The Fellowship of the Ring: The brilliantly fun new lift-the-flap animal board book series with wonderfully colourful illustrations – perfect for young children! (The Lord of the Rings)

The Fellowship Of The Ring: JRR Tolkien, unabridged reading by Rob Inglis – The start of a tale that grows with the telling First published in 1954 The Fellowship Of The Ring is the first part of the epic saga, and Tolkien’s masterpiece, The Lord Of The Rings. It has been a firm favourite of mine since I first read it over 25 years ago, and every time I return to the trilogy I find something new in this multilayered and deep piece of literature. I have worked my through it again recently, and with much temerity have decided to post a review of this stand out classic of classics. In this first part of the trilogy, the Ring that Bilbo Baggins ‘acquired’ from Gollum in the Hobbit is passed to his nephew, Frodo. Gandalf informs Frodo that the ring is in fact deadly dangerous, and Frodo sets out on a desperate journey to the safety of Rivendell. There the true nature of the ring is learned, and a fellowship of elves, men, dwarves, hobbits and wizards sets off on an even more perilous quest. It is, as the author notes in his charming foreword, a tale that grew with the telling. The early parts of the book are closer in style to the Hobbit, and compared to the epic nature and darker tone of some of the later sections these can seem still a little limited and at times almost childish, as though Tolkien is writing another children’s book. But the tale grows, Tolkien’s skill and imagination grows, and soon this is a thrilling, gripping, complex tale. I find when reading this that it not just the plot that I love, but the completeness of Tolkien’s world. He has developed a whole history, mythology, geography and etymology for it, all incredibly detailed. The book does not describe these in detail, but has frequent sideways references to them. This is what sets it apart from other fantasies, the feeling of a complete reality in which the adventures are taking place, a rich and textured world. This adds a depth to the books which few others can match. Again in his foreword, Tolkien mentions that there are parts of the book that some people dislike, yet others love, and that few people like all of the book. I have to agree with this, much as I love the tale, I find the early sections detailing the adventures as far as the land of Bree a little tiresome at times, and I have always thought that the character of Tom Bombadil is somewhat out of place in the book. After Bree however, the adventure kicks into high gear and I am totally immersed in the tale. This is just my opinion, I know others who will defend Bombadil’s inclusion to the death. In all this is a great read in it’s own right, ending on a great cliffhanger that leads into the second book. It has a lot of high adventure, and Tolkien’s rich multilayered tale telling. It’s a classic of it’s time, and has to get 5 stars. This unabridged reading from Rob Inglis is pretty good. For the most part it is excellent, though he can be a little flat in his delivery at times, and some of his voices are ill suited to the characters – Lobelia Sackville-Baggins’ deep gruff tones are a particular miscalculation. But for the most part he gets it spot on, and his Jamaican Windsor Davies voice for Tom Bombadil is a particular delight, indeed I almost like the character in the audio book, whereas I usally skip past his section when reading the printed word. All in all it’s a good reading. At 16 discs and clocking in at 19 hours 10 minutes of listening, this is perfect for the car on long journeys! I have to say that I listened to it back and forth to work over about a week, and my interest was maintained throughout, a testament to the skill of both author and reader. 5 stars all round.

A wonderful rendition of a timeless masterpiece in storytelling.

Proper freaky book. These little fellas need to get rid of some ring ASAP. It's absolutely bonkers. Can't be a true story. Set in Middlesborough, I think. Five Stars.

There is nothing I disliked about the Fellowship of the ring. It was enthralling, with so many differences from the film that allows the reader to make sense of the tale. I was always put off reading Tolkien because of the amount of pages, but now I am retired it has been a pleasure to sit down and venture into the Shire. I will not give away any of the plot and ruin it for those who have not read it, I say "read the book" and find out for yourself how good the story is.

A captivating introduction to Middle-earth with rich world-building and memorable characters. Perfect for both longtime fans and newcomers, especially before watching the new series. Well-written and immersive, making it hard to put down.

An unfortunate consequence of the success of The Lord of the Rings has been that frequent resetting has engendered errors by the hundred. In some copies, the ring verse has lost its last line; in others, The Council of Elrond its last two sentences. The chief virtue of this 50th Anniversary Edition of The Fellowship of the Ring (ISBN 9780007203543) is that its text, prepared by some of the most eminent Tolkienologists on Arda, is undoubtedly the most accurate ever published. Based on Tolkien's own second edition, the book omits his 1954 Foreword, which he himself came to regret as misconceived, but includes his revised Foreword of 1966 and his 1966 Prologue. We're also given a seven page Note on the Text by Douglas A. Anderson, as well as a four page Note on the 50th Anniversary Edition by Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull. Tolkien would probably chuckle if he knew that two of his frustrated wishes for his book have finally been granted half a century after he proposed them. The tengwar ring inscription has at last been printed in fiery red instead of black; and a tipped in, fold-out plate reproduces his laboriously crafted, battle-distressed pages from the Book of Mazarbul, already well known to fans from their appearance in a Tolkien calendar and then in Pictures by J. R. R. Tolkien. The inscription on the Door of Moria, by contrast, remains in its familiar black on white, a retreat from the arguably more fitting white on black alternative ventured in the large format hardcover edition featuring paintings by Alan Lee. The only other illustrations are Christopher Tolkien's canonical red and black maps of part of the Shire and of the west of Middle-earth, the latter in its much improved, Unfinished Tales version but now reduced to only about a quarter of its original area. Readers with eyes as keen as Gwaihir's may regret that lines that were once firm and true are now pixelatedly fuzzy; those who would prefer a larger map should seek out the poster-sized version redone by John Howe ( The Maps of Tolkien's Middle-earth: Special Edition ). The design of the text is very similar to that of the second edition, the only obvious difference being that the PostScript Monotype Plantin font is slightly smaller than the Imprint font of yore. The traditional tengwar and runes still adorn the title page, now accompanied by a JRRT monogram. L.E.G.O., Harper Collins's Italian printer, has printed the text crisply on a smooth, cream-coloured paper much like that often used by Everyman's Library, a touch less opaque than would be ideal but not to the point of being objectionable. The book is signature bound with a black and yellow headband, and comes in a robust black cover with elegant gilt lettering. It lies nicely flat when opened. The dust jacket, matt and reminiscent of parchment but with a tough plastic lining, allows us to enjoy a motif painted by Tolkien himself, in which Sauron's Eye stares at us through the Ruling Ring and its tengwar, while Vilya, Nenya and Narya jointly confront his malevolence. The jacket's English lettering is printed in a striking copper foil, which lamplight kindles to a gleam that's rather beautiful. This admirable, almost perfect edition of Tolkien's masterpiece probably comes closer than any other to bringing us his book in the form that he desired. Warmly recommended.

As with its predecessor The Hobbit, it is extremely hard to say anything new about this book. However, I may as well add my voice to the thousands who have come before me... This, then is the first chunk of Tolkien's magnum opus and the book that launched an entire genre; while fantasies existed in literature before, elements from this story have been imitated, pastiched and referenced by countless imitators. The Lord of the Rings is the product of an incredible amount of work on the part of its creator; every facet of the world's languages, histories and cultures is detailed down to the last detail. However, this would count for nothing if all that worldbuilding had not been welded to a brilliant adventure story. Every scene in the book is unforgettable, from the House of Elrond to the Mines of Moria. Each new incident or character adds something to the epic quest, and what characters they are. The touching loyalty between Sam and Frodo, the spiky rivalry between the elf Legolas and the Dwarf Gimli, the nobility of Aragorn and the pride of Boromir - all beautifully drawn. There are perhaps overindulgences - the deluge of names is daunting for first-time readers, Tom Bombadil and many of the songs seem slightly frivolous among the more serious adventures - but this is very much my personal taste, and stem largely from Tolkien's wish to share as much of his world with the reader as possible. Middle-Earth lives and breathes, and is much a character as any hobbit or wizard. The land seems infused with both magic as well as an underlying melancholia, as that magic fades with the changing of the world. It seems inconceivable that any fan of fantasy or adventure has NOT read this grand work yet, but if you have not, grab this now. Enjoy the imagination, the thrills, and the magic; you'll not regret it.

To my eternal shame, it has taken me a very long time to begin reading Lord of the Rings although I am very glad that I now have. Not only is it beautifully and evocatively written, but it is perfect for these times when we too are engaged in a fight with the life-denying darkness of Empire and Capitalism. There are so many passages here to give us strength for the journey. Also, Sam and Tom Bombadill are joining my list of favourite characters in literature, which so far includes Toad of Toad Hall, Rincewind the wizard, Lord Emsworth of Blandings, and Flavia de Luce. A joy! When I have caught my breath, I will soon be moving on to the next book I'm sure.