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Immerse yourself in Middle-earth with Tolkien's classic masterpieces behind the films, telling the complete story of Bilbo Baggins and the Hobbits' epic encounters with Gandalf, Gollum, dragons and monsters, in the quest to destroy the One Ring. When they were first published, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings became instant classics. Treasured by readers young and old, these works of sweeping fantasy, steeped in unrivalled magic and otherworldliness have sold more than 150 million copies around the world. This new boxed gift set, published to celebrate the release of the first of Peter Jackson's three-part film adaptation of JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit, THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY, contains both titles and features cover images from both films. It offers readers a new opportunity to discover Tolkien's remarkable world of Middle-earth and to follow the complete story of Bilbo Baggins and the Hobbits' part in the epic quest for the Ring - beginning with Bilbo's fateful visit from Gandalf and culminating in the dramatic climax between Frodo and Gollum atop Mount Doom.… (more)
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The plot, in a nutshell, is as follows. There is one ring of power, created by a dark lord, which ends up in the hands of a simple hobbit. Once the good people of Middle Earth realize what the ring is, they must band together and travel to Mt. Doom to destroy it. A fellowship of four hobbits, two men, a wizard, an elf and a dwarf take on the quest.
One of my favorite things about the trilogy is that their world is so different from ours, filled with wizards, elves and orcs, yet the relationships are so similar. Tolkien created such original creatures, like the tree-herding ents, but the emphasis is really on the friendships that have to withstand such intense trials.
Tolkien’s story is memorable not only for the plot, but because of the wonderful characters that fill it. There’s Gandalf, a powerful but wise wizard, Aragorn, a reluctant leader, Gollum, a broken, depraved creature, Samwise, the most loyal friend a person could hope for, and so many others.
Our hero is not a powerful man, but instead a small hobbit, the gentlest people in the land. Our villain is Sauron, the ultimate embodiment of evil. He has no redeeming qualities, just an all-encompassing need for power. He is the inspiration for future characters like Voldemort. Yet at the same time we also have other characters that used to be good or are still trying to be, that succumb to the temptation of the ring, like the Ringwraiths, Boromir and Saruman. These characters demonstrate how even good people can become weak when tempted by something so powerful. Their failure to resist just makes Frodo and Sam’s journey all the more poignant.
I’ve heard people complain that the books are too long, too boring, too detailed, etc. I understand those thoughts, but I think people are more forgiving with other classics, like Anna Karenina, than they are with these fantasy novels. People expect aspects of Charles Dickens work to be too detailed, so they read it and judge the book by its overall plot, but LOTR is sometimes overlook by those same people. I would argue that the story Tolkien created is just as powerful as many classic tales from centuries gone by. So don’t skip these because fantasy isn’t your thing or some other silly reason.
For me there is no other author like Tolkien he is so descriptive and his imagination is beyond anything that I have ever read.
If you have never read these books, you should be warned that they are not always easy reading. Tolkien was an
However, for those who persevere to the end, these books greatly reward the effort. Tolkien used his knowledge of mythology to create a richly imagined world with vivid characters and levels of symbolism that run deep. I have found elements of Norse mythology (notably the Ring of the Niebling - Fall of the Gods) , Saxon mythology (the Elves, ents, Balrog...) , Greek Mythology (the Atlantean legends, and descriptions of the Elven aristocracy - this is more evident in the Ring pre-quel, The Simarylian (SP), Celtic Mythology (the sacred elven homelands in the west, and European mystery schools (The hierachies and initiation levels of the wizards - Gandolf's transformation from "Gray' wizard to 'White' wizard after his battle with his ancient subterrean foe.)
Of course, you don't have to see of understand these influences to enjoy the books. For for those who are interested in such things, recognizing some of the influences behind the stories adds a level of appreciation.
After seeing the movies, I re-read them with even more enjoyment.
The Lord of the Rings was also great books and a journey in itself. It was kind of sad when I had finnished the third part. Tolkien was a genious.
But around the turn of the century, Peter Jackson created some wonderful (although not particularly
I read the Hobbit when I was 11, and then tried to read the LOTR with no success at that time. It was too confusing. It wasn't until I was in my late 20's that I started reading the series and I've read it at least once a year since then (going on 23 times!).
Definitely worth at least one good read for anyone who is interested in fantasy books, character development, linguistics, and the battle of good over evil.
I've read this series three times in my life now (i'm 26) and I'll probably read them at least once more. Tolkien creates some of the most fascinating characters you'll ever read, and the epic
It's just a great story and it stands up today as probably the best fantasy series ever written. And it's one that MANY series try to imitate, but often fall short.