Customer Reviews
Great Book 
2008-07-07
I got the whole "Lord of the Rings" trilogy for my husband woh loved the movies. He has truly enjoyed listening to the audiobooks and so have I. The reader is excellent and provide different voices for each character. I would compare the reader to Stephen Fry of the UK version for the Harry Potter audiobooks. These books were definatly worth the money.
Great ending for a great trilogy. 
2008-03-02
The third book in the Lord of the Rings trilogy (which was never meant by Tolkien to be a trilogy, but three separate books seem a lot more manageable than one 1008-page volume). I liked this one better than the second book, but not as much as the first. I thought that, like in the second book, the way Tolkien divided the narrative was weird. Rather than switching back and forth between two simultaneous stories, he tells all of one, then all of the other. Still, that's a little nit-pick for an epic of this magnitude. I'm not sure if The Lord of the Rings as a whole would make my personal top 10 list, but it definitely deserves a spot among the greatest novels ever written, if not for the writing then for the sheer imagination and ambition of the project. I've never read a book that so convincingly creates an entire world. It's no wonder this is considered to be the definitive fantasy. There were times when I wanted to live in Middle Earth and other times when I set the book down and felt like I had been in Middle Earth for a while. An incredible escape, and well worth the time it takes to read it.
Nice, classic feel 2008-02-28
I won't go into what Lord of the Rings is all about. If you're looking at this book you probably already know. Instead I'll tell you about the version you are looking at. This publication has a wonderful, classic feel to it. Map in the back which provides detail of Rohan and Gondor. The cover slip is great. Wonderful artwork. I purchased this version because it doesn't have the movie art work all over it. Remember, it was a book before a movie. If you're going to read the book, leave the movie behind. The Return of the King also has the Appendices and has a quality hard binding. I would recommend this version (any of three books) to anyone who wants the real Lord of the Rings experience.
Inglis' Narration is the perfect complement to the perfect trilogy 2007-10-01
I listen to a lot of books on tape. Every once in a while I come across a narrator who is perfectly suited to the work. I don't mean a narrarator who has a good voice, I mean a narrator whose voice brings the story alive. Rob Inglis is such a narrator in all three books in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Each character is clearly identifiable by his uncanny ability produce dozens of distinct voices. I've listened to other audio versions of Tolkien's works. Those narrarated by Rob Inglis are the only ones that I've found worth the purchase.
Not Free SF Reader 2007-09-03
While Tolkien's epic has its obvious flaws : the blatant racism,
simplistic politics and superiority of Westerners he beats you over the
head with, the wonderful setting is not to be denied.
Pitched battle as decoy is not too bad a stunt either, as they try and given Sam and Frodo more time to destroy the One Ring.
After this, the repercussions of this war for Middle-Earth are felt closer to home for the four fuzzy short guys.
SUPERB!!!!!! 2007-08-31
THE GREATEST FANTASY EPIC OF OUR TIMEWhile the evil might of the Dark Lord Sauron swarmed out to conquer all Middle-earth, Frodo and Sam struggled deep into Mordor, seat of Sauron’s power. To defeat the Dark Lord, the accursed Ring of Power had to be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom. But the way was impossibly hard, and Frodo was weakening. Weighed down by the compulsion of the Ring he began finally to despair.
The awesome conclusion of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, beloved by millions of readers around the world.
Gold 2007-07-23
I just finished reading the book, and now I am listening to it starting with the hobbit straight through the return of the king because I read them that way and I think the hobbit is in a way a part of the lord of the rings. its 60+ hours total but its worth it the narrator is great, I would of course recommend actually reading it before listening to it because as the story is a big journey, so is reading the book, its a very long story and part of appreciating it is working your way through it and for those that say "Oh I saw the movies", There is ALOT that the movies left out and gives the story a new feel. Since I read it long after seeing the movies I was not prepared for what I read, there are so many small parts that either were left out or changed slightly that its like reading a story you don't know entirely. I have to say that I love the movies and if not for them I would never have wanted to read the books. If the only way you are willing to experience the book is audiobook only then I still recommend it because they are wonderful books, my favorite actually. If you do read them first, finishing them does feel great, like a journey complete.
The Greatest Climax and Longest Falling Action of All Time 2007-07-17
At the school where I teach, I've got a very nice little model of Tolkien's city of Minas Tirith on my desk. I'll always love the first several chapters of The Return of the King for its focus on that city-on-the-brink, and for the apocalyptic battle against the witch king of Angmar and his minions. And the great news is, that's just the beginning of the book!
Book V, the first part of Return of the King, picks up with the fate of all Middle Earth teetering on the very doorstep of destruction at the hands of Lord Sauron's most powerful ringwraith servant. Aragorn and company forge a last alliance between the human kingdoms of Rohan and Gondor that serve to stem the Dark Lord's tide while Frodo and Sam inch ever closer to their final destiny ... and the ring's (chronicled in the first three chapters of Book VI).
Just as The Fellowship of the Ring lovingly spent several chapters establishing a world that needs to be saved, this final installment of Tolkien's master trilogy spends several chapters wrapping it up when the major danger has passed. It seems old J.R.R. was reluctant to leave, but don't be fooled (or over-spoiled by Peter Jackson's abridged movie ending). The uprising in the Shire, which serves as falling action and conclusion, does what so few stories of this scope ever do: wraps up every loose end and shuts the door on the story in a way that made it virtually impossible to sequelize. And Tolkien is to be credited for that.
(This review has been posted by Marcus Damanda, author of the vampire fantasy, "Teeth.")
This recording is what I listen to when I need to relax. 2007-05-25
If you love the books you'll like this recording. This series is unabridged. It's something like 52 hours long for all three sets. This is what I put into my car cd player when I was trapped in rush hour traffic. It makes a good escape if you're a Tolkien fan.
One reader narrates the whole book, and he does a great job of changing his voice during dialoge between characters.
I've been very happy with all three of these recordings.
The Book to End All Books (Yes!) 2007-04-01
The finale to the Lord of the Rings series has come! This book has, of course, started with the long Minas Tirith chapter, with Pippin and Gandalf. Pippin meets the citizens. Then, it goes over to Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli's point of view. Aragorn has to live out his destiny of becoming king. Next, there's Merry back in Rohan. Merry just does something. It transitions towards those points while the battle of Pelenor Fields is about to begin, and Aragorn is trying to return to his home nation of Gondor so he can get the throne. But, it goes over to what I think is the climax (Sam in Cirith Ungol attempting to rescue Frodo). Sam, the real hero, and Frodo are trying to destroy the One Ring once and for all in the Cracks of Doom. Sauron still continues to carry out his men to eradicate Gondor and Rohan's men. The battle between fate begins...
This is (so far) my favorite book ever! Although, it takes long to read, you'll get immersed into it if you have a strong imagination. It's full of specific details and hordes of excitement. You may not expect the ending, but you'll love it. Better than 'The Hobbit'! You'll get it if you're in high school. No matter what you do, buy that book! If you're a hardcore fan of J.R.R. Tolkien, this is the book for you. Yes!!! - Nathan
