Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #55893 in Books
• Published on: 1991-09-19
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 1200 pages

Sunday Telegraph
'Among the greatest works of imaginative fiction of the 20th century.’

Synopsis
'THE LORD OF THE RINGS', J. R. R. Tolkein Illustrated by Alan Lee 'Three Rings for the Eleven-kings under the sky, Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone Nine for the Mortal Men doomed to die, One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne In the Land of Mordor where the shadows lie. One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.' 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 the Middle-earth still it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell, by chance, into the hands of the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins. From his fastness in the Dark Tower of Mordor, Sauron's power spread far and wide. He gathered all the Great Rings to him, but ever searched far and wide for the One Ring that would complete his dominion.On his eleventy-first birthday, Bilbo disappeared, bequeathing to his younger cousin, Frodo, the Ruling Ring, and a perilous quest: to journey across Middle-earth, deep into the shadow of the Dark Lord and destroy the Ring by casting it into the Cracks of Doom.

'THE LORD OF THE RINGS' tells of the great quest undertaken by Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring: Gandalf the wizard, Merry, Pippin and Sam, Gimli the Dwarf, Legolas the Elf, Boromir of Gondor, and a tall, mysterious stranger called Strider. 'THE LORD OF THE RINGS' was first published in three volumes between 1954 and 1955, to great acclaim: "One of the most remarkable works of literature in our, or any, time." BERNARD LEVIN "No fiction I have read in the last five years has given me more joy" W. H. AUDEN "Like lightning from a clear sky ! heroic romance, gorgeous, eloquent and unashamed." C. S. LEWIS "The world is divided into those who have read 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of The Rings' and those who are going to read them." 'THE SUNDAY TIMES' Alan Lee was born in Middlesex in 1947.He attended the Ealing School of Art, specialising in illustration, and has illustrated a wide range of books including 'Faeries' (with Brian Froud), 'The Mabinogion, Castles' and 'Merlin Dreams.' He also worked on the film 'Erik the Viking.' Tolkien's work has inspired him ever since reading 'The Lord of the Rings' at an early age. He now lives and works on the edge of Dartmoor in Devon.

About the Author
J.R.R.Tolkien (1892-1973) was a distinguished academic, though he is best known for writing The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, plus other stories and essays. His books have been translated into over 30 languages and have sold many millions of copies worldwide.

*Illustrated by award-winning artist, Alan Lee –who has also illustrated the Centenary edition of The Lord of the Rings and the 60th Anniversary edition of The Hobbit.

Customer Reviews

LOTR - With Illustrations by Alan Lee
Everyone knows The Lord of the Rings is either a series you love, or a series you love to hate. I used to fall into the latter catergory, but recently I borrowed this edition from a friend, and it changed my view of the books completely.

The story is epic, and ranges from the light and fun (Bilbo's "eleventy-first" birthday, right at the beginning) to the deeply disturbing (like evil trees) to the very sad (which I won't spoil).

Alan Lee's illustrations are what make this edition special: he gives you an outline of what the characters and scenery might look like, without dictating what you think they look like. Also, his elves don't have pointy ears! And they don't in the text either; I love this attention to detail. Lee has really made the world his own in the illustrations.

Luckily for me the book doesn't change shape easily, and the spine is quite sturdy. I carried the copy I borrowed around in a stuffed bag for over a week, and it didn't suffer in the slightest.

This edition is on my Christmas list, and for good reason!

THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is by far the best book in the world that has ever been written!!! Thats all I need to say about this book. J.R.R.Tolkien is the best.

The greatest fantasy book ever written
Simply the best fantasy ever written. There are many other excellent ones, such as Raymond E Feist's Riftwar saga and CS Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, but this one is the best.

Vast in its scope and ambition, Tolkien has invented a totally convincing world full of wonderfully believable characters and, within it, one of the most gripping and exquisitely crafted stories ever told.

Reading The Hobbit increases you're enjoyment and appreciation of The Lord of the Rings. The Silmarillion is very hard to read, but also pays off for fans.

This luxurious 1991 hardback edition of Lord of the Rings is particularly nice, with great illustrations by Alan Lee, who helped to get the look right in Peter Jackson's films.