The Lord of the Rings

by J.R.R. Tolkien

Review of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

       this is really a good novel i think it should have been the best novel i would also like to  thank the people who acted basing on this novel but the best rewards go to the author of this book.

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien was reviewed by sammie

       I love this book, but seeing all bar one review have been positive so far, I'll focus on some aspects I thought let it done.

1) Tom Bombadil. What is the point of how? He slows down the narrative to a turgid pace, he removes any of the tension that the Black Rider have built up, he doesn't impart any important information, he's completely and utterly unbelievable as a character (and yes there are different sorts of unbelievable; a fantasy books require you to have a suspesion of disbelief to make it believable, but it needs a great leap in logic to accept Tom Bombadil behaviour as believable) and I hate him so much I'm striving to get his name as a byword for all pointless characters in stories.

2) It only really reaches excellence at the Council of Elrond.

3) It has a massive deus ex machina (you'll know what I'm talking about if you've read/watched it).

4) It's not thought-provoking.

       However this book is awesome and please don't be put off reading it, if you haven't already, by these negatives as you'll see how trivial they are once you've finished.

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien was reviewed by Rasputin

       By far the greatest novel ever created. To think that Tolkein managed to create a whole new universe with its own language, places and people was unbelievable. No one else who ever lived could possibly have a better, wilder imagination(except Einstein, perhaps). When you actually read the book, you feel like being thrown into a completely new dimension. The brilliance and power of the tale had never been matched. The film was great too(for me the greatest movie ever seen by mortal eyes), but the book is even better. Every part of it was put into extreme detail, as if Tolkein was trying to describe the whole scene from every aspect. The plot was exciting, moving and thrilling, and once you have picked up the book you will never be able to put it down. The influence of the story can still be seen today in the works of other authors, like Harry Potter and Eragon.

       Endlessly imitated, never surpassed.

       P.S. I still can't believe it did not top the list.

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien was reviewed by Max

       It's hard for one person to convince others what novel is the best of all time.  Lord of the Rings is actually more than a book.  It's an experience, like that awesome roller coaster that leaves you breathless upon its descent.  One of the challenges that a new reader faces is thinking that the story sounds like a medly of other recent works.  What one needs to understand is that virtually every epic fantasy has spawned from the influence of LOTR.  This was the original.  Almost every charachcter has been recreated into another author's world.  No person on earth ever worked harder to create a novel.  Like many, I first read LOTR when I was young and got hooked instantly.  It is important to read The Hobbit first, as this is really the first book of the series.  It is hard to say if this is the best novel of all time, because it's hard to compare fantasy to drama to mystery, etc.  It is easy to say that LOTR is the best of its kind, and by a long shot.  When novels are made today, the author has the film version floating around in his head, so it's natural for this to have an influence on overall quality.  LOTR was created solely for your mind.  You must create the movie in your mind.  Remember, all other fantasy novels can thank J.R.R. Tolkien for his vision and creativity.  Let's face it, Harry Potter would not have been created had it not been for the influence of LOTR.

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien was reviewed by Rikset2000

       The War of the Rings (original title tolkien wanted but wasn't a condusive title due to the time of the release, WWII) is the most brilliant piece of work because tolkien dedicated his whole life to it.  He gathered ideas from it when he was a little boy in Sarehole with the Miller and the smokestack tower --- to when he was in the trenches of WWI with his 3 best friends (much like frodo with sam, merry and pippin) --- to when he was studying beowulf, sir orfeo, and other novels that told "there and back again" stories.

       Authors today pump out novel after novel and they have little substance.  There is so much behind the lord of the rings that it would take today's "great" novelists FIVE lifetimes to write them.

       The man was brilliant.  This work is ingenious and is by and far the greatest novel of all time.  Dare I say one of the greatest literary pieces of work in the history of the written word.

quiv yassen ne' agar,
ten almere, atear, ar 'aina neva

awaken with out blood,
for bliss, peer and happiness nears

       On a side note, tolkien thought it was rediculous that anyone believed they could fully understand or speak elvish.  So all you super-nerdy LOTR fans who think you know elvish and can speak and write it, Tolkien thinks you are crazy.

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien was reviewed by Baren

       I read this novel when I was eleven, and read it front to back 4 times before picking up another book.  And then I read it a few more times.    Then I read it aloud to my younger sister ... bringing her into that magical place. And then to my niece as she then read it aloud to her children.

       Not only was it a magical experience to read and think about and talk about, but the Professor's writing style so influenced my fictional writing  that I found myself writing  smoothly and effortlessly.  Even impressing my University Professors so much  that a half dozen pressed upon me to publish my short stories.. Even my non-fiction reads like poetry.. or so said my Professors. 

       To me, it's all an extension of the Professor.

       I would make this a present (as it was to me) to anyone. Everyone.

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien was reviewed by Lord of the Rings

       This is the finest books i have ever read. After i finished reading this book i found that it was a miracle. Mr. J.R.R. Tolkien has created a world of his own. own places, own languages and own races which leave you enchanted. The description of places like the fair Lothlorien was enthralling. I seriously wish if a world like that could exist and i could visit the shire, lorien etc. i suggest all of the readers to please purchase the book and read it as soon as possible. I respect Mr. J.R.R. Tolkien who presented this book which bound me in its endless depth. P.S. also read The Hobbit as it is a prelude to the bewitching series. Thank You Mr. J.R..Tolien.

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien was reviewed by Frodo

       I dont know if this is a tpo 10 literary classic, but personally my favorite, and I have read nearly half of the books on this list.  The mere fact that Tolkien was not an author by study, but instead a linguist (one who studys language) is completely mind blowing to me.  He created this world for one reason; to give the language he created (elvish) a history.  He did this because he felt language is useless without a past, present and future.  If you are a historian and a fan of these books, I would suggest reading The Silmarillion, basically a history book for Middle Earth.

       Once I learned a little more about Tolkien, I had so much more respect for him as an author.  The intricacies he put in this trilogy far surpasses most authors.  He created a world and map; creatures and languages.  And not only that, his ideas are copied in almost all modern science fiction books.  In my mind, these books are the true fathers of the fantasy/science fiction genre and the bar at which they are all held up to.  The are long and slow at points, but take those times to see the pictures he is painting for you as a reader.  They are truly works of art.

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien was reviewed by Cole

       I have read many books in my life. This book by far is the greatest book ever written. Nothing can possibly be better. and the ending was pure genious. you will never read a book better then this one. If you are thinking about reading it. Stopping thinking and do it. It may take a while. But once you finish you'll wish you had taken another two monthes. But read the Hobbit first or you won't understand the first few chapters as much. Either way, i guarantee that if you perservere through the slow parts, namley in the last half of the two towers you will not be disapointed.

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien was reviewed by Nameless

       I didn't actually enjoy these books that much. I read them because of their great reputation and the movies were due to come out. I found them quite boring mostly. However, I believe the reason I did not enjoy them, was I had read so many fantasy novels prior. For me it was like I heard the story many times before. I could respect that Tolkien was the first to create the world of elves and dragons, and was amazed at how much it had been copied in modern fantasy.

       I feel I will have to sit and read them again someday. Originally I may have felt more forced to read them (being rushed by the movie releases) and so did not take the time to enjoy them. I'm a big fan of fantasy books so it seems strange to not have enjoyed the greatest fantasy novel of all time.

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien was reviewed by MKA

  This is an amazing book! Iam fifteen years old and I have read the whole series(exept for the Hobbit, I am starting on that now) Yes, some parts were a little slow, but even the slow parts were detailed and brilliant!

  I have to say, when I finished the series, it was like I lived a lifetime and every time I re-read the book or parts of the book, it is like I am livign that life once again. Their not just books, their masterpieces coming from the true definition of what you would call a "genius" -J.R.R Tolkien.  

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien was reviewed by Robyn

  Someone commented that there were no bad reviews of TLOTR so I thought I'd add one. Actually, it's not all bad. There is a lot to admire about these three novels and the story overall. As far as the plot goes, I can't really fault it, and it culminates in an ending which is dramatic and satisfying (although the journey back afterwards is perhaps a little unnecessary), something which a lot of authors I do like could take notice of.

  But while I found a lot to admire about it, I never really got to the point where I loved it, not in the same way that so many people who have read the story obvioulsy do. Everything seemed to happen on the surface and I never felt that I got under the skin of the characters. Ironically enough, the closest I came to feeling that I had really got into the novels was during The Two Towers, which seems to be a low point for others. Perhaps it's because I was aware of these books for a long time before I actually read them. My parents had them and loved them and then, when the films came out there was such a fuss I decided to see what it was all about. Perhaps it is unfair to read a book that comes with such a reputation as it can only disapoint. In many ways it is a classic, but not one I think of with any particular fondness.  

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien was reviewed by Lestat

  When I was looking at the top three novels on this list, and was later reviewing the comments on each of them, I noticed something profound. On each of these comment lists, there were always people that gave positive reviews and others that gave negative reviews. There were always people that agreed with the theme, the characters, plot etc. Or people that disagreed with the theme, characters, plot etc. So far on the Lord of the Rings review list, there hasn't been one negative thing said about it that's of any substance. The only negative things said about it was (basically) 'I read it too many times', and, 'it's kind of boring in places'. Other than that there has been nothing negative said about LOTR. Given this one simple fact, I believe that this states that The Lord of the Rings, is indisputedly the Best Novel of All-Time! If everybody believes that this, (disincluding the owner of this site) is the best book of all time, then so it is!

p.s. I'm an avid fan of the Lord of the Rings.  

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien was reviewed by Manfred

  The Lord of the Rings is a surreal trilogy. Tolkien actually wrote it as a sort of "Bible" for the UK, and I've got to hand it to him: these books are undoubtedly the best fantasies ever written. LOTR Forever!  

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien was reviewed by Bookworm

  If you take the time to get past the few dry parts (particularly in the Two Towers), these will be the best books you have ever read.  

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien was reviewed by Anonymous

  I read this first when I was 17 more years ago than I care to remember , probably your teen years are the best time to read it.At the time it was engrossing , wonderful all-consuming , days were lost to it. Emerging blinking into the daylight after finishing it there was a sense of loss of coming back to reality .It is probably the high mark of escapist fantasy fiction. much imitated (spare me from all those other trilogies)but never beaten.

  For a few years into my mid twenties I re-read it almost annually, then there was the BBC radio series then the audio tapes of the same and more recently the films which were excellent but could hardly be expected to match Tolkien's or the readers imagination .

  Not having opened the book for many years I turned to it again to find I'm all Tolkiened out and can't get past the first chapter .So read it while your young , enjoy it for it's escapism but you can outgrow these things I'm afraid .It would probably head its particular genre but from being perhaps my top one it wouldn't get into my top 10 now , probably that's more down to me than Tolkien. and if you've seen the films you should make the effort to read it.  

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien was reviewed by Elendil

  Lord of the Rings! A different world! A different universe! I wonder how Tolkien was able to create such a masterful story. It took him half of his life to complete the novel and yet he died without reaping the result of his incomparable work. The fight between good and evil is described in such a complex and thorugh way that leaves not a single space for anything more to add. One should be a good novelist to write words for this novel. I simply cannot do that! I saw the movies too. They're good, but it is imposible to inlcude in three movies everything from the book. But i praise the director of the movies for his tremendous efforts. Maybe after a decade he should do it again. I suggest everyone who has seen the movies, to read the book and try to create your own image of characters and the plot based on whta you read from the book. Try to leave the movie characters out of your imagination. Read the book!  

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien was reviewed by Mehdi

  The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien is an absolute masterpiece.  Whether you are into fantasy novels or not you will almost certainly love this book.  This is the book that got me back to reading(when I didn’t have to).

  The story follows Frodo Baggins through his adventures across Middle Earth in an attempt to destroy the mysterious ring of power.  Since most people know the story of The Lord of the Rings I won’t spend much time on that subject.  I think nearly everyone has seen the trilogy of movies that came out in the last few years.  If you haven’t you probably should go out and see all three immediately.

  Now on to the book.  The book was originally published in 3 volumes(The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King) and took over a decade to create. The Lord of the Rings has recently been re-released as a single volume.  The reason I suggest that you tackle this 1000+ page tome even after you’ve seen the movie and know the story is because it’s better than the movie.  Yes that’s right.  We all know that the huge scale sets and big budget effects make for a brilliant visual on the silver screen, but to hear Tolkien describe these breathtaking landscapes is unreal.  No movie screen could ever completely capture the magic that this book possesses.  

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien was reviewed by Viktar Yett

  I think if you read this trilogy you will find a new world for your dream. Its really good...

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien was reviewed by Saganak

  This series is highly enjoyable due to its deep plot and captivating description of each character. The central theme -that good always triumphs-runs through the series as a thread. The central character are Frodo and the ring. Other stories weave around them seamlessly. Most recommended book..

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien was reviewed by Anonymous

  This is the best book ever! It should be first place. The detail the plot the characters and the action all make it the best book ever. I read the Harry Potter series and thought it was the best ever but after I read The Lord of the Rings I was ready to throw Harry Potter in the garbage. There are so many things in this book. So many names, poems, places, parts that fill you with sadness knowing how much Middle-Earth has fallen but causing you to overflow with joy at the victories of the Fellowship, and Rohan, and Gondor, and all the free places of Middle-Earth. I have read the Harry Potter series, the Chronicles of Narnia series, much of the Animorphs series, the White Stag, Dracula and many other books and there are still many I wish to read but I am pretty sure The Lord of the RIngs is greater than them all.

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien was reviewed by tabooleh315

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