Lord of the Rings Complete Visual Companion [Paperback]

Jude Fisher (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2004

At last in paperback, this large-format illustrated book combines the contents of all three hardbacks, together with exclusive new pictures and text, to provide the perfect companion to the complete trilogy. The Lord of the Rings Visual Companion takes the reader on their own journey into the world of Peter Jackson's epic movie trilogy. This large-format full-colour photographic encyclopedic guide to the characters, places, landscapes, creatures, battles, and costumes as seen in the film trilogy. The only authorised visual companion, it will feature many stunning images exclusive to this edition together with detailed informative text and specially commissioned extras not available anywhere else, such as maps and battle plans. Fully revised with new pictures from all three movies, plus additional sections which could not be included in the individual hardbacks, this book is a complete guide to the movies and a perfect accompaniment to the books, DVDs and videos.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jude Fisher was born in Cornwall and now in London. She has worked in the book industry, as a bookseller and a publisher, for nearly twenty years, has a Master's degree in Scandinavian Studies, specializing in Old Icelandic texts, and has published novels under her own name as well as the pseudonym of Gabriel King.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Harper Collins Pb (November 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0007191952
• ISBN-13: 978-0007191956
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,554,835 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Guide to Middle-Earth, November 13, 2004

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Lord of the Rings Complete Visual Companion (Paperback)

There are two kinds of "Lord of the Rings" fans -- those that have seen the movie, and those that have not. For the ones who haven't, Jude Fisher is like a best pal when it comes to filling in details. Her "Lord Of The Rings: The Complete Visual Companion" not only encompasses the three visual guides she wrote before, and rounds it off with the finales.

Things have been reshuffled a little to allow for better flow (why bother with recap if it's all in the same book) and the three visual guides together seem almost seamless. Fisher examines in detail the many characters from mild hobbit Frodo down to loathsome Grima Wormtongue, the places (such as the exquisite Lothlorian) pivotal battles, strange monsters and climactic events like the battle of the Pelennor Fields.

"The Return of the King Visual Companion," the last of the three books, was released over a month before the movie was -- therefore, Fisher was restrained from giving away anything that happens after Frodo and Sam reach Mount Doom. In short, it didn't tell us anything about how the movie ended -- would Frodo destroy the Ring, or would it possess him? Would Aragorn become king? Would he marry Arwen?

Now that "Return of the King" is almost a year behind us, Fisher is free to include new chapters and beautiful photographs from the last parts of the trilogy. She adds on the climax of the entire trilogy, with Frodo struggling into the heart of Mount Doom, and ends the chapter with the ambiguous line "I have made my choice." No, it's not clear what he chose just by reading.

After that comes a chapter detailing the coronation and wedding of Aragorn and Arwen, a chapter about the Fellowship splitting up for the last time, the Hobbits returning home, and a mention of Sam Gamgee's wedding to his beloved Rosie Cotton. In the final chapter (including the loveliest picture in the entire book), Fisher describes Frodo's final departure from Middle-Earth into the west.

Fisher has a pleasant, breezy style, and is able to explain the world of Middle-Earth without dumbing down the material. Sometimes she adds background info (such as Frodo's tragic life before coming to live with Bilbo) that was not a part of the actual script, but is essential to the characters anyway. The varied, colorful photographs are quite gorgeous, and the book has been reissued in a trade paperback with glossy flaps.

Anyone disappointed that "The Return of the King Visual Companion" did not include the climax and ending will be pleased by "The Lord Of The Rings: The Complete Visual Companion" -- like the trilogy, the visual guides are best read in one big chunk.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Nice Compilation, January 25, 2005

By 

Ink Gypsy (NJ United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Lord of the Rings Complete Visual Companion (Paperback)

I purchased this book because I had been told that it contained all the photos from Jude Fisher's three previous visual companions: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King, which I had seen, but not purchased. While it does have some of the photos, it doesn't have all of them. Photos in certain sections have been replaced by others, and in my opinion, in some cases, the replacements aren't better pictures. Two things would have made this book worthy of five stars. First, if it had been done as an oversize hardcover like its predecessors, and second, if the three individual visual companions had been entirely reprinted in this one volume, and then additional photos added. Now that I have this trilogy compilation, I won't be buying the other three individual companions, but I am sorry not to have those missing photos.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good LOTR book but..., June 16, 2005

By 

Kristy M. Ross "Kristy" (CT, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Lord of the Rings Complete Visual Companion (Paperback)

While Jude Fisher's writing is even and sometimes evocative, this compilation of all three visual companions feels a bit superfluous. I mean, Lord of the Rings is great, and I'm happy to see that it hasn't been merchandised to death like the Star Wars prequels. But this isn't one of my favorite LOTR books for three reasons:
1. Not enough images from Return of the King and too Fellowship heavy 2. An unsubstantial feel to the Isengard and Gondor chapters 3.Certain characters don't get wrapped up (Saruman and Denethor) But it's still a good read and a nice addition to anyone's LORD OF THE RINGS collection. Personally though, I prefer the 'ART OF' books.