Product Description

A dramatization of Tolkien's celebrated fantasy. Sauron, the Dark Lord, has gathered to him the Rings of Power - the means by which he will be able to rule the world. All he lacks in his plan for domination is the Ruling Ring, which has fallen into the hands of the hobbit, Frodo Baggins.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #227930 in Books
• Published on: 1995-10-09
• Released on: 1999-10-01
• Number of discs: 14
• Format: Audiobook
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 14
• Binding: Pamphlet

Amazon.co.uk Review
A Christian can almost be forgiven for not reading the Bible, but there's no salvation for a fantasy fan who hasn't read the gospel of the genre, JRR. Tolkien's definitive three-book epic, The Lord of the Rings (encompassing The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King), and its charming precursor, The Hobbit. That many (if not most) fantasy works are in some way derivative of Tolkien is understood, but the influence of The Lord of the Rings is so universal that everybody from George Lucas to Led Zeppelin has appropriated it for one purpose or another.

Not just revolutionary because it was ground-breaking, The Lord of the Rings is timeless because it's the product of a truly top-shelf mind. Tolkien was a distinguished linguist and Oxford scholar of dead languages, with strong ideas about the importance of myth and story and a deep appreciation of nature. His epic, 10 years in the making, recounts the Great War of the Ring and the closing of Middle-Earth's Third Age, a time when magic begins to fade from the world and men rise to dominance. Tolkien carefully details this transition with tremendous skill and love, creating in The Lord of the Rings a universal and all-embracing tale, a justly celebrated classic. --Paul Hughes

Customer Reviews

A masterpiece of audio dramatisation
Having read and loved the book I really had doubts that a 13 hour audio full dramatised version could do it justice but any doubts I had were quashed when I heard the first few minutes and that haunting main theme kicked in. Assuming if you're reading this you've already read the book I won't need to go into specifics but Gollum was just so...perfect. Loathsome and quite pitiful at the same time. Ian Holm as Frodo was magnificent, the leading role of a talented cast, special praise going to those actors portraying Bilbo, Gandalf, Aragorn, Pippin, Merry, Sam, Legolas, Gimli and Boromir. The music was equal parts moving, exciting and awe-inspring, and how nice of the CD makers to include a 14th disc with nearly an hour of the score, my fave parts being the main score and the fan-bloody-tastic March of the Ents. Every single part of this version of the book to end all books is honed to perfection, but the standouts go to the Prancing Pony section of disc 2 and the entire Mines of Moria sequence of Disc 4, which is a triumph of sound in a scene where visuals are all. I could babble on forever about this, but, it may seem costly, but it's worth it. Empty your wallets, go home, put this on and be entranced.

Trully unbelievable !
I know, this might look like an expensive buy, but believe me, once you get to the last CD of this brilliant dramatisation of Lord of the Rings, you won't even care about the money you've spent ! This is how good this radio version is. I would give it 1000 stars if i could !

After listening to this 14 hours of incredible High Fantasy atmosphere, i only wish all the books from Tolkien were available in this form. I know the Lord of the Rings movies are being filmed at this moment, but after listening to this brilliant radio adaptation, i can't believe the movies will be better than this radio series. This is the perfect buy for anyone who loves Fantasy, no matter what age you are. Excelent for Tolien fans, and perfect to introduce the Tolkien world to anyone who never eard of it.

For a start, the actors are perfect, specialy, the voices of Sam, Gollum and Gandalf, wich are fantastic. And the cast it's huuuuuuge with plenty of voices everywhere.

The sound effects are powerfull, altough a bit to much early eighties electronics some times, but very ,very good nevertheless, specialy in the battle scenes and in the countryside atmospheres.

But to me the most impressive thing in all this adaptation , is the music soundtrack. This radio adaptation of Lord of the Rings, has one of the most beautiful music soundtracks i ever eard, and the way in wich the music is used to create emotion and carry the listener into the Midlle Earth is incredible. Listen to the battle preparation scenes in the dark , and you'll get imediately transported into this amazing world, just by the power of sound. The epic music, combined with the sound of horses, arms, men singing and marching and all sort of sound atmospheres creates a movie in our minds, that i doubt any real movie will provoque the same efect ever !

There's epic music, powerfull music, soothing music, simple tunes, elf songs, and all sorts of TolKien poems set to song in a brilliant "medieval" way. And all this comes also in CD n.14 , just for us to enjoy after we listen to the story in the other 13 Cds.

I also have the other radio adaptation made of 1968 of THE HOBBIT, wich i advise everyone to get it also, because all of what i've said for this Lord of the Rings , BBC Radio adaptation also goes for BBC's The Hobbit.

So to finish, i'll just say, if you're in doubt, and worried about the price, just go for it. You won't regret it. By the end you wish you had plenty more like this one to buy. So sell your car, sell your house, sell your mother-in-law, but get this BBC RADIO THE LORD OF THE RINGS. And also the HOBBIT.

After you'll listen to it, you won't even care about the money you spent in buying the thing.

As for me ,this was one of the best buys of my life. And i'm 30 years old. I've already bought a lot.

This Lord of the Rings, radio dramatization is a masterpiece.

A sound approach to Middle-Earth
I must have read J.R.R Tolkien's Lord of the Rings at least 30 times over the same number of years.

I have seen two films come and go, that did not 'reach' me in the same way as the books (it is usually the same with pictures/drawings etc).

The Lord of the Rings is one of those rare books who's impressions given are personal to that reader.

In this way the CD's (taken from the BBC Radio adaptation of the early 1980's), do not intrude on ones personal 'mind pictures' for the story. In a number of respects they enhance previous reading experience. The voices are particularly good, striking, in terms of Gandalf and the late/great Sir Michael Hordern.

Admittedly, some scenes have had to be passed over,especially earlier on in the story i.e the old forest, Tom Bombadil, the barrow downs (due to the sheer size of the work), other than these areas, the story is very much intact.

This is a story (we found) best played on a winters night around the fire (it can make television almost seem a basic and vulgar entertainment). But however heard, it will inspire, thrill, and endear all to the great man's master work.

The 13 CD package is attractively packaged, including a map, and a CD of music from this adaptation.

I believe this sort of experience/entertainment is ideal for children of all ages, particularly really grown up children (adults) !

These CD's will compliment your Tolkien collection and continue the pure magic of this classic tale for years/generations to come.