The Rough Guide to the Lord of the Rings (Rough Guide Reference) [Paperback]

ROUGH GUIDES (Author)

Book Description

Series: Rough Guide Reference | Publication Date: November 17, 2003

This guide to the "Lord of the Rings" provides an entertaining and informative insight into the books, the films and their creator, J.R.R. Tolkien. It serves as an introduction to those who have seen the films but fear the books are for "anoraks" and is of sufficient depth for devoted Tolkienites. It tracks the evolution of the "Lord of the Rings" phenomenon from Ronald Tolkien's upbringing and contemporaries such as C.S. Lewis to the revival of fantasy fiction, the obsessive fans and the trilogy's influence on figures from George Lucas to J.K. Rowling. There is also an in-depth look at the characters, a guide to Middle Earth and a rundown of the best film locations to visit, including practical details of how to get there and where best to stay.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Small enough to fit in a back pocket, this guide to all things Middle-earth has enough material on the Tolkien saga to keep anyone reading for days. The editors make no assumptions about how much readers know of The Lord of the Rings; they explain exactly why the trilogy is so popular and plainly delineate its plot, characters, themes and meanings. Yet this isn't a cursory, quickie guide. Chapters explore, among other subjects, Tolkien's life and times; the making of the blockbuster movies based on the books; the culture, geography and language of Middle-earth (where the trilogy takes place); and how institutions from Greenpeace to Russian politics have been influenced by the trilogy. Sidebars add a quirky aspect to the text, sharing, for example, a list of directors' cameos to look out for in the films, a round-up of writers whose work has been influenced by The Lord of the Rings, and an overview of Tolkien's religious background. Photos.
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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Rough Guides (November 17, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1843532751
• ISBN-13: 978-1843532750
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 4.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #543,262 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Rough Guide to Lord off the Rings, November 25, 2003

By 

Andrew Rutherford (New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rough Guide to the Lord of the Rings (Rough Guide Reference) (Paperback)

I run Lord of the Rings Location Tours from Queenstown New Zealand,
so when I looked at the Movie location information in this book I found it sparse and inaccurate, as if the person who wrote it had never actually visited New Zealand. However the Book is somewhat redeemed by having alot of good information about Tolkien and other aspects of the Films.
As it says a 'Rough' Guide to the Lord of the Rings.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A guide to the movie - NOT the book, August 6, 2004

By 

David Bratman (San Jose, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Rough Guide to the Lord of the Rings (Rough Guide Reference) (Paperback)

This is an overlong publicity book for the Lord of the Rings films, full of detailed chatter about the films and their making, and about Tolkien collectibles. As such, it's not bad. As a guide to Tolkien's book, however, it's another matter. The opening chapters on Tolkien and his work are actually pretty well-written and accurate. But even they are loaded with movie photos; and a chapter on the characters mixes facts from the book and films indiscriminately. A geography-ethnography chapter approaches David Day levels of plonky erroneousness. Most offensive is page 102, a list of parts of the book deemed skippable, especially any poetry that might hold up the action. If you want action, see the movie. A guide to the book should be written by someone capable of appreciating it.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great all round trivia book for LOTR fans, June 9, 2004

By 

J. Whitford (Falls Church, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Rough Guide to the Lord of the Rings (Rough Guide Reference) (Paperback)

I must admit I was apprehensive about buying this book sight unseen. So I went to my local Borders and boy am I glad I did. This well thought out guide tells you everything you ever wanted to know about the books, movies, memorabilia for sale, authors who have been inspired by Tolkien, even Tolkien himself. There is all kinds of LOTR trilogy trivia to make even the most grumpy dwarf smile. The front, back and inside covers are beautiful color photographs from the films. My only quibble is that even though the book is packed with photographs from the trilogy, they are all in black and white. I highly recommend this book to loyal LOTR fans everywhere.