Writers who inspire a genre are usually misunderstood. Tolkien's reasons for writing were completely unlike those of the authors he inspired. He didn't have an audience, a genre, and scores of contemporaries. There was a tradition of high adventure fairy tales, as represented by Eddison, Dunsany, Morris, MacDonald, Haggard, and Kipling, but this was only part of what inspired Tolkien.

His writing was chiefly influenced by his familiarity with the mythological traditions of the Norse and Welsh cul More...

Some will shout with joy, others will scream in derision. However, we can all agree on one thing:

It's long.

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 'elvish'; hair More...

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 it s More...

Well, I don't really have this boxed set, but of course I've read all the books.

I get more out of them with each re-reading. Tolkien would be one of those guys who, if I could invite any 3 people to have dinner with, would get a seat at the table.

My third time to read The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I read all the poetry and verse this time. I loved these books. They are so different from the typical fiction of this genre. These were so well written, so well thought through. I love how they teach loyalty, fidelity, duty, and love of things more than self. They connect back to the greatness of the past. One other thing, we see that evil gets nervous also and that it will eventually collapse in on itself. In many pieces that More...

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I love this series. We watched the new movie the other day and I decided that it had been entirely too long since I'd read the books.

When I'd first heard about it I was not at all interested in reading it. (I was on a kick about only reading Christian fiction and I assumed that this one would be well outside that range. I was wrong.)

I am so glad that I was set straight about this. I thoroughly enjoy rereading the books. If it's been awhile since I read them last it's like reading them again for More...

I "read" "The Hobbit" twice, once as a child when my father faithfully read it to me as an ongoing "bedtime story" and again as an adult after I had studied "Beowulf" and other works of Medieval Literature on which J.R.R. Tolkien was a preeminent critical authority. Wonderful for it's fantastical characters and all-consuming quests, a classic of the Fantasy genre, steeped in the subconscious of the Medieval psyche and the archetypes of childhood dreams. Many images from "The Hobbit" and "The Lor More...

These are such modern classics. The Hobbit is the most readable. The others have parts that drag and are hard to get through, but they are well worth it. So much more there than the movies, so much of the Hobbit, Elf, Dwarf and Human culture that the movies only touch on. Loved the part with the Treebeard the Ent, Merry and Pippin in the Return of the King which would have been wonderful had more time been spent on it in the movie. The Battle at Helms Deep is only one small chapter in the Two To More...

Book Review
Name : “The Lord of The Rings”
Author : J.R.R. Tolkien
Published date : 1937
Type of book : High fantasy, Adventure
Publishing information :
Publisher: George Allen & Unwin
Published : 21 July 1954 and October 1955
Characters : Gandalf, Aragorn, Gimli, Boromir, Bilbo Baggins, Frodo Baggins, Legolas.
Theme : Friendship, peace & unity.
Background: The Lord of the Rings is an epic high fantasy novel written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The More...

5 stars because this is where it all started. But don't read it.

Geek Required reading? You know I don't know if that's the case now a days. Listen did you know you can read Star Wars? It's true. It's basically the original script. Now, will you find a little more about the characters readikng that? Sure. But trust me it doesn't add much. Same things here.
I think the movies made by Peter Jackson (and by this I mean the extended versions) are super awesome and are gonna convey 90% of the Lord of More...

This series is the Yardstick by which I measure all Fantasy stories. Fantastic story-telling, far ahead of its time in the genre. Many an author has stood on the shoulders of Tolkien to try to weave their magic, though few have done so in a way that have equaled his work. Two series have, in my opinion rivaled and one surpassed Tolkien's tales. Though both stood upon his shoulders to get there.

Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series struck me and began to rival and then surpass Tolkien as I read i More...

The Lord of the Rings story represents to me the epitome of an epic adventure saga. It's a traditional hero's journey, fraught with danger and adversity, friends and enemies, war and the noble quest to bring peace. I have never felt more a part of a world than Middle Earth during the Second War of The Ring. Also, in comparison to other adventure stories, especially those of this nature, the Lord of the Rings stands alone for me as feeling like the largest scale. Tolkien does a great job of descr More...

The Fellowship of The Ring: On Bilbo Baggins birthday he felt like he needed to give his major possession that he had found years before, to his favorite cousin , Frodo Baggins. Although, Bilbo didn't understand what the ring's purpose was, the only thing he knew was that it turns him invisible. Bilbo had a great friend-his name was Gandalf- that suspected the ring was one of a legend. Bilbo then gave Frodo the ring and told him to take it away from the shire because he knew Sauron's power is in More...

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy continues the story begun in The Hobbit and more fully develops the world of Middle Earth. In this epic saga, ordinary beings must use their small gifts in a struggle against great evil. Frodo, a peace-loving hobbit of the Shire, is given the Dark Lord's One Ring of Power, which his Uncle Bilbo found on his adventures. Soon he is forced to flee his home, pursued by the Dark Lord's servants. All the strength of Middle Earth -- men, elves, dwarves, wizards, and hobbit More...

I loved reading the Hobbit. It became my favorite book. It had a lot of action and battles. For example, the best part when the dragon fought against the humans in a big war. This was fun to read because it felt like seeing a movie, but in your own imagination. I felt like I could actually picture the battles taking place in my head because J.R.R. Tolkien did such a good job describing them. This book inspired me to want to see the movie, which is coming out December 14. The only thing that was More...

It might be a classic, but there are many who have stern reservations about reading this series, partially I suspect due to its length... Well my answer to this is simply: DON'T BE LAZY!

My journey within Middle Earth stated as young teenager - my parents gave me 'The Hobbit' as a Christmas present one year and my father and I decided we'd enjoy it together. I think it was the last book he ever read me as a 'bedtime story', but we embarked on the adventures of Bilbo Baggins together and absolutel More...

These are the greatest works of fiction EVER written. Tolkiens world is utterly believable, huge in scale, but so very personal in the thoughts and actions of his characters. The Hobbit is a good prequel, the first of his works published. It is more of a childrens tale but still very good. LOTR is really one novel, tolkiens best work, in my opinion. Each character knows they will probably not survive the journey in all reality, but if they just sat and waited for the world to end it would be so More...

Again, I can't do epics. I will watch the movie rather than read this again any day of the week. The writing's very dense, and it's clear that Tolkien was a major history buff. He's created a world that is fully, fully fleshed-out. He probably could have written you a tome that details every moment of Middle Earth for 5000 years (which may be "The Simarillion", actually -- I don't know, I only made it fifty pages into that one).

But I just don't have the patience for it. After reading these as a More...

I’ve never seen any of the movies, but first read The Hobbit when I was a teenager and really got into it. Shortly thereafter, I read the Rings trilogy. I loved the complexity of the entire fantasy & became a huge fan of all things Middle Earth. I even had an Irish Setter puppy back then that I named Gandalf, because he seemed to be able to squeeze in and out of places as if by magic. Fast forward a lot of years, recently my 6 year old son asked me to read The Hobbit to him. So we’ve been re More...

A Thrilling Tale
Have you ever wanted to go on a fantastic adventure? In The Hobbit, a peaceful Hobbit named Bilbo Baggins goes on a noble quest to win a city full of treasure back form an evil dragon. On the path to the dragon, Bilbo experiences many great adventures leading up to an epic battle. I would recommend The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien because of the courage and personal growth that Bilbo experiences throughout the story.
At the beginning of the book, Bilbo is a safe, peaceful Hobbit with More...

I had been thinking that, when I retire, I'd finally get a chance to read some books that take a little more dedication, that can't be skimmed easily. But, instead, I decided to visit some old friends first.

This is about the sixth time I've read the Tolkien saga. This time, I did read all the songs (except those in elfish). I had meant to read the Appendices, even, but The Annals of the Kings and Rulers reminded me of my old family gatherings, where people gossiped about folks I didn't know back More...

I think that this series was amazing and one of the best things I have ever read

The Hobbit: Great but the killing of Smaug was kind of anti-climactic.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy: all of them great books and barely ever confusing, loved the way they were written with all the poems and songs within, especially liked the things written in elvish which can be translated if you know what app to get on your smart device. All together great books, I recommend them to any avid reader. They are the More...

This review is only on "The Hobbit." The novel takes place in the fictional land of Middle Earth, following the lead characters as they travel from the small village of Hobbiton through wild forests and goblin infested and dragon inhabited mountains.

Bilbo Baggins begins as a cautious and conservative hobbit, well respected and considered a pillar of the hobbit community. When he reluctantly sets out on a quest to recover the stolen treasure of a band of dwarves, he encounters dangers of all desc More...

No matter how many times I read this series over, it never ceases to amaze, enchant and fascinate.

Truly one of the most masterful works of fiction ever created and one of the most unique fictional worlds ever conceived - with a depth that few (if any) have ever truly achieved.



In my view, the only series that I would put in the same class as this would be the Dune series by Herbert - that is the scope and depth to be found here.



A world and adventure entirely of fiction - in Tolkiens own though More...

Being these were the last books I've read, I figured I'd write out a review, with that said I love the Hobbit as well as the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. While they can be tough to get through due to Tolkien appreciation for detail, they are a wonderful read. The Hobbit introduces us to the hobbit universe and shows how the world begins with Bilbo winning the Ring and the adventures he finds with the dwarfs along with being introduced to Gandalf which is also the easier read. The Lord of the Rings More...

Phenomenal series by a master storyteller. A must read for all fantasy fans.

The Hobbit - Good intro for young fans and creates a world for new readers that helped define the genre.

The Fellowship of the Ring - Well thought out. Character development is intricate and believable.

The Two Towers - The battle representing the resistance of the agricultural age to the industrial one seemed to happen very quickly, once it actually began. The Battle of Helm's Deep grabbed my attention more and was well r More...

I read The Lord of the Rings trilogy almost immediately after The Hobbit - I was only nine at the time. Although I was already a devotee of Bilbo, I struggled with TLR. I was far too young and illiterate then to appreciate the series. Much later on, I read again, my love of JRR never having left me. Although my literary prowess had improved, I still found the lengthy genealogy of the Hobbits and topography of Middle Earth a little tiresome. I love good descriptive writing that enables the inner More...