gain many friends on their way to destroy the one ring in the fires of Mount Doom which lurks in the land of Mordor. The rings of power were crafted by the elves. Three rings for the Elvin lords under the sky. Seven for the Dwarf lords in their halls of stone. And nine, nine for the race of men who above all else desire power. But they were all of them deceived for one other ring was made. In the fires of Mount Doom, Souron the deceiver made one more ring in which he poured all of his cruelty in. with that all of Middle fell to his hand. But there were some who resisted. A last alliance of men and elves marched to the gates of Mordor and fought there. Then the King Isildur picked up his fathers shattered blade and cut the ring of Sourons hand. A thousand years later a creature named Gollum. There the ring stayed for a thousand years until the ring abandoned Gollum. But something happened that the ring did not see. It was picked up by a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins. The ring was passed down to Frodo Baggins of the Shire. He will now set out on a journey to destroy the ring of power. Now it's up to you, do you think he will destroy the ring, or will he get captured? I thought this was a great book to read. It showed: respect, honor, courage, and friend ship. This is a great book to read. -Chili Cheese Fries For more The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, Book 1) reviews click here.
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