Essential Tolkien CD [Abridged, Audiobook] [Audio CD]

J. R. R. Tolkien (Author, Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 6, 2007

J.R.R. Tolkien, in this extraordinary, historically important recording, leads listeners with prose, poems, and songs into the fantastic world of The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring.

This audio is based on a tape that Tolkien made for his friends in August 1952. He had been working on The Lord of the Rings for more than fourteen years by then and had almost given up hope of ever seeing it in print. But making this recording reassured him of his talent and prompted him to send his manuscripts to a former pupil who had become a publisher. The result was one of the most popular and influential series of novels of the 20th century!

This recording includes the poem "The Mirror of Galadriel," originally meant for inclusion in Book Two of The Fellowship of the Ring.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892-1973) was a major scholar of the English language, specializing in Old and Middle English. Twice Professor of Anglo-Saxon (Old English) at the University of Oxford, he also wrote a number of stories, including most famously The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord of the Rings (1954-1955), which are set in a pre-historic era in an invented version of the world which he called by the Middle English name of Middle-earth.

From AudioFile

In 1952 Tolkien recorded these selections on an old-fashioned tape recorder. Unsurprisingly, the quality of the recording is not strong; the poems, songs, and selections are not announced; and the authorÕs sometimes rushed delivery is accented with the creaks of his wooden office chair. However, the raw authenticity of the reading bewitches the listener in a way that polished, processed audio sometimes cannot. Tolkien delivers his poems with passion and sweetness. In reading THE HOBBIT selection, he sounds like a British fairy-tale grandfather, and he belts out every word of his songs with an exuberance that transports the listener to a Middle-Earth tavern. Any fan of Tolkien will appreciate hearing the famous words spoken as the author intended and take special joy from such an unaffected listening experience. A.A. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Caedmon; Abridged edition (November 6, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061376493
• ISBN-13: 978-0061376498
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 4.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #605,011 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #15 in Books > Books on CD > Authors, A-Z > ( T ) > Tolkien, J.R.R.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, Just wish there was more, February 1, 2009

By 

Kyle G. Blodgett - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Essential Tolkien CD (Audio CD)

This recording is excellent and it is fun to hear Tolkien's pronunciation but I just wish there was more, it is only an hour of readings.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good stuff, March 2, 2009

By 

Jamie Lynn Sandoval "Jamie Lynn" (So Cal. USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Essential Tolkien CD (Audio CD)

I think I've heard most of these all before, but it's great to listen to the acutal author reading his books.

5.0 out of 5 stars Tolkien Reading - Must have, January 23, 2012

By 

Cmdinla - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Essential Tolkien CD (Audio CD)

Years ago, I had the original LPs of the readings (and still have them), so I was very surprised that when browsing Amazon, I found this. It was an instant buy.

Highly recommend if you are a fan. To here JRR speaking the poems and passages from his books is amazing. He has this rich deep voice.

Buy this now!