By J.R.R Tolkien
Narrated by Robert Inglis
Reviewed by Gabby
Get the Audiobook Trilogy on CD here!
(More app links on where to find each version below.)
If you’re really interested in the mythology, check out the The Silmarillion (using Audible, you can get the silmarillion audiobook free download as your first free audiobook under the 30 day free membership). The Silmarillion Audiobook can tough listening, but allows deeper understanding and immersion into the Middle Earth realm (This comes in two parts also).
The Fellowship of the Ring
Get Volume 1 of the Robert Inglis Audible version here!
Get Volume 2 of the Robert Inglis Audible version here!
The Fellowship of the Ring Overview:
Frodo Baggins knew the Ringwraiths were searching for him—and the Ring of Power he bore that would enable Sauron to destroy all that was good in Middle-earth. Now it was up to Frodo and his faithful servant Sam to carry the Ring to where it could be destroyed—in the very center of Sauron’s dark kingdom.
The Fellowship of the Ring Audiobook Review:
STORY
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The Good:
The Lord of the Rings is regarded as some of the best books ever written, beginning innocently and then taking a plunge into a much darker world. The Fellowship gives us a glimpse into the intricate and beautifully crafted world that is Middle Earth.
[/span6][span6]The Bad:
Lord of the Rings seems to divide a lot of people, some people worship Tolkien as the father of modern fantasy, while others would rather use the books to start a fire. But just remember, no one book will suit everyone! Personally, it’s the amount of detail that ruffles my feathers. Not only is The Fellowship over detailed, it’s all in the wrong place! Tolkien could have given fabulous descriptions of how Frodo felt to have the Ringwraiths chase him and the flight that ensued. But Tolkien it seems, was more interested in trees and mist.
Furthermore, a lot of Tolkiens songs, poetry and conversations (charming as they are) seem to be randomly placed and create a very disjointed plot. I think perhaps that the poems and songs might make more sense after listening to the audiobook a few times and have a better understanding of the book. Or not.
This book is not for the faint hearted. It can get very dull at times and for a while you start to wonder ‘is anything going to happen?!’ but it does. In order to enjoy this book you have to be able to sit back and enjoy the ride and not be too excited to get to the battle scenes- heaven knows Tolkien certainly doesn’t rush to get there.
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CHARACTERS
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The Good:
One of best things about The Fellowship is that the Hobbits are relatable. They are closer to humans than elves or dwarves in both their looks and tendencies. This is a story about friendship as much as it is about good overcoming evil and what could be more human than friendship? The hobbits (Sam, Merry, Pippin) join Frodo out of loyalty and because it’s the right thing to do. Essentially they are everyday people on a remarkable quest and it makes the average listener believe that something similar could happen to them.
There is also quite a lot of banter between the characters which is great. There is also a character Tom Bombadil, who you won’t recognise if you have only seen the films. Tom Bombadil’s mythological origins in the cosmology of Middle-earth are puzzling. Speculative ideas about his true nature range from simply a wise Elven hermit to an angelic being (a Maia or Vala), to the creator, who is called Eru Ilúvatar in J. R. R. Tolkien’s mythology, to a nature spirit, or even to the Spirit of the Music of the Ainur.
[/span6][span6]The Bad:
Frodo is a bit frustrating, and can be a little whiny. Come on Frodo – get it together!
[/span6][/columns]The Two Towers
Get Volume 1 of the Robert Inglis Audible version here!
Get Volume 2 of the Robert Inglis Audible version here!
The Two Towers Overview:
The Fellowship was scattered. Some were bracing hopelessly for war against the ancient evil of Sauron. Some were contending with the treachery of the wizard Saruman. Only Frodo and Sam were left to take the accursed Ring of Power to be destroyed in Mordor–the dark Kingdom where Sauron was supreme. Their guide was Gollum, deceitful and lust-filled, slave to the corruption of the Ring. Thus continues the magnificent, bestselling tale of adventure begun in The Fellowship of the Ring, which reaches its soul-stirring climax in The Return of the King.
The Two Towers Audiobook Review:
STORY
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The Good:
“sometimes you didn’t want to know the end… because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing… this shadow. Even darkness must pass”.
Gemstones like these are scattered throughout the twin towers and this is where the story really starts to get going. Hats off again to Rob Inglis who once more, does a beautiful job of narrating and doing a spine chilling voice for Gollum. Our resilient characters never lose hope, despite the hopeless circumstances and who doesn’t enjoy listening to a story like that?
The Two Towers is the fastest paced of all the books, starting with a hunt. Quests are underway and there are things to do. The story will keep the listener spell bound as they wait for the next plot twist. The Two Towers is of course carried on in the poetic style of Tolkien, but with better editing.
[/span6][span6]The Bad:
The Two Towers comes across as very unbalanced at times. Hours are spent describing Frodo and Sam’s journey to Mount Doom, whereas the battle at Helms Deep, such a pivotal point in the story, is dealt with very quickly. This was pretty disappointing for me personally,
The relationship between Sam and Frodo I found a little disconcerting. Not in the way you think, there’s nothing sexual about it. I just didn’t like the fact that Sam was this grovelling servant, absolutely devoted to Frodo no matter what.
Once again, Tolkien has a very distinct style, which often involves long and pointless descriptions of meaningless things. I’ll give you an example-
“Reluctantly, Frodo turned his back on the West and followed as his guide led him out into the darkness of the East. They left the ring of trees and crept along the road towards the mountains. This road, too, ran straight for a while, but soon it began to bend away southwards, until it came right under the great shoulder of rock that they had seen from the distance. Black and forbidding it loomed above them, darker than the dark sky behind. Crawling under its shadow the road went on, and rounding it sprang east again and began to climb steeply.”
Ok, so the metaphor ‘darker than the dark sky behind,’ isn’t exactly Shakespeare, but we’ll cut Tolkien some slack. When narrated, Tolkien’s style actually comes off a little differently and becomes more poetic which is quite nice. Essentially, if you find it easy to visualise what is being described to you then the story will be more enjoyable. If you have a short attention span I would recommend an audiobook that moves along at a quicker pace.
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CHARACTERS
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The Good:
The characters too are more fleshed out, none of them are black and white. Gandalf for example is never said to be immune from corruption, he’s just wise enough to avoid it. Faithful Sam experiences lust and desire and Saruman becomes, well… I won’t say, in case someone hasn’t read/listened to the books/seen the movies. The Two Towers sees some interesting character development and shows sides to the characters we haven’t yet seen.
[/span6][span6]The Bad:
Nothing of note.
[/span6][/columns]The Return of the King
Get Volume 1 of the Robert Inglis Audible version here!
Get Volume 2 of the Robert Inglis Audible version here!
The Return of the King Overview:
The Companions of the Ring have become involved in separate adventures as the quest continues. Aragorn, revealed as the hidden heir of the ancient Kings of the West, joined with the Riders of Rohan against the forces of Isengard, and took part in the desperate victory of the Hornburg. Merry and Pippin, captured by Orcs, escaped into Fangorn Forest and there encountered the Ents. Gandalf returned, miraculously, and defeated the evil wizard, Saruman. Meanwhile, Sam and Frodo progressed towards Mordor to destroy the Ring, accompanied by SmEagol–Gollum, still obsessed by his ‘precious’. After a battle with the giant spider, Shelob, Sam left his master for dead; but Frodo is still alive–in the hands of the Orcs. And all the time the armies of the Dark Lord are massing.
The Return of the King Audiobook Review:
STORY
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The Good:
The epic journey finally comes to an end and the loose ends are tied up neatly! It’s difficult not to love the Hobbits, who are so weak and tiny. Yet Frodo and Sam accomplished what neither dwarf, elf or man could- they destroyed the ring. It’s an amazing tale of the triumph of good over evil, the importance of hope and determination and yaddah yaddah yaddah. This audiobook is good. Everything has been leading up to this point and the tension builds magnificently.
The Return of the King has a lot more going on in it than the last two books, there are kings and wizards to consider, two little hobbits climbing Mt Doom and one very brave lady. Admittedly, this book is tinged with sadness, because it means saying goodbye to all the characters that you have invested so much time and emotion into. On the other hand it’s a happy ending!
This is my favourite in the trilogy simply because you see everything coming together and it’s hard not to feel excited about it.
[/span6][span6]The Bad:
Also, the ending. It’s too open. I didn’t like not knowing what had happened to the main character after all this time- but I also think that’s a good sign, that i’ve invested a lot in the character and care about his wellbeing.
WARNING, there are a lot of very long and very dull passages about travelling in this audiobook. So, if you’re about to jump on a long haul flight or something, it may not be your cup of tea listening to descriptions of characters walking/running everywhere. Just to let you know.
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CHARACTERS
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The Good:
The Character development holds up to that in the last book, nothing much further to note in regards to this.
[/span6][span6]The Bad:
One problem I have with this audiobook is that whenever the characters seem to encounter a problem it’s overcome almost immediately. Gandalf is dead. Oh dear. *Listen’s for 5 minutes* oh it’s ok he’s brought back to life. Frodo is killed. Well this is an interesting development! *Listens for 1 minute* nope he’s just unconscious.
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NARRATOR
[columns] [span6] The Good:
The Fellowship is wonderfully narrated by Rob Inglis who makes it incredibly easy for listeners to distinguish between the characters. The characters voices all sound very natural, not too over the top, but they also aren’t flat and dreary either.
Inglis is heavily involved with the book, singing all of the songs and reciting the poetry. He has also made the book much more user friendly, some may struggle to get through The Fellowship when they read it, but when narrated the book seems to translate and take shape in your mind very easily. Inglis also doesn’t mind using contractions, which Tolkien had omitted from his original works (so perhaps that is why the pace seems quicker!)
Overall, Mr Inglis has done a fabulous job of narrating this massive story and races along with all the action, makes you feel the despair and weakness of Frodo and Sam as they reach the end of their tether, even changing Aragorn’s tone to match his uh… altered circumstance.
[/span6][span6] The Bad:Inglis fits into the reader category, the narration having few dramatizations, because of this listeners often complain it is a little boring, however, if you are a fan already then you will have no trouble. As noted, Inglis sings all the songs, his renditions are a little interesting, to be honest, i could take or leave these.
[/span6][/columns]Overall conclusion
I think that these audiobooks are best suited to people who either find it very easy to follow very wordy and overly descriptive stories; or people who have a vivid imagination and can easily visualise everything Tolkien’s put his heart and soul into describing (mainly landscapes). If you’re impatient, impulsive and on the go all the time like me, then chances are you might not like Lord of the Rings. I tend to prefer fantasy books with a lot more action and that get to the point quickly. On the other hand, if you are like Tyler and have a bit of patience and are willing to take the time to appreciate this classic then I say go for it!
I hope you enjoyed our Lord of The Rings Trilogy Audiobook Review, come back soon!