The Fellowship of the Ring: The Lord of the Rings, Book 1

Takes a while to get used to a single voice narrating every varied character from Galadriel to Gollum but once you are into it it is addictive, the entire text.What's best? That it is the entire text and where you the reader mat have skimmed some of the detailed descriptive parts, every colour of every leaf is read out to you as you sit at you desk / on an international flight / practising your bridge bidding ... .... and you realise that: in 80+ hours or so of the three books, there will be maybe 2 hours of battle,where in 8 hours of the 3 films there was maybe 2 hours of no battles ...Tolkein was a wordsmith. A professor of English . Not a Hollywood screenwriter!

Perfect. I have finally completed my 2013 collection after 10 years. Thank you!

Amazing book, first time reading( I’ve seen the movies growing up but never actually got to read the book) , finished very quick, can only recommend

The Lord of the Rings is a great classic of the fantastic genre and probably the best known fantasy book of the 20th century. The book certainly lives up to its reputation. Although it gets off to a slow start, Frodo Baggins and his company's adventures are described elegantly in a way only Tolkien could. The book is very wide ranging- readers find themselves transported from the peaceful halfing communities of the shire to the dark and deserted halls and passages Khazad-dum. The only issue is that some readers may find the detailed description of nature (particularly of trees, hills and the sky) a bit boring. However, despite this, the avid description builds to the magical scenery of Middle Earth which cannot be expressed fully through a film set, good though the films are. So overall, a great read for everyone!

An unfortunate consequence of the success of The Lord of the Rings has been that frequent resetting has engendered errors by the hundred. In some copies, the ring verse has lost its last line; in others, The Council of Elrond its last two sentences. The chief virtue of this 50th Anniversary Edition of The Fellowship of the Ring (ISBN 9780007203543) is that its text, prepared by some of the most eminent Tolkienologists on Arda, is undoubtedly the most accurate ever published.Based on Tolkien's own second edition, the book omits his 1954 Foreword, which he himself came to regret as misconceived, but includes his revised Foreword of 1966 and his 1966 Prologue. We're also given a seven page Note on the Text by Douglas A. Anderson, as well as a four page Note on the 50th Anniversary Edition by Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull.Tolkien would probably chuckle if he knew that two of his frustrated wishes for his book have finally been granted half a century after he proposed them. The tengwar ring inscription has at last been printed in fiery red instead of black; and a tipped in, fold-out plate reproduces his laboriously crafted, battle-distressed pages from the Book of Mazarbul, already well known to fans from their appearance in a Tolkien calendar and then in Pictures by J. R. R. Tolkien. The inscription on the Door of Moria, by contrast, remains in its familiar black on white, a retreat from the arguably more fitting white on black alternative ventured in the large format hardcover edition featuring paintings by Alan Lee. The only other illustrations are Christopher Tolkien's canonical red and black maps of part of the Shire and of the west of Middle-earth, the latter in its much improved, Unfinished Tales version but now reduced to only about a quarter of its original area. Readers with eyes as keen as Gwaihir's may regret that lines that were once firm and true are now pixelatedly fuzzy; those who would prefer a larger map should seek out the poster-sized version redone by John Howe ( The Maps of Tolkien's Middle-earth: Special Edition ).The design of the text is very similar to that of the second edition, the only obvious difference being that the PostScript Monotype Plantin font is slightly smaller than the Imprint font of yore. The traditional tengwar and runes still adorn the title page, now accompanied by a JRRT monogram. L.E.G.O., Harper Collins's Italian printer, has printed the text crisply on a smooth, cream-coloured paper much like that often used by Everyman's Library, a touch less opaque than would be ideal but not to the point of being objectionable.The book is signature bound with a black and yellow headband, and comes in a robust black cover with elegant gilt lettering. It lies nicely flat when opened. The dust jacket, matt and reminiscent of parchment but with a tough plastic lining, allows us to enjoy a motif painted by Tolkien himself, in which Sauron's Eye stares at us through the Ruling Ring and its tengwar, while Vilya, Nenya and Narya jointly confront his malevolence. The jacket's English lettering is printed in a striking copper foil, which lamplight kindles to a gleam that's rather beautiful.This admirable, almost perfect edition of Tolkien's masterpiece probably comes closer than any other to bringing us his book in the form that he desired. Warmly recommended.

As with its predecessor The Hobbit, it is extremely hard to say anything new about this book. However, I may as well add my voice to the thousands who have come before me...This, then is the first chunk of Tolkien's magnum opus and the book that launched an entire genre; while fantasies existed in literature before, elements from this story have been imitated, pastiched and referenced by countless imitators.The Lord of the Rings is the product of an incredible amount of work on the part of its creator; every facet of the world's languages, histories and cultures is detailed down to the last detail. However, this would count for nothing if all that worldbuilding had not been welded to a brilliant adventure story.Every scene in the book is unforgettable, from the House of Elrond to the Mines of Moria. Each new incident or character adds something to the epic quest, and what characters they are. The touching loyalty between Sam and Frodo, the spiky rivalry between the elf Legolas and the Dwarf Gimli, the nobility of Aragorn and the pride of Boromir - all beautifully drawn.There are perhaps overindulgences - the deluge of names is daunting for first-time readers, Tom Bombadil and many of the songs seem slightly frivolous among the more serious adventures - but this is very much my personal taste, and stem largely from Tolkien's wish to share as much of his world with the reader as possible.Middle-Earth lives and breathes, and is much a character as any hobbit or wizard. The land seems infused with both magic as well as an underlying melancholia, as that magic fades with the changing of the world.It seems inconceivable that any fan of fantasy or adventure has NOT read this grand work yet, but if you have not, grab this now. Enjoy the imagination, the thrills, and the magic; you'll not regret it.

Have done and always will love this story and all others that relate. It's gives such a rich world to dive in to. Thank you Mr Tolkien

It's a classic, something everyone should read. If you've not, don't waste time with hesitation. Dive right in. It's fantastic.

I really love this book and it is one of the best fantasy novels in print. There are some sad parts and also a sense of urgency among the characters in fighting the evil that threatens their world. It is an amazing story and absorbing beginning to the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Great read.

A saga O Senhor dos Anéis, é minha preferida. Queria viver a experiência de ler os livros no idioma de origem.

Relación calidad-precio, rapidez en el envío

Parfait