Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
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, J.R.R. 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 groundbreaking, 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
0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
 Love the content. Hate the presentation, Apr 20, 2023
- quality of the printing...excellent
- quality of the binding...good
- usefulness for actual reading...poor. It's too heavy for that.
- usefulness for collectors...none. This edition has been in print for over 20 years.
- Fold out map...good in a pinch. Not a substitute for Fonstad's Atlas of Middle Earth.
- content...priceless
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
 The greatest classic of the century, Apr 5, 2023
The Lord of the Rings" is the greatest trilogy, and it immortalized the name of its creator. It consists of three parts: "The Fellowship of the Ring", "The Two Towers" and "The Return of the King". The plot is based on the struggle for the Ring of Power, which was forged by Sauron, the Dark Lord, long long ago.
The trilogy is a logical sequence of a no less famous fairy tale by Tolkien "The Hobbit" as well as the second part of the Red Book of Westmarch - the main chronicle of the Third Age of Middle-earth. "The Lord of the Rings" belongs to the genre of an epic, has many plots and a great number of main and secondary characters.
The world of "The Lord of the Rings" would have been grey and empty without its peculiarities: languages, legends and history. Some of the readers pay attention to the plot and actions only, and skip interesting poems of the past of Middle-earth. But it is the poems that link up "The Lord of the Rings" with the events described in "The Silmarillion" and the past of Middle-earth.
"The Lord of the Rings" is not only a tale of enthralling adventures and mythical beings, but it also touches upon some questions of philosophy and morality. Heroic deeds, the unity for the sake of a common cause, true love, the triumph of Good over Evil - all these could be found in the epic. In "The Lord of the Rings" there is no direct indication as to any religion, however, the atmosphere in the book is literally pierced with holiness. Such places are Rivendell and Lorien, which are the strongholds of Good, in contrast Mordor is an abode of Evil. The readers as well as the characters can choose in what to believe, what to worship. It is wrong to say that only fools have gathered under the banner of Evil. The enemy is sly and artful, and only unity, sincerity and kindness can subdue it.
The plot of "The Lord of the Rings" is very dynamic. It seems that Tolkien wanted to introduce as many geographical areas and living-beings as possible. He doesn't stay too long in one place but leads the reader further and further away. A great aim sets him going - the destruction of the Ring of Power, the result of Evil which promises its owner riches and wealth, in the fire of Orodruin. It cannot be used for good intentions, for the artifact will try to find a soft spot in its owner's character and bring him/her under its control. A person, strong-willed or completely indifferent to power, can overcome all the obstacles and destroy the Ring. Frodo and Sam turn out to be the ones.
Every new line in "The Lord of the Rings" arouses anxiety for the fate of Middle-earth. If there were no derivations from the main plot, there would have been felt the heat thousands times greater than from the fire of Orodruin. Tolkien fairly well understood that the reader needed a break from whimsical languages of Middle-earth as well as important events. That is why he skillfully introduces magnificent descriptions of nature and the book is abundant with many interesting dialogues, which help to understand protagonists' characters to the full extent.
Hard life in Middle-earth during the War of the Ring reflects hard life in reality. The war mixed all the cards and those who fought under Wight banners yesterday gave in to the generous promises of Evil. And vice verse. Vile and bitter enemies become allies, as it happens with Gollum. While battles take place in Gondor and Rohan, two little hobbits make their way to Orodruin. The reader has to believe that countless armies do not always decide the outcome of the battle, and that one can conquer alone.
Realism is very important in the trilogy. Up to the last minute it is difficult to believe in the traditional Happy End. Frodo and Sam can be compared with rope-walkers who balance over an abyss, full of sharp blades. One step to the side - and everything can perish in the abyss of events. The trilogy is, undoubtedly, full of mythology. In it one can feel the taste of a juicy fruit or coagulated blood on the lips. Even a mighty wizard, Gandalf, moves from one place of Middle-earth to another on a swift horse, and not by fairy teleports or magic spells. Reality, like time, is eternal.
The struggle with different personifications of Evil is eternal too. The War of the Ring is a small part of this struggle. Some critics compare Sauron with Hitler and Mordor with Nazi Germany. Besides, a part of the epic was written during WWII. But Evil has always been and will remain in Middle-earth as well as in real life. The question is - who will be its new followers?
"The Lord of the Rings" teaches us to be humane, to follow the principles of Christianity. Sympathy for enemies determines a lot in the epic. It is both sympathy and humanity that prevent Bilbo from killing Gollum, who played a crucial role in the destroying of the Ring. Good, according to Tolkien, is not revengeful. It strives to get justice and will never shoot an arrow into the back of the Enemy.
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
A Good Choice for actually reading LOTR, Feb 6, 2023
Okay, I think we're all agreed: The Lord of the Rings is a great book, one that gets better every time you read it.
If you're like me, what you really want to know is: Which is the best edition to buy?
Paperback, hardback, three-volume, seven-volume, one volume, illustrated, movie tie-in, with collector bookends...there are so many choices! I looked at them all before deciding which edtion would be the most fun to read and to own.
They each have their advantages: The paperbacks are cheap (the new 2003 single volume edition is a bargain at $12); Three individual volumes are easy to carry; Seven volumes neatly separate each of the the epic's six books plus appendices.
But the single volume I think is the best reading experience. Completely indexed and with the appendices close at hand, you can enjoy the whole epic story as Tolkien envisioned it.
The red leatherette-bound Collector's Edition is the best designed, type set and bound of all the currently available US editions. It features the corrected 1986 text. It's neat, comfortable to hold, and easy to read. By comparison, 1993 single volume edition (with illustrations by Alan Lee) is a heavy and unwieldy book. The thick glossy pages just fall out of the flimsy binding. The newest Anniversary edition offers illustrations, but is also very pricey.
This "Collector's Edition" is printed in black type on attractive, easy-to-read cream paper with nice page headings in red. It has a fairly sturdy sewn-in binding which opens out evenly for comfortable reading. There is a fine fold-out map of Middle Earth as well as numerous maps along with the text.
At Amazon's price this terrific edition of "Lord of the Rings" is very affordable. You're going to be spending a lot of time with this book. It might as well be in an edition that you can really enjoy.
1 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
Phenomenal!, Jan 23, 2023
'The Lord of the Rings' book trilogy by author J.R.R. Tolkien is better than its prelude 'The Hobbit: Or There and Back Again' and is a great, phenomenal read.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
The Lord of the Rings, Jan 20, 2023
'The Lord of the Rings' book trilogy by the great auhtor J.R.R. Tolkien is amazing! It is very literary and it has a lot of adventure and fantasy in it. The story itself is simply incredible and is better than its prelude 'The Hobbit: Or There and Back Again'. Never will you read a book that is more finer and enchanting than Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy. It is a very exciting and suspensful story that is almost endless: and that is a good thing. 'The Fellowship of the Ring', 'The Two Towers', and 'The Return of the King' are the stories that make up this trilogy and are all equally amazing. I highly recommend you buy author J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Lord of the Rings' book trilogy! While reading this book, it inspired me from beginning to end. And I'm sure it will do the same to you if you read it.
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Based on 964 reviews.