The first part of the "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Sauron, the Dark Lord, has gathered to him all the Rings of Power - the means by which he intends to rule Middle-Earth. All he lacks is the One Ring - the ring that rules them all. The ring must be destroyed and Sauron's plan foiled.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
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... more info
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... more info
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... more info
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... more info
