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The Lord of the Rings (The Lord of the Rings #1-3)

4.41 of 5 stars 4.41 · rating details · 208,212 ratings · 5,702 reviews

Los Apéndices que J.R.R. Tolkien incluyó en el tercer tomo de El Señor de los Anillos, reúnen y ordenan, haciendo gala de un gran esfuerzo imaginativo, la información que no tuvo cabida en el desarrollo de la obra narrativa, lo cual contribuye a aclarar o a presentar de un modo nuevo la historia, los usos y las costumbres de los pueblos de la Tierra Media.

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Published (first published July 21st 1954)

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Jan 08, 2013 mark monday rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alpha-team

not a review and there probably won't be one any time soon. i also won't be climbing Mount Everest in the near future. but here are some cool illustrations that i found and want to share.

World of the Ring by Jian Guo

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Jul 18, 2007 Keely rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, reviewed, uk-and-ireland

Authors who inspire a movement are usually misunderstood, especially by those they have inspired, and Tolkien is no exception, but one of the biggest misconceptions about Tolkien is the idea that he is somehow an 'innovator of fantasy'. He did add a number of techniques to the repertoire of epic fantasy writers, and these have been dutifully followed by his many imitators, but for the most part, these techniques are little more than bad habits.

Many have called Tolkien by such epithets as 'The Fa...more

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Jul 29, 2010 Brad rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, classic, faves, personal-mythology

Twenty-five years ago I'd have given The Lord of the Rings my highest possible praise. I came to Tolkien's masterpiece on my own, and that meant much to me at twelve. The only books that had been reached by me alone were books on mythology and horror. Everything else I read, from DH Lawrence to Hemingway to Dickens to Shakespeare (and this also included Dracula and Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde because they were "true" classics), was suggested and sanctioned by my mother (for which I will always owe...more

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Mar 28, 2012 Shovelmonkey1 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone who feels like their journey to work is too long

Recommended to Shovelmonkey1 by: millions of LARPers and fans can't be wrong

Shelves: kitten-squishers, inner-child, read-in-2012, travel-books

I became horrifically lazy towards the end of the LOTR re-read which was undertaken as part of my "month of the kitten squisher" and neglected to review the final two books which together make up The Return of the King. Not so much resting on my laurels as stretching out full length and having a big old snooze right on top of them. But you've all seen the film by now right? So no need to continue...

Kidding, kidding.
(and I've now put this review in the correct order so the newest bits are at the...more

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Aug 13, 2012 Chris rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Out of the wreck rose the Black Rider, tall and threatening, towering above her. With a cry of hatred that stung the very ears like venom he let fall his mace. Her shield was shivered in many pieces, and her arm was broken; she stumbled to her knees. He bent over her like a cloud, and his eyes glittered; he raised his mace to kill.

One of the best books ever. Stirred the embers of more imaginations than can be measured. Found a way to reach something vital but ineffable inside millions of differe...more

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Jul 18, 2008 Dolly rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: people who read fantasy and/or philosophy

Shelves: thought-provoking, fantasy

I read Lord of the Rings first when I was about eleven or so, and then stayed up all night at a hip boy/girl party in the bathroom with Nathan O. ... talking about ents and elves and whether Tom Bombadil was God. Yes, I was a geeky child. However, all these years later, the story has stuck with me.

First a warning: Don't read Tolkien if you don't appreciate true-omnicient-narrator-style epics. Tolkien isn't a master character builder: he leaves all that to the reader's imagination. The agony in...more I read Lord of the Rings first when I was about eleven or so, and then stayed up all night at a hip boy/girl party in the bathroom with Nathan O. ... talking about ents and elves and whether Tom Bombadil was God. Yes, I was a geeky child. However, all these years later, the story has stuck with me.

First a warning: Don't read Tolkien if you don't appreciate true-omnicient-narrator-style epics. Tolkien isn't a master character builder: he leaves all that to the reader's imagination. The agony in the Aragorn/Arwen romance -- so blatant and operatic in the movies -- was a longing look on Strider's face at Rivendell, an odd comment from Bilbo, and a short no-nonsense Appendix. As with many of the themes in this work, the romance and deep character relationships must be picked from between the lines.

And there is so much between the lines here. The world of Middle-earth lives, utterly lives. Instead of tugging on what-ifs, this fantasy forces readers to imagine. Tolkien's work is the fullest realization of literary world building ever penned.

It is also sophisticated writing, drawing on older forms (epic, romance, tragedy). Tolkien doesn't waste time writing snappy dialogue: the story is too epic to dwindle to individual persons. However, voice shifts subtly depending on point of view: chapters dealing with hobbits contain much more dialogue and detail; chapters dealing with Rohirrim have a poetic rhythm reminiscent of extant Middle English works; chapters dealing with elves are magic and blurry and hard to wrap a mind around. These shifts in style, far from being a novice writer's oops, are intentional and serve as mass characterisation of races and groups. So, what Tolkien foregoes in terms of dialogue he replaces with style and action: a classic example of show not tell.

Having just spouted all that praise, I have to admit that all the criticisms are true: the story does resound with Luddite anti-industrial metaphors, overt Christian themes of salvation and spirit, a structural decision to include songs that doesn't quite work, and fantasy tropes that are now cliche ... now that everyone else has copied them, that is. The thing to remember is that this book started the genre: everything fantasy, from Philip Pullman to George RR Martin, exists in the shadow of this opus.

So, no, it isn't a popcorn read. Get over it. If you invest the time and spirit to read this work, you will be glad you did.(less)

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Meagan I loved your review.
Jun 30, 2012 08:22am

Don Incognito Gr8grendel wrote: "Tolkien is a master character builder, I also felt he left little to the imagination. It was as if he drew the picture and left me...more Gr8grendel wrote: "Tolkien is a master character builder, I also felt he left little to the imagination. It was as if he drew the picture and left me to paint it. Everything was so detailed what room was there left f..."

I respectfully disagree. I think the reviewer is right to claim Tolkien is not a character builder, because not all his characters have depth. Legolas is largely blank; he travels with the characters, helps them in battle, occasionally speaks, and doesn't develop. Aragorn is more of an archetype.

I was so starved for character complexity (inner and interpersonal conflict) that the part (in Return of the King, I believe) with the slain king's heirs being upset for one reason or another, such as the warrior princess wanting to join the war party but being rebuffed and her generally butting heads with Aragorn, impressed me. At least half the characters made such a negligible impression on me that while writing this comment, I've remembered those characters' names only with difficulty. It took me a while to remember "Aragorn"; I was going to call him "The King--whatever his name is, the one they initially call Strider." I only just remembered the princess's name; isn't it Eowyn? And her brother's name...I think it also starts with E.

And Sauron...I was always frustrated by him. I have never read a book involving a war of good and evil in which the leader of evil never makes an appearance at all. I don't see how I could have missed it, but Sauron's non-presence is so peculiar that I wonder. Except...I know this is an epic and epics are plot-driven, and it occurs to me that the Iliad, the Odyssey and the Aeneid don't have a central villain either.

Tolkien's non-human races and individual characters are far more interesting and memorable than his human characters or even his Hobbits. Like the reviewer, I like the Ents (and, more generally, the concept of sentient trees that move and speak), and Tom Bombadil fascinates me. Too bad Bombadil was hardly central to the plot.

In writing this comment, I realize that as I read LotR, I made the mistake of reading the trilogy as a (long) novel rather than as an epic.(less)
updated Jun 30, 2012 10:53am

Apr 02, 2009 Manny rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: transcendent-experiences

Considering that The Lord of the Rings is one of the most popular books of the last century, it's surprising to see how few reviews there are here. I get the impression that many people feel guilty about liking it. It's a phase you go through, and the less said about it, the better. I think this is unfair to the book, which, I am prepared to argue, is a whole lot better than it's generally made out to be; I don't think its huge success is just evidence that people have no taste. It's something t...more Considering that The Lord of the Rings is one of the most popular books of the last century, it's surprising to see how few reviews there are here. I get the impression that many people feel guilty about liking it. It's a phase you go through, and the less said about it, the better. I think this is unfair to the book, which, I am prepared to argue, is a whole lot better than it's generally made out to be; I don't think its huge success is just evidence that people have no taste. It's something that can be read at more than one level, and, before dismissing it, let's take a look at what those levels might be.

On the surface, it's a heroic fantasy novel, and quite a good one. It's a gripping, well-realized story, with an interesting fantasy world as background. Under the surface story, it's also clear that there's a moral discourse. It's not an allegory; as Tolkien points out in the foreword, he hated allegory, and we certainly don't have an in-your-face piece of Christian apology by numbers. None the less, the author has constructed some inspiring and thought-provoking symbols. The Ring confers great power, but the only way to defeat Sauron is to refuse that power, and destroy it, even at great personal cost. Frodo's self-sacrifice is quite moving. I also think that Gandalf is an unusually interesting Christ-figure; sufficiently so that many people refuse even to accept him as one, though, at least to me, the argument on that point seems convincing. He comes from Valinor, obviously the Heavenly Realm, to help the Free Peoples of the West. A central part of his message is the importance of mercy, as, in particular, shown by the memorable scene near the beginning, when he rebukes Frodo for wishing that Bilbo had killed Sméagol when he had the opportunity. As we discover, Sméagol is finally the one person who can destroy the Ring. And let's not miss the obvious point that Gandalf is killed, and then returns reborn in a new shape. I find him vastly more sympathetic than C.S. Lewis's bland Aslan, and he is the book's most memorable character.

But I don't think the morality play is the real kernel either. What makes LOTR a unique book, and one of the most ambitious experiments in literary history, is Tolkien's use of names. All authors knows how important names are, and use them to suggest character; though when you think about what is going on, it is rather surprising how much can be conveyed just by a name. Proust has a couple of long discussions about this, describing in great detail how the narrator's initial mental pictures of Balbec, Venice and the Guermantes family come just from the sounds of their names. Tolkien goes much further. Most of his names are based on a family of invented languages, linked by a vast complex of legends and histories, the greater part of which are invisible to the reader and only surface occasionally.

The astonishing thing is that the technique actually works. The interrelations between all the invented names and languages make Middle-Earth feel real, in a way no other fantasy world ever has. When some readers complain that characters and locations are hastily sketched, I feel they are missing the point. Tolkien was a philologist. He loved languages, words and names, and tracing back what the relationships between them say about their history. In LOTR, he's able to convey some of that love of language to his readers. You have to read the book more than once, but after a while it all comes together. To give just a few obvious examples, you see how "hobbit" is a debased form of the word holbytla ("hole-dweller") in the Old Norse-like language of Rohan, how the "mor" in "Moria" is the same as the one in "Mordor" and "morgul", and how Arwen Undómiel's name expresses her unearthly beauty partly through the element it shares with her ancestor Lúthien Tinúviel. There are literally hundred more things like this, most of which one perceives on a partly unconscious level. The adolescent readers who are typically captivated by LOTR are at a stage of their linguistic development when they are very sensitive to nuances of language, and programmed to pick them up; I can't help thinking that they are intuitively seeing things that more sophisticated readers may miss.

Perhaps the simplest way to demonstrate the magnitude of Tolkien's achievement is the fact that it's proven impossible to copy it; none of the other fantasy novels I've seen have come anywhere close. Tolkein's names lend reality to his world, because he put so much energy into the linguistic back-story, and before that worked for decades as a philologist. Basically, he was an extremely talented person who spent his whole life training to write The Lord of the Rings. In principle, I suppose other authors could have done the same thing. In practice, you have to be a very unusual person to want to live that kind of life.

Writing this down reminds me of one of the Sufi stories in The Pleasantries of the Incredible Mullah Nasrudin. The guy is invited to a posh house, and sees this incredibly beautiful, smooth lawn. It's like a billiard table. "I love your lawn!" he says. "What's the secret?"

"Oh," his host says, "It's easy. Just seed, water, mow and roll regularly, and anyone can do it!"

"Ah yes!" says the visitor, "And about how long before it looks like that?"

"Hm, I don't know," says the host. "Maybe... 800 years?"
(less)

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Mar 17, 2008 William rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book changed my life. Before it I was a spotty 14 year old hooked on my science studies. Then I read LOTR, and, at the same time, discovered women existed and.....but thats enough of that. You want to hear about the book.

By now there are few people who haven't at least heard of LOTR, and most of them have an opinion. There are the fans, almost fanatics, and there are the people who have read fifty pages or so, sometimes five or six times, but just can't get it, and don't understand what th...more

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Dec 01, 2007 Natalie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, epic-fantasy, fiction, not-on-kindle

Everything that people like about these books is pretty much what I dislike.

There's a cool story here, it's just a chore to actually get to it. I personally find Tolkien's writing to be agonizingly bland, and he is terrible at exposition -- he's always just dumping history lessons in the middle of things where they serve little purpose. Good fantasy writers drop these in unobtrusively. I don't mean to discount Tolkien's contribution to the fantasy genre -- although to be honest, I have never lik...more

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Jan 15, 2012 Callista rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: high-fantasy, favourite-characters, kick-six-heroines, magic-slingers

I managed to avoid reading this until the first film came out. After the credits rolled on The Fellowship of the Ring, I wanted to know what happened next, and so I read the book. It took me quite a while. I'm not naturally a fan of the peculiar writing style that characterises High Fantasy, and at the risk of angering Tolkienites everywhere, I have to say there are number of things about the book I'm not wild about.
I don't like Tom Bombadil, the way orcs and uruk-hai sound like gangs of Victor...more I managed to avoid reading this until the first film came out. After the credits rolled on The Fellowship of the Ring, I wanted to know what happened next, and so I read the book. It took me quite a while. I'm not naturally a fan of the peculiar writing style that characterises High Fantasy, and at the risk of angering Tolkienites everywhere, I have to say there are number of things about the book I'm not wild about.
I don't like Tom Bombadil, the way orcs and uruk-hai sound like gangs of Victorian cutthroats, or the tiresome sl-o-o-o-wness of Ents. I don't need that many detailed descriptions of forests. Aragorn's romance with Arwen is one of those idealised, up-on-a-pedestal things with no real substance. (I will always have a problem with an Elf thousands of years old wanting to couple up with a human, even one of the Numenor, but the films gave Arwen some things to do and some depth.) The structure of the book, following certain characters for long stretches while leaving others in the lurch, gets frustrating at times. Part of my extreme fondness for Faramir is because he showed up just when I was getting really tired of Frodo and Gollum and Sam bickering during their long, slow trudge toward Mordor. (Pacing is something else the films do so much better than the book.) But I like Faramir for other reasons, too; he is steadfast, honourable, and completely undeserving of his paranoid and unfair father. What kept the story going for me was the collection of interesting characters. Despite the things that irritate me, I did find myself at the end wanting to know more about what happened to a lot of them. The little Hobbits are truly resilient, and I really like Samwise most of all. Without Sam, the journey would've ended in tragedy. I like Aragorn a lot, too; he has the most interesting character arc, moving from doubt and lack of confidence into his destined position as a great leader. I like his compassion for his fellow travelers, as well, and really like the Houses of Healing sequence. Eowyn is wonderful. If I remember correctly, her part is one of the least changed from page to screen. Her bravery and determination set her apart from all the other female characters (and many of the males) in the book. Even though I knew she could not win Aragorn's heart, I still felt bad for her over it--but Faramir is a good match for her, after all. Boromir is terribly flawed but sympathetic and proves himself in the end. Gandalf, part kindly old uncle and part scary sorcerer, helps keep everything moving forward. Theoden, cheated out of his life and power, gets to make a final stand on his own terms. In the end, the story comes together well. But, while I usually prefer books to the films based on them, in this case, I prefer the films. The films wouldn't exist if it weren't for the book, but I prefer the Jackson team's editing strategy, seeing those trees on screen, and how the actors bring the characters to life.(less)

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Mar 12, 2013 Brandon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favourite-books

The lore and mythology that rests under the surface of the vast geography of Middle Earth is astounding. The story itself is simple, but the magnitude of the setting and the richness of the characters make this a book you will treasure forever. Did I mention the beautiful prose?

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Apr 26, 2008 Werner rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone who appreciates fantasy

Shelves: fantasy, classics

Actually, I read Tolkien's masterful Middle Earth fantasy corpus, beginning with The Hobbit in the early 70's and finishing the Lord of the Rings trilogy almost a decade later, before this anniversary edition came out. (I also read all four books to my wife in the early 80's; she loved them too!)

This body of work is, of course, the genre-defining classic of modern fantasy --especially epic, or "high" fantasy -- which popularized the genre as the publishing market force it is today, exerted enorm...more

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Emily is it worth reading if you've already watched the movie ?
Feb 02, 2011 11:53pm

Werner Emily, good question, but it doesn't have a simple answer, because it depends on the person. If you read/ watch movies mainly for plot, most of the ma...more
updated Mar 22, 2013 06:34am

Dolors Werner couldn't have told it better, Emily, but I wouldn't doubt with this particular book (although I admit I fit into the second group of people who...more
Mar 22, 2013 04:57am

May 27, 2007 Kristin Little rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: People who like walking and indecipherable poetry.

Save time... watch the movies. This book can appeal only to a linguist. The underlying story is great, but it is buried under an avalance of horribly annoying songs and poems that do nothing to advance the story. They just take up space. I diligently read every last one, hoping that they held some deep meaning in relation to the story, but if there is one, it is so obscure that it serves no purpose. Also, the book is all about walking. Yes, I know they are on an epic quest, and there has to be s...more

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Sep 16, 2012 Gyst rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

These books were vastly influential, very interesting, but they are ultimately very boring to read.

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Jan 19, 2008 Wes rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anybody

Recommended to Wes by: my Dad

It's nice to have favorites. When you have a favorite -- a favorite menu item, a favorite car, a favorite shirt -- you can enter at least one corner of the maelstrom of subjective choices that life presents to you and evaluate the choices in that corner not with respect to some external criteria, but rather with respect to one specific thing.

For example, when asking oneself what the greatest book of all time is, one might first have to ask, "what makes a book great?" -- which is a question that...more

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Jul 29, 2011 Joe rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

1985-First read when I was about 12. Thoroughly enjoyed it then.

7/97-Although the battle scenes were difficult to follow, the Elven stuff sentimental and dialog of less developed characters (Legolas, Gimli) sometimes melodramatic, there were plenty of tense moments that made up for at all. The black riders in the 1st book, the tenuous alliance with Gollum and the horrifying scene with Shelob were the most exciting parts of the trilogy. The cleansing of the shire was triumphant.

2001--[Audio]. I...more

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Feb 15, 2008 Dick rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

True story (sad when you have lived your life such that you have to add that):

When I was a child we did our yearly camping trip to the West Coast and Mootie always gave us an allowance for books/comics to read on the trip. It made traveling in the camper a little more bearable (barely). Roger and I had read in Parade magazine (Roger can correct me if I am wrong because it was a long time ago...the summer after fourth grade for me) that the hippie community was madly in love with Lord of the Ring...more True story (sad when you have lived your life such that you have to add that):

When I was a child we did our yearly camping trip to the West Coast and Mootie always gave us an allowance for books/comics to read on the trip. It made traveling in the camper a little more bearable (barely). Roger and I had read in Parade magazine (Roger can correct me if I am wrong because it was a long time ago...the summer after fourth grade for me) that the hippie community was madly in love with Lord of the Rings. Well, I loved anything hippie at the time, probably because Lowell hated them so much. So Roger and I decided to buy the series but we couldnt find The Fellowship of the Ring. He started first with the Two Towers and I waited for him to finish. Luckily, we didnt have to wade through those first hundred pages of the Fellowship.
I remember after I finished the appendix (I so love the appendix) of just weeping and then I had an epiphany. I realized I would never read anything I would love again, as much as I loved the Lord of the Rings. I have loved many books and reread some books many times but nothing has moved me as much as this series.
When I had my pre-mission interview the Bishop, he asked me how many times I had read the Book Of Mormon. I replied 12 times and he was shocked. Then the Mormon guilt crept in and I mentioned that I had read Lord of the Rings 27 times. Yes, I use to keep track. I think I have finally reversed the order of which one I have read the most but it has been an herculean effort.
Just awhile ago I was mentioning to Kirsten that I wish that Tolkien had done more with women in the series. She had an interesting insight. She said, "Given what is happening to men in our society, increased pornography addiction, video game addictions, lack of desire to get higher education and to have a career (30% of American males now no longer finish High School) men need stories of heroes who are noble and right. Men need to be inspired and have heroic friendships with each other." Word.(less)

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Nov 16, 2012 Paul rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novels

Wow - I have just stumbled on this fantastic quote about Tolkien from China Mieville (via GR friends Traveller and Cecily!) and it absolutely sums up the problem with Tolkien - even though I read him many years ago and even though I was enthralled and read him all over again, every word here is true :

"Tolkien is the wen on the arse of fantasy literature. His oeuvre is massive and contagious - you can't ignore it, so don't even try. The best you can do is consciously try to lance the boil. And th...more

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Sep 19, 2011 Jonathan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: personal-favourites, classic-literature, own, childhood-book, 1001-books-to-read-before-you-die, favourite-series, fantasy, tolkien

I believe that The Lord of the Rings is one of the most brilliant stories created by a man who truly understood language, myth and legend. Many people will say that they love The Lord of the Rings because of the epic nature of the narrative. Others enjoy the minute details. I personally love this novel because it evokes childhood memories; more than that it still remains for me one of a few powerful fantasy novels untainted by human gratuity.

I personally cannot stand the way in which writers su...more

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Mar 21, 2013 Yasiru rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've posted a great deal in various places, on this site and elsewhere on this series over the few years since I read it (after seeing The Two Towers film from Peter Jackson) and if I can find links to any important ones, I'll add them here.
In the meanwhile, I believe this most recent thread- http://www.goodreads.com/user_status/...
will do very well for my review of The Lord of the Rings.

My posts in the discussion there approach Tolkien's best known work (The Hobbit now excepted- add others here...more

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Mar 11, 2012 Adrianna rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of J.R.R. Tolkien, Fans of radio dramas

Recommended to Adrianna by: Ventura County Library Staff, Ventura, CA

Shelves: audio, classic, fantasy

I was really excited when I discovered this BBC audio dramatization of Tolkien's classic Lord of the Rings trilogy. It was highly recommended by a staff member at the Ventura County Library in Ventura, California. Even though sections from the original books had been cut and altered for the dramatization, she said that it was an experience that any Tolkien fan would enjoy.

The box and the CDs are beautiful! They have images, maps, and other useful information about the trilogy and author on each...more

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Mar 18, 2012 Phillip rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, favorites-among-favorites

I have read this at least 13 times. My first time was in middle school during the 70s. My friends kept talking about "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" so I wanted to read them too. I loved "The Hobbit" and found "The Lord of the Rings" to be pretty stiff reading.

I pushed my way through it. It is one of those books that I gravitate back to even if the first reading was unsatisfactory. I read "The Hobbit" a lot of times in High School.

I think my break through reading was when I was an under...more

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Jul 22, 2008 Scurra rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

To even attempt to review Tolkien's epic is like measuring the coastline - the deeper you go, the more there is to find (or, as the more cynical might put it, the longer it gets.)

And it's because it is so many different stories and, indeed, types of story, all melded together into one (at times unwieldy) whole. So, for example, you can read it as a poetry book. Skip all the narrative sections and just read the verse. You'll be surprised at how much of the narrative structure remains intact, and...more To even attempt to review Tolkien's epic is like measuring the coastline - the deeper you go, the more there is to find (or, as the more cynical might put it, the longer it gets.)

And it's because it is so many different stories and, indeed, types of story, all melded together into one (at times unwieldy) whole. So, for example, you can read it as a poetry book. Skip all the narrative sections and just read the verse. You'll be surprised at how much of the narrative structure remains intact, and how the themes of loss, redemption, love and courage are still present. Likewise, I often tell people who got frustrated with the "hobbit stuff" at the start to skip straight past that and just read Aragorn's story instead, which is far easier to relate to.

So the shifts in tone and style are not signs of bad writing, they are deliberate echoes of the different mythic forms he used as his original model for creating the world of Middle Earth. And it's this underpinning that makes the book so special - his characters live in a world that has its own intricate mythos that they can casually refer to, almost as though they expect the reader to know the stories just as intimately. In the way that an author today could refer to, say, the story of Romeo & Juliet and expect the reader to know the basics, here Aragorn talks about Beren & Luthien in the same way - and we (as readers) realise that we have no idea who these people are - but that those characters do. And, more importantly, that that story has absolutely nothing to do (in plot terms) with the one we are reading (except insofar as establishing a parallelism for Aragorn & Arwen.)

It's a common flaw, especially in fantasy fiction, for the world to exist solely for the story that is being told; what makes Middle Earth so special is that, for all its inconsistency and implausibility, it really does have large parts of history that are nothing to do with The One Ring.

Tolkien originally set out to create a mythology for England. He ended up doing more than that - and for that we should all be grateful.(less)

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Jun 04, 2008 Colleen rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: high-fantasy

2.5

And so begins my avoidance of epic fantasy.

I like the story of LotR - I like the idea of it. I appreciate it's role in history, and the breadth and depth of Tolkien's world-building and involvement. (Though considering that it really is a take on Norse myth and all that, I sometimes wonder if we don't give Tolkien a little bit too much credit for creating the world.)

But, anyway - while I like the idea of the story, and the gist of it, my problem comes with the telling.

There are tangents and b...more

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Dec 11, 2010 Tyler rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone,

This trilogy, which really is just one book divided into 6 parts (like acts), is one of the most amazing written works ever produced. Tolkien is a genuine genius in bringing about a story that touches every genre: humor, mystery, action, fantasy, war, sci-fi, romance...it's all in there.
It's beautifully crafted, very consistent, and even has multiple languages, one of which is a complete language created by Tolkien for this story.
Many might think that the beginning of the story is slow, but on...more

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Feb 24, 2008 Phil Smith rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fantasy fans, people with a fondness for language.

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

I'm still a bit ambiguous about The Lord of the Rings. On the one hand, it's set in a very detailed universe, without so much as an atom out of place (apart from Tom Bombadil, who was meant to be an anomaly). Everything's thought through in exhaustive detail and there is a terrific sense of time and place about the whole thing. On the other hand, it's long. I could almost say it's overlong, but then my version of this book is an enormous one-volume paperback and that could easily influence my op

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The books have plenty of high points. The encounters with the Ringwraiths, Saruman, Gríma and Gollum are among my favourites. The Fellowship's arduous journey through Moria is very dear to this old dungeon-crawler's heart. But at the same time there's stuff that makes me cringe.

The religious imagery might not be immediately obvious, but once you're clued into it (lembas wafers / Eucharist, Gandalf's resurrection, Gandalf calling on Théoden to cast aside his stick) it does grate a little. This might be my own personal prejudice getting in the way again, though: don't let that put you off.

Similarly, the hobbits themselves aren't really to my liking. Don't get me wrong, I like the bits of characterisation that Frodo, Merry, Pippin, Ted Sandyman and arguably Gollum get, but the rest of them? What was it Moorcock said? The only good hobbit is a roast hobbit. I'm inclined to agree. With a few brush strokes, most of them are painted as stereotypical stolid yokels who 'don't hold with wearing ironmongery, whether it wears well or no'. It's a nice line, but it's so cheesy that I could grate it up and serve it on a baked potato.

All the same, it's not a bad read. Tolkien was determined to get his vision across, took his time, and tied up all the loose ends he could. He was a man very much in love with language. It shows. Pace yourself and you may well find something to enjoy.

If you haven't the patience, though, pick up the 1981 BBC Radio adaptation. It's wonderfully acted and the late Michael Hordern is the definitive Gandalf. I'd rate it over the movies any day.

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Dec 11, 2007 Darin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-top-20, good-literature-and-fun-to-read

The Lord of the Rings dominant theme (for me) is attempting the impossible, feeling the anguish of defeat, but continuing to try anyway. And in the end, when all is dark and gloomy, finally the happy moment arrives when you finish the task, overcome the trial, arrive at the destination. But there are many other inspiring messages and themes in this great book. Each reader will find their own.

Aside from the Mormon cannon of scripture, I have found this trilogy to be the most enlightening, the mos...more The Lord of the Rings dominant theme (for me) is attempting the impossible, feeling the anguish of defeat, but continuing to try anyway. And in the end, when all is dark and gloomy, finally the happy moment arrives when you finish the task, overcome the trial, arrive at the destination. But there are many other inspiring messages and themes in this great book. Each reader will find their own.

Aside from the Mormon cannon of scripture, I have found this trilogy to be the most enlightening, the most inspiring, the most faith promoting book (it really is one book) I have ever read. And it contains no explicit references to religion at all! But Tolkien’s masterpiece (although he might himself claim the Silmarillion to be his masterpiece) is full of religious themes—although they are wrapped in fairy tale. Tolkien did not like allegory. But Tolkien did believe his works were ‘applicable’ to life. That’s how I read The Lord of the Rings, and I find all sorts of ways to apply the major themes to my own life.

I read The Lord of the Rings at least once a year and sometimes twice. Maybe some day I will find a new favorite.

Here are some of my favorite passages:

"All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, a light from the shadows shall spring; renenwed shall be blade that was broken, the crownless again shall be king." A poem about Aragorn, but it presents strong imagery of another "crownless" who will come and be king.

"Fair speech may hide a foul heart." good advice in times when even the very elect are deceived.

"You can only come to the morning through the shadows."...The morning brings light and hope!

"It must often be so, Sam, when things are in danger: someone has to give them up, lose them, so that others may keep them." Frodo to Sam. But for me, it applies to losing your life in service so that others may have life and enjoy life also (especially in my family.)

"It's like things are in the world. Hopes fail. An end comes. We have only a little time to wait now." This is spoken after the ring has been destroyed and Sam and Frodo are left to die on the side of Mount Doom. However, they are rescued at the last moment by Gandalph and the eagles. Professor Tolkien referred to such moments with a new word he penned: "euchatastrophy".

"Far above the Ephel Dúath in the West the night-sky was still dim and pale. There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach." This happens to Sam in Mordor. It is my experience that the Lord sends these 'tender mercy' moments to each of us in time of trial.

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Jun 29, 2007 Jon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone

LOTR has its faults, yes: it can be excessively descriptive; female characters (even the important ones) aren't as fully fleshed-out and realized as male characters (Arwen spends most of the books making a flag); Gandalf annoyingly and constantly points out how everyone else's decisions are wrong; the refusal to interweave chapter-by-chapter the stories of Frodo & Sam with the stories of everyone else results in literally hundreds of pages going by without mention of the majority of the main...more

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Jun 19, 2009 Bonnie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, classics, recommended, reviewed-books

[Update, to correct review links.:] This is my all-time favourite classic fantasy and I have read it at least four times over the years. I believe it has stood the test of time, hence - it is truly a classic.

But to read an excellent pair of reviews, I recommend that you go to Brad's, recently posted: >> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... <<

And for a different, but equally excellent take, see Manny's review:
>> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... <<

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Jun 09, 2007 Kanova rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was forced to read this book. Each member of my first book club had an opportunity to choose the book we read. When one of the members chose The Lord of the Rings I was not happy. Fantasy is not my genre! But I was a good book club member and read it anyway.

I loved it! There were times when I did not want to sleep because I wanted to finish just one more page or chapter. Tolkien creates whole worlds, languages, species, and histories. It is epic in its scope. Somehow he manages to entertain, m...more

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About J.R.R. Tolkien

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE, was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the high fantasy classic works The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings .

Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford from 1925 to 1945, and Merton Professor of English language and literature from 1945 to 1959. He was a close friend of C.S. Lewis.

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The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, #1)

The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings, #2)

The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings, #3)

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Quotes from Le Seigneur Des Anneaux

“The world is indeed full of peril and in it there are many dark places.
But still there is much that is fair. And though in all lands, love is now
mingled with grief, it still grows, perhaps, the greater.” — 3,195 people liked it

“Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men, doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.” — 2,057 people liked it

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