|  | | The Lord of the Rings (Illustrated Edition) | | by J.R.R. Tolkien | | Publisher: Houghton Mifflin | |  | | | | List Price: | $70.00 | | Price: | $44.10 | | You Save: | $25.90 (37.00%) | | Availability: | Usually ships in 24 hours | | Edition: | Hardcover | | |
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Amazon.com
A Christian can almost be forgiven for not reading the Bible, but there's no salvation for a fantasy fan who hasn't read the gospel of the genre, J.R.R. Tolkien's definitive three-book epic, the Lord of the Rings (encompassing The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King), and its charming precursor, The Hobbit. That many (if not most) fantasy works are in some way derivative of Tolkien is understood, but the influence of the Lord of the Rings is so universal that everybody from George Lucas to Led Zeppelin has appropriated it for one purpose or another. Not just revolutionary because it was groundbreaking, the Lord of the Rings is timeless because it's the product of a truly top-shelf mind. Tolkien was a distinguished linguist and Oxford scholar of dead languages, with strong ideas about the importance of myth and story and a deep appreciation of nature. His epic, 10 years in the making, recounts the Great War of the Ring and the closing of Middle-Earth's Third Age, a time when magic begins to fade from the world and men rise to dominance. Tolkien carefully details this transition with tremendous skill and love, creating in the Lord of the Rings a universal and all-embracing tale, a justly celebrated classic. --Paul Hughes Book Description
Celebrating the birth of J.R.R. Tolkien, this centenary edition of the classic volume is illustrated with fifty specially commissioned paintings by an artist whose vision matches Tolkien's own. One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them. In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, The Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell, by chance, into the hands of the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins. From his fastness in the Dark Tower of Mordor, Sauron's power spread far and wide. He gathered all the Great Rings to him, but ever he searched far and wide for the One Ring that would complete his dominion. On his eleventy-first birthday Bilbo disappeared, bequeathing to his young cousin Frodo the Ruling Ring and a perilous quest --- to journey across Middle-earth, deep into the shadow of the Dark Lord, and destroy the Ring by casting it into the Cracks of Doom. The Lord of the Rings tells of the great quest undertaken by Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring: Gandalf the Wizard, Merry, Pippin, and Sam, Gimli the Dwarf, Legolas the Elf, Boromir of Gondor, and a tall, mysterious stranger called Strider. | | | | Product Details
- Hardcover: 1198 pages
- Publisher: Houghton Mifflin; edition (Nov 12, 2022)
- ISBN: 0395595118
- Average Customer Review:
 Based on 970 reviews. - Amazon.com Sales Rank: 185819
| | | | Customer Reviews
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Objective view, Aug 17, 2023
"Oh! What a tangled web they weave, who try a new word to conceive!" -J.R.R. Tolkien, paraphrasing the common saying to fit his ends. The works of Tolkien are truly astounding. The level of depth and the sheer complexity of his creation shatters the mind. This truly is the greatest story ever written. Tolkien's mastery over language, be they dead, current, or completely imagined, is impeccable. That being mentioned, this book is not for casual readers, unless they are truly determined to complete it. It can be a very daunting challenge, if your mind is not focused. If you read this book, I highly recommend reading the accompanying Appendices, as well as The Silmarillion and the History of Middle-Earth volumes. Tolkien created an entire universe of rich history and wonder. It is well worth the time.
0 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
 BORED of the Rings, Aug 14, 2023
Its about as exciting as reading the dictionary and just as long. Tolkien was one messed up dude. ITs more like descriptions of places and things more than an actual story. I'd rather read the back of a bottle of shampoo.
1 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
 I...can't... read!!, Jul 30, 2023
This book! I cannot get through it! I know alot of people love these books, but I couldn't get anything out of it. I felt like I was reading nonsense. "And Merry walked forward, 'to ho, Frodo', but the light for they found was neath the ground and then, yay pickled fury from way into the forest with armor and swords engraved with red and hicksey; to hicksey Frodo seeth the little hobbit house, blah blah blah blah blah blah..." what the hell! It was harder trying cut my way through this strange, convoluted, purple prose than when I've tried reading an Ann Rice book. I kept wanting the story to advance, but finally I got too tangled in the prose and gave up. I didn't even get to see Gollum.
0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
 This book took me two months to read!!, Jul 24, 2023
Let me start off by saying that tolkien is a great, if not, the greatest fantasy writer ever. This book took me two months to read, not only because i wanted to enjoy it, but also because I kept having to retrace my steps to make sure it took in the info I had previously read. well enough rambling let me tell you what I thought of this book!
THE GOOD:
1. This was a real refreshing break from the movie hype. To me the book is alot better than the movies.(just my opinion).
2. There are also alot more characters in the books who wasn't in the movies.
3. Tolkien takes his time to explain the settings around the people. This is very good if you like details.
4. Best of all (if you can't afford the extended DVDs)Tolkien finishes the stories of everyone else besides the hobbits and Gandalf. And the book goes into details for a very satisfying ending.
5. Also one final good note and then on to the bad. There are bloodlines and an appendix at the end of the book( for those big words noone supposed to really understand).
Now to the bad. These are the only reasons I gave the book four stars instead of five.
1. Sometimes Tolkien goes into too much detail; often subliminating the main story line just to set the atmosphere.
2. I know that Tolkien probably meant for the LOTR to be an intelligent book but come on not everyone can speak elvish and not everyone cares for big words.
Well thats it I hope you enjoyed the review as well as the book. PEACE!!!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Still the best, Jul 22, 2023
I've read many fantasy novels over the years. Every time that I think I've found someone that outshines Tolkien, I come back to find that the books have deepened in my absence.
The first time I read the book, I enjoyed it because it was a rip-roaring good story. While it starts off a little slow (I'm not a fan of Tom Bombadil), it ratchets up and maintains a taunt pace for another six or seven hundred pages, not an unimpressive feat. Strangely, Tolkien manages this without following some of the cardinal rules of storytelling (for example, show, don't tell; and end the story right after the climax).
The last time I read it, I had just read the Silmarillion, which is basically a history book of Tolkien's world. I was amazed at the level of detail in the Lord of the Rings. Characters often refer offhandedly to ancestors or events thousands of years in their past. In an earlier reading, I would just let the strange names wash over me, but this time I understood more of the references and why they would make the connection in the context of the story. While the deep joys and sorrows were felt the first time I read it, seeing that this was merely the latest in a series of battles that had been going on for thousands of years made the sorrows that much keener; and seeing these characters achieve feats of heroism that their ancestors had not managed made the joy that much sweeter.
C.S. Lewis said that a book not worth reading twice was not worth reading once. This one is worth reading many times over.
I have to agree with other reviewers that this particular edition, while gorgeous to look at, is rather difficult to read. It is too heavy to hold comfortably and the fold out map makes following the journey more difficult than it need be.
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