The Lord of the Rings

by J.R.R. Tolkien

Book Overview

A PBS Great American Read Top 100 Pick

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them

In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0618640150
• ISBN13: 9780618640157
• Release Date: October 2005
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 1216 Pages
• Weight: 2.58 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.7" x 5.5" x 8.3"
• Age Range: 14 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 9 and higher

Customer Reviews

Completely different edition

Description stated, "gorgeously illustrated throughout in color by the author himself and with the complete text printed in two colors, plus sprayed edges and a ribbon bookmark." The book I got is just a normal hardcover book with NO illustrations, regular black print, no edges, no bookmark. Completely different edition than was stated. I love the book. I already had a regular copy.

Book was received in worse condition than I had expected.

I want to give a good review for the price, but I received the book with half of the book torn from the spine, and a page with words ripped from this. I didn’t feel this aligned with the condition description I had purchased.

Best Series Ever

great series. . . never arrived, asked about it, was told my address might be wrong, checked that I did write my correct address (I did) and was offered a refund, now I'm trying to repurchase again (idk if Nienna will take pity on me)

The Lord of the Rings in one volume.

This is one of them greatest books of all time. Everyone should read this book. These books constantly show and display manliness and virtue at it's best. Very encouraging and easy to read.

Not as advertised.

I ordered a box set. I did not receive a box set. I would have never ordered this if I had known I would be receiving one giant book with impossibly small print instead of the box set I ordered. I am quite disappointed.

A little beat up but still awesome

The 3 pack comes in a nice cardboard box set. It was a bit beat up but still a great story and well worth what little I had to pay!

Gorgeous

This edition is spotless. It came very quickly and is absolutely beautiful. Its not entirely what I was expecting but it is still a beautiful book!!!

The entire story AND more, all in one book...

This is, and shall always be one of my favorite books. I like it because it's all three parts in one - more manageable. Although the story is in itself an incomparable epic, the other main reason I like this copy is because of the excellent appendices: my favorites were the concise guide to elvish and dwarvish languages - which got me interested in them. If you're not into gimmicks and showy covers, this is possibly the best copy you could find - the entire story for a great price.

The finest edition of LOTR ever published

While the price of this book is steep, this is easily the best version of this book in existance. The gilded pages and high-quality leather look, smell and feel wonderful. This is not the questionable quality leather used on previous versions, this is the real deal. More importantly, this version has, as J.R.R. recorded in letters, reproductions of the Book of Marzubul. These are the pages from the Dwarven book found in the Mines of Moria by Gandalf and the Fellowship. In the begining and ending of the book are also included maps that fold out to render Middle-earth for the reader, again as the author originally wanted. This is the book that Tolkien dreamed of having published but couldn't due to the realities of post-WWII publishing costs and questions about a 400,000 word publication. For me, there is an emtoional response to this book for two reasons. One, it is as fine or better than the book the author originally wished to have published and two, it is a beautiful piece of art all on its own, suitable for display. If you love books or love Tolkien or both, this is a must have and the centerpiece of any worthy collection.

well...

This is excellent, the way the Lord of the Rings should always have been published. It was the way it was intended to be published as well. If you don't have the trilogy, what are you waiting for?

Review on Editions

Houghton Mifflin Co published three editions of the one-volume LOTR, all of which include the complete text and the appendices:This 1991 centennial edition has largest text. It includes durable binding, smooth white pages, glossy illustrations, an illustrated cover jacket, and an red ribbon bookmark sewn into the binding. However, the book is the largest LOTR book I've ever seen in my life -- It's quite hefty.There is a red, faux-leather collector's edition published in 1974. It is slightly smaller in dimensions compared to the centennial edition and weighs considerably less. The cover is beautiful and unmatched in elegance. Chapter headings and margin headings are in orange red. The pages are slightly tinted yellow, as smooth as the centennial edition, and seem to emit a pleasant flagrance. However, there is "broken type" on nearly every page because the text is not conventionally set, but rather a photo offset from another edition. (Conventionally set text would read like a Word document printed with a laser printer. Photo offset would be as if one had scanned that laser-printed World document into a JPEG, and reprinted out that JPEG.) The binding of this edition also seems to be of lesser quality than the 1991 centennial edition.There is also the LOTR Movie Art Cover edition printed in June of 2001. Like the centennial edition's cover illustration, this edition's movie art is also on a cover jacket. I am not too familiar with this edition, but from casual browsing, I've found that the text, though smallest, looks the most "conventionally set," and the pages are of the same quality as the centennial edition. The book is smaller in height and width but thicker than the collector's edition. The binding looks solid enough, but there is no movie art in the book.My personal favorite is the centennial edition.

MASTERFULL..GREAT ADVENTURE..

I have never read a more incredible story about fantasy, every page has more adventure and is all perfectly filled with power.Tolkien knows how to make us feel in harmony and in darkness too, this story goes from the most beauty and peacefull to the last places of doom and shadows. A must read story that will always remain among the fantasy classics.