The Fellowship of the Ring

What could possibly sound more English, more epic, and more mythological than THE LORD OF THE RINGS in the hands of BBC Radio? In this 1981 full-cast dramatization, the grand language, leisurely pace, and absorbing detail of J.R.R. Tolkien are all evident, as are the high production standards of the BBC. I can't stress enough the "Britishness" of this production--from the voice of Ian Holm as Frodo Baggins (Holm appeared in the movie as Bilbo) to the courtly musical score to the urgent, gray, misty, Celtic quality of the last words of this first book: "It was beyond all hoping that such a road would prove safe, though just how dangerous it would turn out to be we could never have imagined in our most terrifying nightmares." When you hear those words, you feel them. Tolkien wrote serious fantasy, and these tapes capture his story's timeless and wise undertones. B.P. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine

This heavily abridged dramatization of the first in the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy brings Tolkien's work to life. Hobbits, elves, dwarfs, and magician work together to conquer the evil spreading through Middle-earth. As Frodo and company travel through the shire on their way to destroy the master ring, they encounter danger and temptation, and manage to survive each ordeal. Each cast member brings his or her character to life with emotion and action. Music and sounds abound, filling Tolkien's novel with energy and adding emphasis and color without too much disruption. Unlike many abridgments that followed the release of the movie, this production emphasizes the role of the hobbits and Gandalf the Grey (the wizard) more than the rest of the fellowship. This audiobook will encourage listeners to read the whole series. M.B.K. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine

During his eleventy-first birthday celebration (hobbits have their own way of counting), Bilbo Baggins reluctantly agrees to give up the powerful but corrupt Ring of Power he found years before in THE HOBBIT. But getting rid of the ring turns out to be no easy task. In this first installment of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy, Inglis's skilled narration manages to retain the old-fashioned, fairy tale quality of the original text but is also well in tune with the story's darker aspects. As Bilbo's nephew, Frodo, and his friends take center stage to help dispose of the ring before some truly unsavory characters can obtain it, Inglis demonstrates he is up to the task of relating the original story's drama, suspense, and dark mysticism. J.P.M. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine