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What are readers saying about The Lord of the Rings?
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-07-28 01:02:14.
(Language: English)
 
THE LORD OF THE RINGS is regarded by many to be the most important and influential work of fantasy of the 20th century. It generated the fantasy novel industry practically single-handedly, inspiring a multitude of novels concerning elves and dwarves on quests to conquer ultimate evil despite overwhelming odds. Although THE LORD OF THE RINGS was originally published as a trilogy, here it is presented in a single volume, as Tolkien always intended. The Dark Lord Sauron, an utterly evil and powerful being, is stirring again after a long period of dormancy. He will soon dominate all of Middle-earth if he is not stopped. The key to Sauron's defeat is Frodo, nephew and heir to Bilbo Baggins--the hero of THE HOBBIT. The magic ring that Bilbo picked up on his adventures is in fact the One Ring, into which Sauron deposited much of his power. If the Ring is destroyed in the volcano at the heart of Sauron's realm of Mordor, Sauron too will be destroyed. Unfortunately, the longer someone bears the Ring, the stronger grows its ability to corrupt the bearer and those around him. Will Frodo be able to resist the seductive call of the Ring and complete the perilous journey to Mordor?
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-10-19 07:47:41.
(Language: English)
I read this book back in the early '80s while stuck in bed with some kind of sickness. Read the entire set in a couple weeks, and become so involved with it that it became my reality for the time. I remember praying the God would help Frodo. So much for my theology degree. In any event I've re-read it many times, and am moved and encouraged each time. Provides great motivation to enter into new experiences, no matter how threatening, and to persevere. I also purchased the extended version of the movie, and, although somewhat disturbed by the changes in the storyline (like the Weathertop experience), found it very enjoyable. I left the books and movies with friends in Africa when I returned home, and will soon purchase new copies. The must read fiction of the century.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-12-29 02:39:56.
(Language: Spanish)
La aventura épica por excelencia. Cuando se habla de Tolkien y el Señor de los Anillos, se habla de literatura fantástica, ya que si no le dio origen a este género, bien que es su máximo representante. Pero la obra no se restringe al subgénero literario nombrado, dentro de la literatura universal, es una de sus mejores estrellas. Una historia en donde finalmente la humildad representada en unos seres casi insignificantes, que pasarían inadvertidos, logran ser la clave en la batalla de todas la guerras, la eterna lucha del bien y el mal. Se dice que un común en una situación no común, deja de ser común y se vuelve extraordinario, eso son los hobbits. Esta obra siempre huele a nostalgia por tiempos que fueron y nunca más serán, aunque sea en ficción, recuerda a épocas de cabellería, honor, esplendor, alianzas entre tribus y razas... resusita personajes del folklor anglo, sajón, celta, vikingo, irlandés, galo y seguramente de otro origen más; para presentar una historia que bien podría ser la Historia de cualquier gran nación.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-09-05 09:50:25.
(Language: English)
W.H. Auden's THE NEW YORK TIMES book review 22 Jan. 1956. "Life, as I experience it in my own person, is primarily a continuous succession of choices between alternatives..... for objectifying this experience, the natural image is that of a journey with a purpose, beset by dangerous hazards and obstacles.... But when I observe my fellow-men, such an image seems false. I can see, for example, that only the rich and those on vacation can take journeys; most men, most of the time, must work in one place. I cannot observe them making choices, only the actions they take and, if I know someone well, I can usually predict how he will act in a given situation.... If then, I thy to describe what I see as if I were an impersonal camera, I shall produce, not a Quest, but a 'naturalistic' document.... Both extremes, of course, falsify life. There are medieval Quests which justify the criticism made oby Erich Auerbach in his book MIMESIS; 'The world of knightly proving is a world of adventure.... [the knight's] exploits..... are feats accomplished at random which do not fit into any politically purposive pattern.' .... Mr. Tolkien has succeeded more completely than any previous writer in this genre in using the traditional properties of the Quest." Letter #183. Contains beautiful watercolor illustrations by Alan Lee presented in it's intended form, one volume.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-01-26 11:32:41.
(Language: English)
The master wrote the book that many tried to follow but many failed to live up too. A world created to mirror ours in the throes of World Wars. The evil versus the good and not being certain which will win in the end but only that the world will be different afterwards. Also could be considered a On the road genre as you watch with wonder as small characters in the grand scheme of things make all the difference through their doing great deeds when needed and showing courage despite how hopeless the odds. I can imagine the many who sacrificed their lives on the beaches of Normandy feeling small and insignificant as Frodo and Sam behind enemy lines of Mordor. Also is arguments against technologies steady march from industrialism and even a sort of genetic engineering or wizardry. Truth wins out but not without major sacrifices, and a new day dawns as the old ways fade into memory. Welcome to the age of man. Hopefully we can learn from the mistakes of previous ages reflected in this wonderful series full of adventure, magic, elves and dwarfs as well as the main characters the Hobbits that venture far from their peaceful shire. If you've read them already then pass it along and share the wonder of middle earth with a young reader ( maybe 10 and up?). Also good books to read aloud at bedtime to keep your loved one company in sick bed or to let them drift off to their own magical land of dreams.
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Cindy posted a review at 2009-06-04 11:48:37.
(Language: English)
First time I read it was when I was 14 or so and I have been hooked ever since. DEFINITELY a classic as my dog earred copies will tell. It might be considered slow moving by the twitter/facebook/video game pace of today but to me it calls out the need for slow reflection, serious intropection and meaningful action. Many layered in meaning, beautiful language use and absolutely amazing, stunning, imaginative, sorrowful, joyeous, comedic, dark, tragic and yet redeeming stories overall. As a Christian I love the connections to my faith and the literary beauty. Next to the Bible it is one of my favorite vehicles for escaping the the daily grind and getting beyond the mundane. I'll set it aside for years, then come back to "dip my toe" for a while. It may not grab you the first time but give it time and it will grow on you.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-03-13 08:51:53.
(Language: English)
wonderful book. I find myself finding it easier to remember the movies more than the books though. J.R.R Tolkein is an amazing author but I find that he has borrowed alot from older literature. Some of the names like gandalf and bilbo I have read in old Scandinavian Literature dating back to the 1000 AD. Also there are some similarities between LOTR and old english lit like Beawulf and other old stories. But for the most part Tolkein deserves ALOT of credit for the world he created. But honestly LOTR are not my most favorite books. sorryprobably one of the best authors of the 20th century. Lord of the rings is great. It is a slow build almost boring but I suppose that's how most stories start out. I have only read these books a few times and honestly my memory of the story comes from the movies and not the books...shameful maybe but sincere yes. probably one of the best authors of the twentieth century. Obvousley very great but for me personally I have only read the books a couple of times. I remember more the storyline of the movies then of the actual books. Also I have noticed alot of borrowing from literature that is far older then the Lord of the Rings. As much as i like the lord of the Rings I know its not completely original the story.But J.R.R Tolkein can hardly be faulted for this as so many others have done the same. I am a fan just not as big a fan as other people
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-05-21 10:32:50.
(Language: English)
I'm a sucker for any story about the epic struggle of good against evil, but there are two things that make the Lord of the Rings trilogy stand out from the pack of similarly themed books. First of all, Tolkien is a fantastic world builder. Interesting things happened in Middle Earth before Frodo Baggins came onto the scene, and interesting things will continue to happen long after he's gone. That gives the whole story a sense of history and depth.Second, Tolkien's work has stood the test of time. Fantasy authors for the past fifty years have been imitating and borrowing from Lord of the Rings. It is a rare few that achieve the quality of the original.Lest this become too hero-worshipy, I should point out that these books are not perfect. Particularly when Tolkien is juggling multiple plotlines the story can slow down and become a little awkward. Overall, the good outweighs the bad and these remain a standard by which I judge other fantasy novels.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-06-23 06:32:56.
(Language: English)
The first time I read this book was 15 years ago, and since I've read it once every couple of years. It is a book that almost singlehandedly brought the genre of fantasy to the attention of people in a way no book has before or since. Unlike most fantasy books, this was a life's work for a man immensely educated and well read - in contrast to much of the fantasy genre where i feel producing books quickly to make money seems more important than the actual content. As he felt the english lacked a mythological tradition in the way of many old civilisations, he created one that was rich and diverse in detail, and gripping in its tales of tragedy and hope. The Lord of the Rings is not an easy read. It's nearly a thousand pages, and is far easier to understand and experience if you also read the Silmarillion - because the Silmarillion sets the scene and mythological background to how this saga plays out. At the same time, it can be appreciated as a standalone saga, because Tolkien sets the scene very well with enough detail to appreciate what is going on while still keeping the story flowing. To sum it up - this is a book (or six, really) without parallel. It's not everybody's cup of tea, but I'd recommend anyone who values attention to detail, gripping storytelling and an epic tale.
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A Reader posted a review at 2011-03-07 10:24:17.
(Language: English)
Reading this book is like going on a long, incredible journey along-side it's characters. I read 'The Hobbit" first - so had a very good picture of where we were travelling from, and never wanted the story to end! I lived the book (several times over!) each time I read it. If you like long sagas, quests and understand that Life itself is filled with all these things as we try to discover ourselves and our capabilities this is a wonderful read! Again the fight of Good versus Evil, where surely, Good must wih through if only enough people uphold the values and support one another. Where there is Hope, there surely is Life! I loved this book!
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-06-12 11:41:23.
(Language: English)
When I was back in high school days (50's I think) a friend recommended this book to me. I asked what it was about. He replied... wizrds and elves and dwarves and other creatures - fantastic story. I told him that sort of fantasy stuff was of little interest to me. Skip ahead several decades ans an anniversary edition of LOTR was being offered by the book of the month club - and on a whim I ordered it. When I go it I started to read it and never put it down... oh actually I had to ... volume 2 had a defect in it where whole sections were duplicated and others missing. I had to wait for them to send me a replacement. I can't tell you how many times I have read it. Each time I get emerses in the adventure and characters and can't leave it alone until I read Sam say "I'm Back." I have seen the stage plays (twice), the massive musical In Toronto - and of course seen the LOTR movies multiple times. I never tire of the story. This is most probably because of the massive depth that Tolien has managed to load into the story. Languages, history, legends, genealogies, music poetry of Middle Earth have all been developed to an enormous degree.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-07-08 10:35:12.
(Language: English)
I have read LOTR close to 30 times and it still floors me. It's probably the most influential novel written in the past 50 years. Tolkien has a way of writing that is so descriptive you can easily picture his world of Middle Earth in your mind. Many people call this the 'sequel' to The Hobbit. It does continue the story of the Ring of Power found by Bilbo Baggins in the novel, however it is much closer to being a sequel to Tolkien's other great work The Silmarillion. It's nice to see LOTR gaining even more attention now thanks to the Peter Jackson films, but the novel is superior in every way. NOTE: After reading other posts on this novel I noticed people stating that the Fantasy genre owes it's identity to LOTR. This is entirely inaccurate. Yes Tolkien created a masterwork that now influences many. However, Tolkien's own work was not entirely original. Tolkien was a linguistic professor at Oxford who had an interest in mythology. All of the ideas in LOTR, from elves to rings of power, are his own take on myths and folk tales from around the world. The One Ring is an idea he received from reading about the Norse myths about the rings of power. Tolkien modernized these ideas (which, admittedly, no one else has done as well) but he was not their sole creator.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-08-26 05:05:34.
(Language: English)
En voici un que je n'ai pas besoin de résumer. Beaucoup d'entre vous l'ont sûrement déjà lu en français, alors parlons plutôt de la question suivante : à quoi bon le lire en VO, surtout si on l'a déjà lu en français ? Tout simplement parce que le style de Tolkien est extrêmement travaillé, et qu'on l'apprécie beaucoup mieux que dans la traduction (qui a été maintes fois critiquée par les spécialistes, et ce ne serait pas surprenant qu'on en fasse une autre bientôt). Tolkien a un anglais très soutenu, et emploie par endroits des mots archaïques. Bien sûr, il faut avoir un assez bon niveau d'anglais pour apprécier ça (personnellement je serais passé à côté de plein de choses si je n'avais pas eu l'occasion de lire du Shakespeare en VO en prépa), mais ça en vaut la peine, et dans le doute vous pouvez commencer par lire The Hobbit, à la langue moins complexe, avant d'attaquer The Lord of the Rings. Et l'anglais permet aussi de mieux apprécier l'humour de Tolkien... Maintenant, tapons un peu sur ce grand classique. On dit qu'il est parfois ennuyeux, qu'il y a des longueurs : oui, c'est vrai ! Mais contrairement à ce que j'entends souvent ("ça met du temps à démarrer avec les hobbits et tout, mais faut s'accrocher, la suite en vaut la peine"), je trouve qu'au contraire, tout le début est très bien, et tant qu'il y a des hobbits on ne s'ennuie pas parce qu'il y a toujours assez d'humour ; mais vers le milieu, quand on est embarqué dans les affaires d'humains et d'elfes, il y a des moments où ça devient abominablement sérieux et solennel, et où je me suis franchement ennuyé. Heureusement ça n'est jamais très long... de même pour certains Appendices relatant des généalogies et des dizaines de batailles à n'en plus finir, et où j'ai fini par crier grâce. Mais bon, il y a aussi des gens qui aiment ça...
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-07-31 07:09:12.
(Language: English)
When Tolkien said the book is too short, it is easy to assume he was speaking with tongue in cheek; easy, that is, until one reaches the end of the book and sees the various Appendixes. There is enough additional information here about hobbits and the "Second and Third Ages" to make it clear that the author might easily have added another thousand pages to the tale. Perhaps, given Tolkien's prodigious imagination, he truly did feel the book to be too short.The story could have been pared down in places without really losing much. Sometimes it seems to take forever for Frodo (the primary character or "hobbit" in the tale) to simply walk over a hill or go to sleep. That complaint aside, it must be hastily added that this is a truly wonderful sword-and-sorcery tale, otherwise beautifully told. A wonderful book for lovers of fantasy fiction. That's "book" because The Lord of the Rings is not three books, as many assume, but one book in three parts (each part originally published separately). It is in fact the sequel to The Hobbit.In The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins (not Frodo) comes away with a magic ring that, put on the finger, makes one invisible. That was the extent of its power until Tolkien sat down to write "The Lord of the Rings". Now we learn that this particular ring is the ring that binds other magic rings and creates, for the holder of the "One Ring", the ultimate power over all the world. It is, in other words, the ring of rings, and it is now sought by an evil force that has been searching for it since its loss many years prior to Bilbo's finding it.The Lord of the Rings opens with Bilbo celebrating his "eleventy-first" birthday. Bilbo is now well over one hundred years of age. He chooses this birthday to pass on the ring (which he has had in his possession since finding it) to Frodo, his heir. In doing so, it is Frodo that becomes the central character of the novel.Shortly thereafter, the sorcerer Galdalf the Grey appears with vague warnings about the approach of evil and the power of the ring: "...All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. And already, Frodo, our time is beginning to look black. The Enemy is fast becoming very strong. His plans are far from ripe, I think, but they are ripening....The enemy still lacks one thing to give him strength and knowledge to beat down all resistance, break the last defenses, and cover all the lands in a second darkness. He lacks the One Ring."The ring Frodo how holds must be destroyed yet it is indestructible, so what is to be done? It can be destroyed, it turns out, only one way: by throwing it into the depths of Mount Doom. The quest is set, Frodo (and others, in particular another good hobbit named Sam) must set off to destroy the ring. Many dark forces will try to stop him and take the ring from him along the way.The first danger is the "Dark Riders" (the Ringwraiths) who are suddenly patrolling the highways and byways out of Hobbiton. Frodo no sooner sets off then he is in danger of his life: "The hooves grew nearer. They had no time to find any hiding-place better than the general darkness under the trees; Sam and Pippin crouched behind a large tree-bole, while Frodo crept back a few yards towards the lane. It showed grey and pale, a line of fading light through the wood. Above it the stars were thick in the dim sky, but there was no moon....The black shadow stood close to the point where they had left the path, and it swayed from side to side. Frodo thought he heard the sound of snuffling. The shadow bent to the ground, and then began to crawl towards him."The true saving graces of this book are the astounding imagination of the author and, by his wonderful writing ability, the realization of that imagination. Despite its great length, the book manages to hold the reader's attention and, in parts, is quite gripping. (Stripping away some excess would have made this a legitimate page-turner.) It is a book replete with dozens of wonderfully imaginative characters and creatures, many of which no doubt helped spawn other tales that carry similarities to this one (such as the Star War series). It's easy to see why it is a fantasy classic, or as some would have it, the fantasy classic.Those readers ready to sit and read the more than one thousand pages will, for the most part, be enthralled except for those rather long-winded parts where you'll say "get on with it". For those others not quite ready to assume the "massive undertaking" of reading the book, you will no doubt enjoy the movie(s) that will do the paring down that the book could have benefited from. The book is, when all is said and done, an amazing achievement.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-05-10 12:57:01.
(Language: German)
Wenn ein Autor eine Welt erschafft, dann tut er das nur selten aus Spaß allein. Denn meistens ist die erschaffene, fiktionale Welt doch nur ein Abbild der Realität, und vieles aus unserer Wirklichkeit findet sich wieder, manchmal mehr, manchmal weniger verfremdet. Tolkien, der Autor dieses Mammutwerkes hat vielleicht die komplexeste und umfangreichste aller literarischen Welten erfunden. Nicht nur bilden "Der kleine Hobbit", das "Simarilion", "Der Herr der Ringe" und viele weitere Geschichten aus Mittelerde einen zusammenhängenden Zyklus. Tolkien hat zu den Texten auch gleich noch eine Sprache erfunden, dazu eine Geologie, eine Architektur und eine eigene Dichtung. Ein Schöpfungsmythos mit eigenen magischen Wesen und Göttern ergänzt das alles. Das schöne ist, dass jedes dieser Elemente nicht für sich steht, sondern mit den Geschichten in den Büchern verbunden ist, einen Einfluss auf die Geschicke der Hauptfiguren hat. Wenn man beginnt, sich mit "Der Herrn der Ringe" zu beschäftigen, wird man daher schnell zu einer Art Forscher, zu einem Archäologen, der nach immer neuen Schichten sucht, um die Hintergründe der erzählten Geschichten zu verstehen. Dabei ist der erste Eindruck, den ein Leser von "Der Herr der Ringe" gewinnt, oft der eines Reiseromans. Eine Gruppe von Gefährten, beinahe Freunden, manchmal aber auch Feinden, zieht durch wechselnde Landschaften. Man kann den Weg von Nord nach Süd gut auf der dem Buch beigefügten Karte verfolgen. Die Geschichte ist eigentlich sogar recht einfach. Man reist manchmal zusammen, einige Male verliert man sich und wird getrennt. Aber immer geht es dem Bösen und auch dem Höhepunkt des Buches entgegen. Die Landschaften sind außerordentlich schön beschrieben. Und wie in jedem, guten Reisebericht gibt es auch viel zu erzählen über die Menschen und Völker am Rande der Reiseroute. Die Figuren und Gesellschaften, denen die Reisenden begegnen, entspringen vor allem der europäischen Sagenwelt. Wir lesen von Zwergen und Zauberern, von Elfen, die Elben heißen, von bösen Drachen, Trollen und Gnomen. So ist einer der Hauptvorwürfe, mit denen sich der Autor herumschlagen musste, der des Eskapismus, der Vorwurf, dass die Geschichte dieser zugegebenermaßen liebenswerten Freaks schön zu lesen wäre, aber mit der Wirklichkeit wenig zu tun hätte. Aber auch ein nur durchschnittlich gebildeter Leser vermutet bald mehr hinter den Ereignissen. Hat das große, langsam verfallene Gondor nicht wirklich etwas von Byzanz? Ist das versunkene Numenor, Quelle der westlichen Zivilisation nicht doch Atlantis unter einem anderen Namen? Und schildert die merkwürdige Verwandlung von Gandalf nach dem Kampf mit dem Balrog nicht einen Tod mit folgender Auferstehung, also den Gründungsmythos der christlichen Religion? Germanische Reiter bzw. Ritter finden sich im Buch, von Invasoren aus dem Osten wird erzählt. Aber die vielleicht schönste Abbildung einer realen Gesellschaft findet sich im Auenland und seinen Bewohnern. Hier wird natürlich das einfache, über hunderte von Jahren kaum veränderte Landleben in den grünen Hügeln von Mittelengland erzählt. Dessen zwar spießige, aber immer liebenswerte Menschen werden in den Hobbits hervorragend abgebildet. Der enge Horizont des Weltbildes, die Freude am Feiern, die landschaftliche Schönheit, die historischen Monumente, die niemand mehr versteht oder auch nur verstehen will - alles findet sich hier und alles ist wie ein Paradies beschrieben. So ist das, was wir hier lesen, mehr als nur Phantasie. Es ist eine Zusammenfassung der historischen Umbrüche in Europa von der Spätantike bis ins 19. Jahrhundert, die letztendlich die Wurzel der europäischen Kultur geworden sind. Und wir ahnen auch, dass Tolkien diese Kultur als eine besondere ansieht, weil sie besondere Menschen hervorbringt, die besonderes leisten. Und so stehen in vielen der Geschichten abstrakte, ihm und uns wichtige Wertvorstellungen im Vordergrund. Es wird Toleranz gezeigt, insbesondere in der Form der Zusammenarbeit verschiedener, aber bewusst individueller Völker. Es wird Freundschaft gezeigt, die bis hin zur Selbstaufopferung und Hingabe für einen anderen funktioniert. Es wird die Sehnsucht nach Reisen und Entdeckungen gezeigt. Es geht um Mitgefühl, um Liebe (wenn auch meist um platonische), um Mut, Heldentum und Kultur. Und um die Tatsache, dass man für all dies kämpfen muss, wenn man es sich bewahren will. Auch gegen die Folgen von Industrialisierung und Technologie, deren Missbrauch ein durchgehendes Thema im Buch ist. Der vielleicht wichtigste Punkt im Herrn der Ringe ist jedoch noch ein anderer. Es geht um die Frage, wie es Menschen unter Druck gelingt, Mensch zu bleiben. Boromir scheitert an dieser Aufgabe, und er ist nicht der einzige. Gandalf nimmt die Herausforderung, Ringträger zu sein, nicht an, denn er weiß, dass es seine Menschlichkeit zerstören würde. Nur Frodo und Sam scheinen die große Aufgabe zu meistern, trotz ständiger Gefahr, trotz der Versuchung, aus Gründen der Selbsterhaltung grausam zu handeln, bleiben beide sie selbst. Beinahe niemals verlieren sie das menschliche Maß der Dinge aus den Augen, und selbst mit einem Gollum haben die beiden Erbarmen. Es ist dieses Gegenbild gegen die stolzen, pathetischen Helden, was den Herrn der Ringe zu einem besonderen Stück Literatur macht. Die Rettung kommt aus dem kleinen Volk, von kleinen, scheinbar schwachen Menschen. Eine Absage an die großen, stolzen Helden, die sonst in der phantastischen Literatur und in den Sehnsüchten rechter Politiker die Welt retten müssen. Was auch immer passiert, vergesse Deine Wurzeln nicht, und verliere nie die Lust am Leben, das scheint mir die Botschaft zu sein. Es heißt, die Bibel wäre deshalb so ein wichtiges Buch, weil sie aus dieser, unserer Welt eine bessere macht. Ich glaube, dass das Buch von Tolkien das auch ein bisschen leisten kann.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-08-23 11:51:13.
(Language: English)
This is a good story to read. The movie is even better. But as with all such movies, many intricate details which are present in the book have been omitted in the movie. It is all about the perilous journeys that one must take in order to achieve good for all living folks. The middle-earth created by Tolkien is wonderfully described, so are all the battle scenes. The most highlighting feature for me was perhaps the way in which the smallest of all, the Hobbits, of which no one had heard or seen, turned out in the end to be greater than even the tallest of men, wizards and elves. The Elvish tongue is cool to hear and if a little more of that language was described, we friends could probably learn a little more about it. To me, the journey of Aragorn and his company seemed more interesting than that of Frodo and Sam. Though it is a story about a magical world and the battle between good and evil, it is quite different from a book like Harry Potter. There is no teenage romance or growing up of young minds, nor is there school-life and teachers. But to sum up, this is a wonderful novel.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-08-04 04:33:28.
(Language: English)
I have to say that this is the greatest piece of Fantasy literature I've ever read. In terms of depth of detail and world creation, I have yet to read an author who's managed to top Tolkien's Middle-earth. Every culture is unique, and as I went through the novel I got the impression of a very rich and vibrant history underlying each race and country (it wasn't until years later that I found out about "The Silmarillion"). In my opinion, it is a beautiful and artfully told story with some very richly developed characters (of course, some of the other character are essentially heroic proto-forms, but hey, so was Beowulf! ;) ). To this day, I still use "The Lord of the Rings" as kind of a benchmark against which I measure all the other Fantasy literature I read, and I still think of Tolkien as the Granddaddy of all modern fantasy literature. A word of advice, though: After you finish "The Lord of the Rings", consider taking on "The Silmarillion". I'm not going to lie to you, it is a dry, dry read (I had to take a couple of runs at it before I finally managed to make it all the way through), but if you do finish it, then go back and re-read "The Lord of the Rings" sometime, there are some passages that hold so much more resonance. You start to perceive just how many onion-like layers of theme and history Tolkien wove into this novel. Anyway, this is probably much more than my two cents already. In short, my recommendation is that you give this one a look over if you have any affinity at all for Fantasy. It really is a gem of the genre.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-08-16 12:20:57.
(Language: English)
THE MOVIE CONTINUEDEven if I managed to sleep in the middle, I did find Lord Of The Rings as an OK movie, but it was not the case with this game, based on the movie, named Battle for middleearth. I brought this game home wanting a good action/RPG game, but unexpectedly this one was a strategy game, unlike the usual titles from EA.Even if the game developers still talks about crossing one million multiplayer games taking place, the game just seemed to me as a wild copy from the different strategy games released. The game reminds me of the games, Dragon Throne, Battle for Troy and a few others which looked somewhat the same.STRATEGIC WARFAREThe game lets you control lots of heroes and armies with an interface which is actually more confusing than a usual strategy game. The learning of the game will be a bit difficult even with some help provided in the menu itself. The game may work in almost all systems about two or three years old but it does get very slow on occasions.The game allows you to play a good or evil campaign as you proclaim your alignment to the side of the light or embrace the darkness. There is also the option for skirmish as you select one of the four available civilizations, each having its own characteristics, units and upgrades along with the heroes.NOTHING SPECIALYour units can gain experience and upgrade to the next level as you go through. The heroes have special abilities, just like the spells that we cast in other RPG games. The game just seems to be trying to combine some RPG with the strategy to make the game better, but fails to do so.Just like any other strategy game, there is resource collecting and training units. The game can give you a feeling of Warcraft III also. The good thing about this game is that it is a huge game with lots of levels, with patches to make it even better, with a storyline that almost follows the movie itself.LORD OR LOAD?The game has got some good graphics, just like Warcraft III. The characters look solid and the world is just more than realistic. The waterflow and the trees just swinging across in the wind are just a few examples. The world around you can make you more interested in the game.The sounds also are convincing as it gives a good support to the surroundings. But still it is the game play that gives minus points to the game, its extremely annoying on some occasions, may be overloaded with everything unnecessary!The game gives you almost the same feeling that the movie has given due to the presence of the same characters and the storyline. There is also a good multiplayer option. So the game will not be the worst choice to go for, but still it laggs behind the expectations of a strategy gamer as well as any LOTR fan!REQUIREMENTSOS: Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/2003/XPCPU: 1.3 GHz or fasterRAM: 256 MBDISC DRIVE: 8x or faster CD/DVD driveHARD DRIVE: 4 GB or more free spaceVIDEO: DirectX 9.0b compatibleSOUND: DirectX 9.0b compatibleINPUT: Keyboard and mouseDISPLAY: Video card with 32 MB memory
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Christopher posted a review at 2010-07-28 08:25:30.
(Language: English)
Phew! Trying to read all three of the LOTR novels in one volume is tough. But it is more than worth the effort. This is still one of the the best stories ever written in the 20th century if not of all time. It is full of action, myth, poetry and language. The epic tone of much of the novel, like The Silmarillion, adds gravitas and excitement to this tale. Everyone who can read should read this book at least once in their life before dying. Heck! Everyone should read this more than once in their life as the themes of hope, love, and friendship will mean different things to people at different times in their life. This is my second time reading LOTR, the last time being in high school, and I have gleaned so much more out this reading than I did the last time. Having said all that, there is one criticism that I must give of this novel. There is a serious lack of character development throughout the novel. Excluding the four hobbits, no one ever really seems to change much from what they were at the beginning of the novel. Even Aragorn, one of the central characters of the novel, stays roughly the same from the beginning to the end. Gandalf doesn't change very much and, aside from switching from enemies to friends, Legolas and Gimli don't change either. Still, this is one of the greatest novels of all time and should be read by everyone.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-10-26 04:01:08.
(Language: English)
It's quite overwhelming to see the number and type of accolades this book has received and mind you it does deserve a few of them , but certainly not all. Let's start with what it deserves : 1. Exciting adventure plot .. comparable to the Count of Monte Cristo. 2. Super new-world creation , Middle Earth is huge, varied, fascinating and cohesively woven. And now what it does not deserve : 1. It is not and I repeat NOT a well written book and waxing lyrical on Tolkien's boring, mixed up style is foolish and sophomoric. 2. It is certainly NOT the greatest work of the 20th century, nay, not even in the top 100 . When there are books like Ulysses, In Search of Lost Time and The Magic Mountain out there it sickens me to hear the LOTR mentioned in that context. In the world there are two types of literature : Great and regular. 'Great' comprises authors like Joyce, Mann, Proust, Faulkner, Dickens, Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky. 'Regular' consists of authors like Christie, Gardner, Ludlum, Baldacci and all the other bestsellers. The difference is that one set is to be treated seriously and the other to be read for relaxation. There are authors who combine the two types successfully and produce super books like P GWodehouse and J K Rowling. And there are authors who make a jolly good hash of it. And one such author is Tolkien. 3 stars.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-08-17 05:55:21.
(Language: English)
Quite possibly the best work of English Literature of the past century, Tolkien's world of Middle-Earth is on the brink of destruction in "The Lord of the Rings". Spanning 1,216 pages(give or take a few pages depending on which you edition you have), this novel is the epitome of dramatic fantasy, even though it isn't that much of a 'fantasy' per se. Keep in mind that while reading this, the story isn't allegorical in any way, shape or form; Tolkien despised the idea of allegory. Also keep in mind that referring to the novel as a trilogy is completely erronous, Tolkien wote this as a novel and it was split up into 3 parts to be published because paper wasn't cheap in the 1950's. The novel itself is beautifully written and nearly 40 years of back story to support really brings reality into the words.The characters all have human characterisitics and are easy to relate to even though there is little or no character development; the story is completely plot driven. The imagery portrayed in the pages brings together a world unlike ours, yet it is very familiar. The story is timeless and deals wth hope and despair and the will to fight no matter the size of your body, only the size of your heart. Tolkien's genius as expert linguist and connoisseur of Anglo-Saxon literature really shine in the different cultures and peoples in the world of Middle-Earth( as a matter of fact, some of the dialogue used by the Rohirrim is written in the same meter as the epic poem Beowulf, which Tolkien was very influenced by). Just the immense amount of detail is worth noting when explaining why this is one of the best novels ever written. All in all, it is a must read but it's not for the faint hearted. I read "The Lord of the Rings" once of year and have been doing so for a few years now and will continue to for the rest of my life.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-03-01 08:15:42.
(Language: English)
Even as great as the film trilogy is... Tolkien's novel just absorbs the reader, snagging your world into Middle Earth. The novel is large but only upon completing the book do you realize just how small it is... and leaves you wanting more from Middle Earth. ( JK Rowlings has in my opinion borrowed from this classic to create her own masterpiece which is Harry Potter.) True fans of Tolkien can easily spot the inspiration in the HP series.... right down to the authors use of her initials on the cover... Anyway back to Lord of the Rings...its a journey of Man and his journey on earth and the choices man makes... and that we must live with our decisions. The author took modern day UK and converted social issues into a classic tale of Greed.. Power... Race... and Love. Excellent book! Find the time to enjoy this classic. You will then see the films in a whole new light...
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-04-20 09:40:53.
(Language: French)
Le Seigneur des Anneaux par J.R. Tolkien est une trilogie composée comme suit : Tome 1 : La communauté de l'anneau. Tome 2 : Les deux Tours. Tome 3 : Le retour du roi. Bilbon Sacket est un Hobit qui vit paisiblement dans son village auprès de ses congénaires jusqu'à ce que Bilbo, son oncle lui lègue un anneau magique ayant la particularité de donner l'invisibilité à quiconque se le met au doigt, mais Gandalf le gris découvre qu'il s'agit en fait de l'anneau de Sauron et qu'il est enchanté à fin qu'il appelle Sauron chaque fois qu'il est utilisé. Il faut détruire l'anneau à fin de briser son lien à Sauron et empêcher celui ci de récupérer son bien qui lui redonnera vie. Ainsi Bilbon prend la route pour détruire l'anneau et ainsi définitivement Sauron. Ainsi il se rend chez les Elfes pour leur remettre l'objet mais en arrivant là bas personne n'ose le toucher et il est décidé que Bibon en aurait finalement la charge jusqu'à la fin de l'anneau. Mais à fin de l'aider dans sa quête, la communauté de l'anneau est fondée. Le seigneur des anneaux est la partie la plus connue de l'oeuvre de J.R. Tolkien. Il n'en est pas moins que la trilogie n'est pas tout à fait une trilogie étant donné que beaucoup d'ouvrages relatent l'histoire avant cette épopée. Toute l'oeuvre de l'auteur est en réalité une nouveauté à sa création à tel point qu'on lui consacra grand nombre de films, jeux, graphismes, le premier des jeux de rôles fantastique Donjons et Dragons en était fort largement inspiré. A mon avis il n'existait pas une œuvre aussi fournie avant celle-ci, mis à part bien sûr l'anneau de Niebelungen, l'opéra de Richard Wagner, dont Tolkien c'est certainement inspiré. Même l'œuvre de Chrétien de troye qui est à l'origine de la renommée de la légende des chevaliers de la table ronde et de la quête du roi Arthur à la recherche du Saint-Graal n'était pas aussi fournie lorsque celui-ci mourut sans avoir le temps d'achever son œuvre. Quoi qu'il en soit je conseille vivement à qui veut approfondir sa connaissance sur les thèmes chers à Tolkien de Lire "Bilbo le hobitt" qui relate les circonstances dans les quelles l'anneau de Sauron s'est retrouvé au mains de Bilbo, celivre est le préanbule à la trilogie. Mais avant cela il y a le Silmarillon ou le lecteur pourra découvrir l'histoire de l'Anneau depuis le tout début.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-12-08 09:55:26.
(Language: English)
Lord of the Rings is a phenomenal blend of folk story, epic romanticism, and deep history. While most people regard the series as a trilogy it is in fact a single novel, a single story that takes readers across the vast world of Middle-Earth, from the comfortable abodes of the Hobbits in the Shire to the utmost pinnacle of Mount Doom in the dark and shadowed Land of Mordor far away. It is on this journey that one will experience loss and greater hope, honor sundered and regained, bitter darkness and mounting light, and love. Indeed one can even glimpse a deeper history than the history of the War of the Ring, which this book mostly concerns itself. And while the world of Middle-Earth is vast indeed, a wider world can be gleaned from the masterful prose and artful story-telling of Tolkien and, as a whole, captures the antiquity and loftiness of myths and legends of old. The Lord of the Rings is certainly the masterpiece of its century and deserves a place in every library, to be read by everyone young and old. And whether it is your first or tenth journey, Lord of the Rings will continue to amaze, charm, delight those who not only have the courage to traverse its pages but those who also have the heart to reach its end!
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-07-29 10:20:41.
(Language: English)
I read this as a teenager in high school. Since this was in the '70s, there was so much more excitement around the books and the author (who was still alive and suing people who had published it without his approval). It was a monumental undertaking, in spite of the fact that I was always a fan of thick books. My mom had given me an import version (for birthday or Christmas I can't remember) and it was a single volume trade-size paperback. Which was regrettable beaten to pieces by the time I finished hauling around. I was one of those who never really melded with the Hobbits. I was amused to discover later that they were grafted on at his publisher's insistence. Tolkein had considered these to be adult books and the hobbits were for children. In the end, I have to say that I can't imagine this story without Frodo and Sam, so score one for the Publishers. This is an ambitious project for any age reader, but those who are willing to take the whole in bite-sized chunks will be rewarded with a wonderful tale.
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