The Tolkien Box Set: The Hobbit and the Three-volumes of The Lord of the Rings
by J.R.R. Tolkien
published
1987
by HarperCollins Publishers
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binding
Paperback
isbn
0048232165
(isbn13: 9780048232168)
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avg 4.63
recommended to L.J. by:
An uncle
recommends it for: Anyone- mostly fiction/fantasy
recommends it for: Anyone- mostly fiction/fantasy
No spoilers. I have a 1984 Ballantine Books collected box set of paperbacks that I have read twice through (and read the Fellowship for the third time recently). If you read this review based on deciding to read the trilogy (Fellowship, Two Towers & Return) I would recommend the books fully, but only if you enjoy works of fiction and are not afraid of reading a large volume of work. I have found the books to be my all time favorites, great escapist storytelling by a master of his craft. Tolk...more
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Read in May, 2008
The main character of the book is Bilbo Baggins. He is a Hobbit that led to the dwarves of the Lonely Mountain to claim the treasure of the dragon Smaug. Bilbo live in a clean, warm burrow. At the beginning of the story is a character Bilbo scared, and very shy. Hobbits are known for their skills in the theft and espionage. There are two main features of the Hobbits. One, Hobbits are very small and secondly, have large feet that are covered with thick hair. Hobbits also love to eat. Some other m...more
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Read in January, 1966
recommends it for:
EVERYONE
Who can resist the charm of J. R. R. Tolkien's brave little hairy toed Hobbits, awesome Gandalf the Grey, Aragorn, Tom Bombadil, Elf-lord Glorfindel, Half-elven lord Elrond, beautiful Arwen, Boromir, Lady Galadriel, Gimli the Dwarf, and Legolas the Elf.
Tolkien describes Hobbits: "I picture a fairly human figure, not a kind of fairy rabbit as some of my British reviewers seem to fancy: fattish in the stomach, shortish in the leg. A round, jovial face; ears only slightly pointed and 'elvi...more
Tolkien describes Hobbits: "I picture a fairly human figure, not a kind of fairy rabbit as some of my British reviewers seem to fancy: fattish in the stomach, shortish in the leg. A round, jovial face; ears only slightly pointed and 'elvi...more
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Read in August, 2008
recommended to Annalisa by:
Traci Gosmanrecommends it for: fantasy lovers
I think I am just beginning to scratch the surface of Tolkien's mind. His imagination is immense and the care he takes with each of his characters and places impressive. Truthfully much of this series didn't pull me like I wanted it to. I'm not sure if it's the genre or the excessive description, but I just didn't see this as a series that would engulf me that I would label as a favorite.
But now I think that's not it at all. Most people who have rated it 5 stars have read it multiple times ...more
But now I think that's not it at all. Most people who have rated it 5 stars have read it multiple times ...more
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Read in July, 2005
recommended to Jacob by:
have no cluerecommends it for: everyone who is interested in good literature.
J. R. R. Tolkien as most of us know is the founder of Fanasty. The unbelieveably tangibility of his books is simply mind bubbling. One thing that interests me about this book is that, in many ways, the book is very autobiographical of World War Two. The many races represent the many different and diverse peoples uniting against one common enemy (Germany and Japan). In fact I can almost picture the symbolism as going so far as Saron and Saromon themselves. How many major enemies, countries, in Wo...more
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Read in January, 1981
recommends it for:
EVERYONE!
So, Lord of the Rings was actually read to me in-utero by my Dad and again when I was 5 or 6 and I've re-read the entire series several times since. It's one of the great stories of all time. This is a classic tale of good overcoming evil through the great courage and sacrifices. More than that, Tolkien focuses on showing ways in which great acts are done not by the greatest of people but by small, simple people.... done not to add to a list of great deeds, but to protect a character's own ho...more
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i've re-read this set of novels about 4 or 5 times this life, and i imagine i will do so an equal number of times again before i shuffle off to the next one. any fan of fantasy that has not yet picked these up for a good sit is missing out on some expert work. borrowing from scandinavian, norse, and old english myths and folktales JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings set the stage for modern fantasy. it is a very strong story that has the predicted theme of good vs. evil, and the strength of frien...more
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Read in January, 1993
recommends it for:
Anyone literate
I first read The Hobbit at the ripe old age of 12, and remember having to really concentrate to finish it. (I was probably still emerging from a really heavy Judy Blume phase at the time.) Even then I already had a true sense of loyalty of Tolkien, thanks to that great animated cartoon I watched as a little kid. When I later read the trilogy in high school, it was far easier to immerse myself in Tolkien's writing. Though I love all of the books, by far my favorite is The Two Towers. I think i...more
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Read in June, 1999
recommends it for:
everyone
JRR Tolkien has managed to set the standard for perfection in storytelling. I lack the skill to praise this piece of literature to the extent of understanding that I would like to. All I can say is this is the best story I have ever read. I highly recommend this to all readers. Read it yourself, read it to your children, use any reason to read it, but read it. Even if you have seen the films, you should still read the books. They can't match the skill and art put into the written form of this wo...more
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Read in January, 1977
When I was in junior high school, the little corner grocer became a natural food store full of oddities, including large glass jars of pungent herbs. One wall in the store was filled with an eclectic mix of used books. I visited the store often to look at the books and quickly discovered an old boxed set of the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings. I had never heard of them before. I couldn't afford to buy the books immediately, so I continued to visit the store to see the books. I began readin...more
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Read in September, 2001
I read The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings before September 2001, but I read them again at that point to write my undergrad Honors Thesis about them. I can't do justice to the books, and any attempt to do so just sounds like one of those crazy people. ... Oh hell, I'll try anyway. Tolkien's writing has its flaws, but he wrote what he wanted to read. He wanted to read about small, weak people showing a strength that's rarely credited compared to impressive demonstrations of bravery. He wante...more
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Read in June, 2007
I waited to read this series of books until I had time to read through them all at once. I read the Hobbit when I was 5, but since then had only seen the epic Trilogy of movies. The books provide a more comprehensive background on Middle Earth and the battles, as well as introduce some characters that never made it to the movies. The movies are long enough - especially the director's cut - but the books are at least 2x in terms of detail and description. I appreciate Peter Jackson's adaptation a...more
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Read in January, 1980
I was obsessed with this series when I was twelve or thirteen and it fueled my imagination for years. When I re-read it as an adult, though, I was disappointed by it. I realized how much racism is built into the Nordic mythologies that Tolkein mined to create his world (the paler the elf, the "higher" its race; white=good, black=bad). The whole story rests on a simplistic good/evil, hero/villain binary and I realized that my adult self doesn't find that as convincing as I did when I wa...more
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Read in January, 2000
recommends it for:
those wanting to indulge in creature comforts
My favorite thing about the Hobbit and the whole Lord of the Rings Trilogy that followed is that it made me so sleepy while reading it. Not because it was boring or bad, I actually lost sleep because I would stay up reading it; but reading it made me want to get comfortable. I think this is because Bilbo himself is always so worried about his own comforts and more than a few times his hunger or sleepiness are elaborated on. The character is so well written as constantly sleepy, hungry and wantin...more
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I think I've read all of the books 3 times, but I'm not positive. Just wonderful books. Tolkien creates such a unique, magical world. I find a lot of other books in the same genre "borrow" a lot from these books. The Lord of the Rings gets all the glory (and rightfully so), but I just love The Hobbit. I loved that silly cartoon movie version when I was little (I can still hear the songs from it in my head), I loved the book the first time I read it in 6th grade, I love everything ...more
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recommended to Jennifer by:
My beloved Gramma Bette
If I could give this book a hundred stars I would! It shares a five-star rating with many other books on my list, but they all pale in comparison to this wonderful story! It was tough for me to read at first, but by the end I didn't want to put it down, not even after reading the final page. My grandmother always cries when she reaches the end, simply because she is sad that it is over. I always thought she was crazy, but now I know what she means! I haven't read the full set straight throu...more
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I have read this collection of books many times over the course of 39 years. The original box set was the first literary purchase I ever made. I was about the age my oldest son has now attained when I was transported to the world of Middle Earth. If memory serves correctly, I used birthday money to buy the set. Tolkien is a master and his collected works have withstood the test of time. I recommend these books to every boy with an imagination and an intellect. Can you imagine sitting 'roun...more
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Read in July, 2008
This set was pretty good, though harder to follow with each passing book. A lot of names and places that were hard to keep strait. Many wonderful analogies could be pulled from these epic stories.
This is one of the few books turned movies, that I would possibly recommend watching the movies first. I believe watching first, helped me follow the stories much easier, though there wasn't much suspense in reading, since I knew what was actually going to happen. However, after i finished each boo...more
This is one of the few books turned movies, that I would possibly recommend watching the movies first. I believe watching first, helped me follow the stories much easier, though there wasn't much suspense in reading, since I knew what was actually going to happen. However, after i finished each boo...more
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One of my all time favorite stories. I started by seeing the animated hobbit as a young girl and was fascinated. Then reading JRR Tolkein was amazing. He has such a fun narrative style and sooo much depth to his story. These stories are the basis for our modern idea of fantasy...including video games and cartoons and many other genres..this is where it began. The friendship and loyalty and nobility of Tolkeins characters is legendary and I often think of loyal Sam Gangese and hope to be mor...more
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