The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Lord of the Rings
Book Review: My favorite book
Summary: 5 Stars
Lord of the Rings is one of the most well known books of the 20th century. It played a huge role in the creation of the modern fantasy genre-every writer of fantasy today owes something to Tolkein. And it is simply excellent.
Tolkein begins the book with the lighthearted story of Bilbo's last birthday in the Shire, and then draws the reader slowly into something darker-the final confrontation, in this age, between good and utmost evil. Tolkein writes wonderfully-he uses many old, archaic words and poetic descriptions, and his characters often burst out into song or poetry, but, unlike some less skilled writers, Tolkein makes this add to his story, rather than take away from it. Indeed, the thing that comes through most is the shear wonder and majesty in which he describes his world-a world he created and fleshed out in exacting detail, in a way few authors have managed to do since. Tolkein's descriptions of the journey his characters must take are excellent too-we feel Frodo's shock at finding the ring, determination to do what he must, wonder at the world he encounters, and, as he walks through Mordor, despair combined with a determination to, if nothing else, complete the task that fate has, for reasons of its own, dropped into his lap. The other storylines Tolkein introduces are treated just as well-the urgency of the battles, and the final decision of Aragorn to sacrifice everything, in the one, final hope of letting Frodo live to destroy the ring.
Indeed, if Lord of the Rings has a central theme, it is hope. There is an old quote, I believe by a Mr. Chesterson: "Fairy tales are real not because they tell us dragons exist, but because they tell us dragons can be beaten." In an uncertain world, where it is impossible to tell how things will settle, and where the books esteamed as "literature" all seem to compete to see which can contain the most unhappiness and despair, it is reassuring to have a book with a resounding message-the dragons of the world can, indeed, be beaten.
Book Review: just what i wanted!
Summary: 5 Stars
I spent a lot of time reading reviews for different versions of these books before I bought them, I already knew I was going to purchase a set that had illustrations by Alan Lee, but i wanted to see what other people thought of this set first. I know some people reported having problems or issues with theirs, but i had no such problems with mine. After they shipped I discovered I lived in the same state as the warehouse apparently, so the books arrived less than 48 hours after i ordered them. Since they come in a sturdy hard case, and the case was wrapped in bubble wrap inside the box they were in perfect condition when they arrived. Not even a dented corner on the case. The books are heavy, but I wanted something that was going to last as I want my children to read these books someday and maybe pass them on to them at some point. The pages are glossy but I dont find them hard to read or that they have glare on them. I'm currently reading The Hobbit by the same publisher and its printed on the same paper and I'm not having any problems with it. I would definitely recommend these books for someone looking to buy a keepsake item, but they are also great for everyday reading and enjoying. And it goes without saying that Alan Lee's amazingly beautiful illustrations only enhance an already wonderful story.Book Review: LOTR Book set
Summary: 2 Stars
When I first opened the shipment I noticed that the corner of the book set was a little crushed- possibly from poor "handling" at the warehouse. After opening the shrink-wrap from the book set I noticed that the entire back side of the case was cut- making it a "door" instead of a solid back... not sure how that happened. I sent it back to Amazon who switched it with a different book set. However- the new book set arrived with a crushed corner. So much for "shipping and handling"...Book Review: Lord of the Rings Rocks!
Summary: 5 Stars
The movie version of the Lord of the Rings in the best possible version! All the added detail that you must know about the trilolgy. Once you pick it up you won't put it down. I would never opt to get the paperback copies as long as this is available. These are must have copies of the three books!Book Review: One of the best editions ever!
Summary: 5 Stars
What else should I say? Alan Lee is t h e perfect illustrator for this epic work of literature!