Tolkien's Middle Earth Books - Page 4

The Fellowship of the Ring: Being the First Part of The Lord of the Rings

J. R. R. Tolkien

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The Lord of the Rings (Boxed Set)

J.R.R. Tolkien

By: Houghton Mifflin Company Amazon Marketplace: 7 new & used starting at $75.00

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

The first and the best 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 10 people found this review helpful.

Though Tolkien was not the first or most critically-acclaimed fantasy writer, he remains the most beloved and influential, even though "Lord of the Rings" is decades old. Now with the epic movie trilogy based on this book, new waves of readers are discovering the unique power of the "Lord of the Rings." It has quietly created the fantasy genre as we know it, set the tone for most fantasy ever since, topped many "best book" polls, and helped spawn such entertainment phenomena as "Star Wars."

Following up on events in "The Hobbit," "The Fellowship of the Ring" stars the quiet, good-natured hobbit Frodo Baggins, who has inherited a golden Ring that allows its user to become invisible. But his friend, Gandalf the wizard, informs Frodo that the Ring is really the Ring of Power, a tiny invulnerable token that the demonic Dark Lord Sauron has poured his essence and power into. And if Sauron can regain the Ring, he will be able to conquer Middle-Earth. Aghast, Frodo joins a fellowship of Elves, Dwarves, Hobbits, Men and a wizard, to go to the one place where the Ring can be destroyed: Mount Doom.

"The Two Towers" begins directly after "Fellowship," after Frodo Baggins flees with his friend Sam into Mordor, with no one to protect them. His cousins Merry and Pippin are kidnapped by orcs from the renegade wizard Saruman. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli begin a frenetic search for the hobbits, and receive unexpected help from unlikely allies. Meanwhile, the Ring weighs more heavily on Frodo, as he is forced to get help from one of the people he most despised: the Ring's slave Gollum.

"Return of the King" brings the trilogy to an action-packed, slam-bang and ultimately poignant finale. Sam barely rescues Frodo from Sauron's orcs, and the two resume their journey to Mount Doom, barely escaping Sauron's forces. As Aragorn leads the desperate battle against Sauron's armies at the city of Minas Tirith, Frodo falls increasingly under the seductive spell of the Ring.

"Lord of the Rings" is indeed a powerful book, speaking to virtually everyone who has read it. J.R.R. Tolkien drew from legends and myths, ranging from the ancient Norse mythology to more recent legends, mingled with his love of the British country folk and his Roman Catholic beliefs. Though there are no direct linkages or lessons in the trilogy, Tolkien probably drew on his experiences in World War I for the ravaged battlefields and breakneck action sequences. His beliefs are equally misty but present: they fueled the ethics of the good guys, the fall of formerly-good wizard Saruman, and the themes of temptation, redemption, evil and good that run through every character.

Frodo Baggins is an everyman hero, who dreams of adventure but begins to treasure the simple, boring life that he had once he is deprived of it. His deteriotation is saddening, all the more so because he is aware of it. Sam Gamgee is his loyal gardener, a shy young hobbit who grows in confidence and courage. Gandalf is the quintessential wizard -- crabby, kindly, powerful, with a hidden unique streak that elevates him over the usual. Merry and Pippin start out a bit flaky, but are matured by their harrowing experiences. Aragorn is noble, kind, kingly, and intelligent, but with darker streaks in his personality that make him ultimately human. Legolas the elf and Gimli the dwarf initially grate on each other, but overcome their prejudices to become close friends.

Tolkien's writing is evocative and descriptive, though not to extremes; Mordor, for example, is best described through the way that Sam and Frodo react to it. The dialogue can range from goofy and hilarious to solemn and archaic, or to some combination of the two. And the pacing is gradual but necessary -- readers with short attention spans won't be able to handle this story. If they can handle sprawling, epic tales, then probably they can.

Even after all the years, J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" still rules the fantasy genre and has become an integral part of modern literature. It's an epic for all ages, and few books have even come close to equalling it.

Editorial Review:

This is a 3-volume slipcased edition of The Lord of the Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring, the Two Towers, the Return of the King) published in 1965 by the Houghton Mifflin Co.

The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring Pt.1 (The lord of the rings)

J.R.R. Tolkien

List Price: $123.95 By: HarperCollins Audio Amazon Marketplace: 11 new & used starting at $65.63

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Editorial Review:

This is the first book of Tolkien's trilogy "The Lord of the Rings". Sauron, the Dark Lord, has gathered the Rings of Power so that he can rule Middle-earth. All he lacks in his plans for domination is one ring - the ring that has fallen into the hands of the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins.

The "Return of the King" Photo Guide ("Lord of the Rings")

J. R. R Tolkien

By: Collins Amazon Marketplace: 22 new & used starting at $0.01

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Passage picture book 4 out of 5 stars.
18 of 18 people found this review helpful.

"The Return of the King Photo Guide" is a treat for those wanting to revisit the rich Middle-Earth depicted in Peter Jackson's movie adaptation of "Lord of the Rings." The pictures are excellent, and if anyone has problems following the complicated storyline, this is something for them to check out.

In "Return of the King," the treacherous Gollum is leading Sam and Frodo into the Dark Lord's land of Mordor. With the fate of Middle-Earth -- and his beloved Arwen's life -- on the line, Aragorn fully accepts his fate as Gondor's future king, and recruits the help of a long-dead army. And Gandalf takes the hobbit Pippin to the ravaged land of Gondor, the last stronghold against Sauron.

The actual climax and precise endings of the film are left up to the readers' imaginations (this isn't exactly a storybook), although the final sentence hints at the bittersweet events of the ending. The prose is fairly standard, nothing special; quotes from the film are littered through it, some directly from the books.

The pictures are what make this book stand out, with phenomenal shots of Minas Tirith, Pippin in his silver and black Gondorian armor, a helmeted Gondorian guard, an angelic shot of Eowyn, two Elven smiths reforging Aragorn's sword, and Frodo fending off Shelob with the phial Galadriel gave him. What's more, there are scenes that never made it to the final film, such as Aragorn tending the wounded Faramir in the Houses of Healing, or Frodo and Sam looking at a broken statue crowned with flowers. (Somewhat disappointing are the lack of pictures of the monstrous spider Shelob, or the ghostly army of the dead)

While it won't satisfy those longing to know the grand finale, "The Return of the King Photo Guide" will be eagerly devoured by fans of the films, with its wonderful pictures and semi-storybook outline. Definitely should be purchased for the photographs, and newbie fans may find it helpful too.

Editorial Review:

This official children's storybook, based on the final film in The "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, follows Frodo's heroic struggle to destroy the One Ring and restore peace to Middle-earth. As the armies of the Dark Lord Sauron come together, Gandalf and the rest of the Fellowship are drawn into the epic War of the Ring, while Aragorn must decide whether or not to fulfil his destiny and claim his place as King of Gondor. Packed with 100 photographs from the forthcoming film, the book offers an exciting and colourful teaser for those too impatient to wait for The Return of the King on the big screen. The book includes a pull-out poster showing all the characters from The "Lord of the Rings" films.

The Hobbit and the Complete Lord of the Rings

J.R.R. Tolkien

By: Del Rey Fantasy Amazon Marketplace: 13 new & used starting at $12.41

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Editorial Review:

This box set collects the famous Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. Books included are "The Fellowship of the Ring," "The Two Towers," and "The Return of the King;" all three of which are part of the Lord of the Rings trilogy; along with "The Hobbit."

Tolkien Calendar 2005: The Lord of the Rings 50th Anniversary Calendar

J. R. R. Tolkien

List Price: $14.95 By: HarperEntertainment Amazon Marketplace: 6 new & used starting at $15.96

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Tolkien's Own Vision 5 out of 5 stars.
30 of 30 people found this review helpful.

The 50th Anniversary of The Lord of the Rings' publication is being suitably celebrated with this 2005 Tolkien Calendar. All of the illustrations are by J.R.R. Tolkien himself, created while he was working on the book in the 1930s and 1940s. The illustrations have been published before, some in the first few Tolkien calendars in 1972 and 1973, others in Pictures by J.R.R. Tolkien in the late 1970s, and all of them in Christina Scull and Wayne Hammond's classic J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator.

Tolkien was a gifted artist and draftsman. Even his doodles, like Shelob's Lair (drawn on a page of manuscript) in October, display a high degree of talent and precision. He was famously finicky about his drawings, insisting that each one should precisely mirror the story. (This led to his cropping some elements of some drawings, like March's Moria Gate, which displays both the full picture and the part that was trimmed off; and totally discarding others, like the abortive cityscape of Steinborg shown for September.) This perfectionism led to some absolutely beautiful productions. I am particularly fond of April's Lothlorien, showing the mallorns in full flower, and of February's view of Rivendell looking east: a tumbled landscape of stone, water, and trees.

Those who have become used to the artwork of others in previous Tolkien calendars, and those whose primary view of Middle earth was shaped by the Peter Jackson films, may be a bit put off by these drawings by Tolkien himself. July's Orthanc, for example, provides a rather modest view of Saruman's tower compared to that seen in the movie. Those of us who are true lovers of Middle earth, however, will find that these drawings are especially beautiful, regardless of any intrinsic aesthetic value, because they allow us to see Tolkien's own vision as it unfolded in his mind and flowed from his pen and brush.

Editorial Review:

The Tolkien Calendar 2005 features 13 paintings and illustrations by J.R.R. Tolkien himself, some of these not appearing in print for many years. The paintings are based on Tolkien's classic masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings, and provide a fascinating insight into how Tolkien himself imagined the world of Middle-earth would look. The images are accompanied by text which explains how they relate to the story and offers information on their content and history.

Lord of the Rings Boxed Set U/P

J.R.R. Tolkien

By: Grafton Amazon Marketplace: 3 new & used starting at $3.99

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The Fellowship of the Ring Photo Guide (The Lord of the Rings)

Alison Sage, J.R.R. Tolkien

List Price: $9.95 By: Houghton Mifflin Amazon Marketplace: 36 new & used starting at $0.01

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Not quite what I was looking for 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

I reccomend buying the book, "The Art of The Lord of The Rings, Fellowship of the Ring" instead. Why? It is amazing, and has way more information inside it. This book here, is slim, small and has some good pictures, it is a solid collectors item. If you are into costume re-recreation, you would be happier buying the LOTR "art of" book because it has great drawings inside of it, that plus get yourself the LOTR FOTR extended edition DVD 4 disc set for more costume research needs. Overall, This book here has mostly fluff, good pictures, not the information I needed for my costume research needs.

Not really worth it 1 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

This book may have been worth it three years ago, before the first movie released, to get previews of who looked like what. But it is not very helpful now, and plot-wise, it wasn't helpful back then. It is just a collection of pictures from The Fellowship of the Ring, with a smattering of text about the plot. The pictures, actually, are out of order. The front cover is also not very enticing, which was fixed for the photo guides of the next two movies.

Face it, you can find these pictures and tons more all over the internet. If you are the ultimate, die-hard fan who has to have every bit of LotR-related stuff, then go ahead and buy it, but otherwise, I would not recommend it.

Editorial Review:

The official children's photo guide to The Fellowship of the Ring. Meet Frodo Baggins and enter a world of hobbits, wizards, dwarves and elves. Discover the secrets of the One Ring and the terrifying creatures of the Dark Lord, Sauron. Follow the Companions as they embark on their perilous quest.

The Fellowship of the Ring Photo Guide (The Lord of the Rings)

Alison Sage, J.R.R. Tolkien

List Price: $9.95 By: Houghton Mifflin Amazon Marketplace: 36 new & used starting at $0.01

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Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Not quite what I was looking for 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

I reccomend buying the book, "The Art of The Lord of The Rings, Fellowship of the Ring" instead. Why? It is amazing, and has way more information inside it. This book here, is slim, small and has some good pictures, it is a solid collectors item. If you are into costume re-recreation, you would be happier buying the LOTR "art of" book because it has great drawings inside of it, that plus get yourself the LOTR FOTR extended edition DVD 4 disc set for more costume research needs. Overall, This book here has mostly fluff, good pictures, not the information I needed for my costume research needs.

Not really worth it 1 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

This book may have been worth it three years ago, before the first movie released, to get previews of who looked like what. But it is not very helpful now, and plot-wise, it wasn't helpful back then. It is just a collection of pictures from The Fellowship of the Ring, with a smattering of text about the plot. The pictures, actually, are out of order. The front cover is also not very enticing, which was fixed for the photo guides of the next two movies.

Face it, you can find these pictures and tons more all over the internet. If you are the ultimate, die-hard fan who has to have every bit of LotR-related stuff, then go ahead and buy it, but otherwise, I would not recommend it.

Editorial Review:

The official children's photo guide to The Fellowship of the Ring. Meet Frodo Baggins and enter a world of hobbits, wizards, dwarves and elves. Discover the secrets of the One Ring and the terrifying creatures of the Dark Lord, Sauron. Follow the Companions as they embark on their perilous quest.