Customer Reviews

The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings, Book 2)

5 star:		(961)
4 star:		(213)
3 star:		(64)
2 star:		(36)
1 star:		(55)

 

 

I am not one who usually buys books-on-tape (or CD as in this case) but I have long wanted to obtain the Lord of the Rings so as to hear this incredible story over and over. After having read it several times, my book is in tatters and so I searched for an unabridged audio recording. Many of those that I have seen claim to be "unabridged" but the fact is that they are not complete! They give parts of the books in full but leave out many sections or chapters. This set by Rob Inglis is COMPLETE!!! It is very well read with no drastic voicing of characters. Characters are easily distinguished and thoroughly enjoyable. This set is not full of sound effects and music, so if you are looking for that this is not for you. However, I personally prefer the fact that this is not an over-production and is rather quite focussed on what I wanted in the first place, the characters and the story. Inglis does a marvelous job and I am very happy with this set. Again, not to harp on it but, this is a "complete" package well worth the money!!!

This is truly a wonderful story , But I was unsure of getting the cd over the audio tapes. I noticed that the tapes had the Unabridged version and the Cd version did not say if it was or not on all parts, so i took a chance and got the Cd version of each book. Thankfully the Cd version Is also Unabridged. So for those of you out there like me who might have been confused between the tapes and the Cd now you know they are the same.

The magnificence of Rob Inglis' dramatization, both with respect to its place in the Tolkien Legend and in comparision to the present state of the spoken theatre, is quite simply ineffible. Here presented is THE ONLY completely unabriged reading of the Lord of the Rings to be found, and to commuters like me, it represents a long awaited opportunity to become aquianted with the work of a genius without fear of losing precious shards of his masterpiece to the whim of an editor. Worth every moment of the 20 hour listening time, from the endearing character voices to the hearty singing of songs and chanting of poetry that is sure to linger in your mind throughout the day. A purely wonderful experience for both Tolkien Veterans and the uninitiated alike.

In my review of Rob Inglis' reading of The Hobbit, I said it seemed to take me a little while to get into his vocalizations, even though I'm a big fan of audio books (especially those read by a British voice).

The Fellowship of the Ring, however, I fell in love with immediately. Rob Inglis' style is perfect for this book. He does the voices well and the story is far richer and more engrossing than that of The Hobbit. (Even though The Hobbit is delightful and unique in its own right.)

There really isn't much I can say about these Lord of the Rings audio books that hasn't already been said. This CD edition of The Fellowship of the Ring read by Shakespearean actor Rob Inglis is perfect for you if:

1. You love The Lord of the Rings
2. You're intrigued by all the pre-movie hype and you'd like to discover what Tolkien's book is really all about
3. You have a lot of drive time on your hands and you'd like to fill it with something entertaining and intelligent
4. You can't stand listening to insipid Top 40 or Talk Radio programs
5. You love listening to the British dialect
6. You just want to have a good time hearing one of the greatest novels ever written read to you by a professionally trained actor who makes each character come to life.

The sound quality on these CDs is, as it was on The Hobbit, superb. The recording level is perfect. The pace of the reading is just right. I'm about halfway through right now and I'm looking forward to every minute of it.

This edition is a very good value for the price.

By all means, choose this unabridged cassette version whether you are "reading" LOTR for the first time or for the umpteenth time! I debated whether to go with this cassette version of LOTR or the newly-released BBC CD set with Sir Ian Holm. Thank goodness for Amazon reviews because after reading that the CD set was NOT truly unabridged (how could they leave out Tom Bombadil?!), it simplified my decision. Rob Inglis is outstanding reader and does a fine job selecting an appropriate voice for each of the characters. I personally find it much more pleasing than a host of voices (of course if Sir Ian had done the entire CD version, I'd be back to a difficult decision). The point for me when listening to a book is to hear the story and use my imagination; too many voices or sound effects can be distracting.

What can I say that hasn't been said in the many, many other reviews? This book is absolutely fabulous. It's full of all the stuff a terriffic novel needs. The characters are complex and intriguing, the plot is fascinating and draws you in so you can hardly put it down. The history given for the world in which the books take place is so extremely detailed and believable, you start to wonder if Middle Earth exsists. Which brings me to another point- the setting is absolutely wonderful, I'd give anything to go to Middle Earth and explore.

Sure, it slows down in some spots (the infamous Council of Elrond chapter... ^_-), but for a story to work the plot must slow down in some parts for the author to explain things and put further events in the proper context. BTW, even if you haven't read The Hobbit, I think you'll follow this book along just fine. Bilbo's account (There and Back Again) is told in summary in the prologue.

After you read this book, I think you'll want to get one of those "Not all who wander are lost" bumper stickers for your car, too! ^_^

Now, this is probably going to be an unpopular review because people will see the three stars and think, "What, is he out of his mind? The Lord of the Rings is one of the best books ever written". And it is. But this is not a review of the book, it is a review of Rob Inglis' READING of the book. And the editorial raves not withstanding, I am sorry to say that this is not a reader that EVERYONE will like. Before I get lynched, here's why I think so.

I have listened to HUNDREDS of audio books. All unabridged. Inglis falls somewhere in the middle of the pack. He has a deep voice -- this would not normally be an issue were he reading a historical work. But Inglis is one of those readers who does "voices". NOw some people are genius at this. For example, the incomparable Frederick Davidson. But for Inglis, the deep voice is a liability when he tries to pitch it high to do an elf voice or, good heavens, a woman's voice. The result is very annoying.

Also, fans of the Trilogy will know that it is filled with song. Inglis' rendering of the songs was grating (at times almost embarassing) -- and got my fast forward finger working over-time. He is over-matched by this, particularly when it comes to Galadriel or Legolas.

Next there is the manner, or tone, in which Inglis has chosen to pitch his reading. He has adopted a wistful, elegiac, far away manner -- it is almost pretentious, I have to say. And it becomes tedious because he almost never varies it. He is, as the saying goes, "a bit one paced". Now, some people will like his voice and manner, I do not deny this -- because it does, as one of the editorial reviews says, emphasize the fairy tale aspect of the Trilogy.

But to me is drains some of the manliness and power from some of the dialogue. Aragorn, to me the quintessential man of action and mystery, a true hero, comes across as a man obessesed with what has been lost; a man trapped in the past. Which he clearly isn't.

Some examples. Aragorn and Boromir are virtually indistinguishable. The Hobbits (apart from Frodo), Sam in particular, are rendered in a country bumpkin voice that is out of all keeping with what I see as the inherent dignity of the Hobbits. It also serves to underscore Sam as the servant of Frodo, rather than his friend. Legolas ends up with a reedy, strained voice, because Inglis can not get into the higher register. I was left thinking, "who ever made the rule that Elves had little high voices?"

HAVING SAID ALL THAT, this is the ONLY unabridged version. And as such, falls into the "must have" category. For all of the foregoing quibbles, Inglis' reading is serviceable and entertaining. Buy it -- you will enjoy it -- but do not expect the definitive reading -- that awaits us! Which is an ocassion for celebration I suppose. Because surely it will come.

Writing yet another review of "The Fellowship" is a bit like adding icing to a thousand layer cake. No matter how well written, it is highly unlikely that I could add anything new to the richly deserved kudos that Tolkien's efforts have received in the decades since they first appeared. I have read and re-read these works countless times since I first encountered them when I was in high school, which was back sometime around the invention of fire.

I'm not going to even attempt to describe the contents of the volumes other than to state that it is the tale of a great journey and an even greater quest to free the world of a great horror. It shows how there is no such thing as the least or the greatest, and that all have terribly important tasks to do. Tolkien's tale combines fantasy within an ethical and moral framework to create a story that has value for every age group.

Over the years, my perception of the books has changed considerably. MY first few readings where in childlike (or hippy-like) wonder, and then, over the years, I have become more conscious of the works as literary efforts and some of the wonder has worn off. But even so one cannot but be amazed by the amount of scholarship and effort that went into making "The Lord of the Rings" an epic which deeply touches almost everyone who comes into contact with it. On the negative side, though, I found in my latest re-reading that the language seemed a bit more overblown and stilted than I remembered. Unfortunately, that one piece of the gloss had worn off a bit.

Recently, looking for some tapes to listen to during a long trip, I came upon this set, narrated by Rob Inglis. It was very nicely priced and just the right length. I decided to discover what it felt like to hear "The Lord of the Rings" instead of read it. It turned out to be a felicitous decision. The occasional over-formality of the written text seems to vanish when it is read. The tale takes on an entirely different flow, and I found myself much amazed by all the adventures and trials that the four hobbits faced. In a way, the spoken Ring is a completely different work.

Rob Inglis does a remarkable job of reading. He manages to produce enough different voices to keep the many speakers separate from each other. I think the reading would have benefited from having additional readers, but Inglis does a fine job nonetheless. Except, unfortunately, when he sings. As much as I enjoyed hearing the many songs of Tolkien for the first time, Rob Inglis is not a singer. He can carry a tune alright, but there is something just a bit unmusical about it. Not enough to detract from the total effect, but enough to cause a wince now and then. Even so, this was a surprisingly enjoyable experience. Recommended to all who seek a different experience of a wonderful old tale.

In my reviews of The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring, both read by British Shakesperean actor Rob Inglis, I wrote that the sound quality on these audio books is crystal clear (neither too high, too low or distorted in any way), Inglis's characterizations are spot-on and the story itself (presented here in the only unabridged version available) is engrossing.

The Two Towers continues the story begun in The Fellowship of the Ring but introduces new characters, more battle scenes and a nearly palpable feeling of impending doom as Sauron and Saruman search for the ring.

Speaking of new characters, I don't think you'll ever find characters more fascinating than Ents. Ents are walking, talking trees found in Fanghorn Forest. Treebeard (a most "unhasty" Ent) is their leader. He's the oldest living thing in Middle Earth. As Inglis read these passages, I could almost picture the unhasty trees talking to Merry and Pippin. And I longed to look into their very old, wise eyes as they did.

The bottom line: The Two Towers (part two of the Lord of the Rings "trilogy") is equal to the previous books in every way.

Which means there really isn't much more that needs to be written. This is, without doubt, the best audio books edition of The Lord of the Rings available.

How do you know if The Two Towers read by Rob Inglis is right for you? Well, if you...

1. Love Tolkien's stories.
2. Have drive time on your hands.
3. Enjoy hearing a British voice.
4. Don't want to here a "dramatized," multi-voiced version.
5. Have already listened to (or are familiar with) The Fellowship of the Ring.
6. Have a cat you'd like to keep company during the day while you're at work (simply load up your CD changer, push "Play" and "Repeat All" and let Rob Inglis serenade your feline)

THEN...

This unabridged audio books edition of Tokien's masterpiece read by Rob Inglis is exactly what you need.

This item is referred to as "The Fellowship of the Ring (BBC Full-Cast Dramatization) [UNABRIDGED]". Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines "unabridged" as "2 : being the most complete of its class : not based on one larger". This definition led me to believe that I would be receiving the whole story. I should have looked at the number of disks (or tapes) and the 4 hour time given. This is not an unabridged version of the first boook of The LOTR trilogy. It might be an unabridged version of the BBC rendition, but who knows. This is just slightly longer than the movie version, so still no Tom B, no Barrow Downs, etc.
I have not purchased the other BBC dramatications of the LOTR series, but I did notice that they are not labled "UNABRIDGED"!