The Lord of the Rings (BBC Dramatization) [ABRIDGED] (Audio CD)

by J.R.R. Tolkien (Author), Dramatization (Reader), Ian Holm (Reader)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Originally broadcast in 1981 on BBC Radio, this full-cast adaptation of Tolkien's epic trilogy is justifiably regarded as a classic; unfortunately, in 2008, it faces inevitable comparison with Peter Jackson's films. While Jackson had stunning visuals, purists may find this simpler adaptation more to their taste. The radio version remains, in some ways, more faithful to the original trilogy. The extensive cuts to the narrative mean that much of Tolkien's poetic description and a degree of emotional resonance are lost, but narrator Gerard Murphy gives what remains the appropriate gravity. Most of the dialogue is pure Tolkien, and the fine cast does it justice. Ian Holm (who appeared as Bilbo in the films) offers a mature, nuanced portrayal of Frodo that is far truer to the text than Elijah Wood's wide-eyed innocent approach. (On the other hand, Sean Astin's accent and inflections as Sam are so similar to the audiobook's Bill Nighy's, one might suspect that Astin studied this recording before filming.) The 12th CD is devoted to a selection of songs from the books, set to original music. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

From School Library Journal
Grade 4-9-This trilogy of Tolkien's Middle Earth is presented in dramatization from the BBC, with original music and sound effects.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Random House Audio (December 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553456539
• ISBN-13: 978-0553456530
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 6 x 2.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (142 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #339,177 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

119 of 119 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BBC Production is Superb!!!, March 26, 2002

By	Martin McNelis (Shannon, Co. Clare Ireland) - See all my reviews

I'm writing this review because all of the reviews currently listed under this item refer to the books and not to the Radio Dramatisation. I'm assuming that anyone interested in this production is already familiar with either the books or the film of Fellowship of the Ring. Firstly, this is a superb production and is far superior to the Minds Eye production which you may have seen in a wooden presentation case. Although the presentation of this product could have been more attractive (and was in it's initial CD incarnation) it is still a "must have" item for any Tolkien fan. The cast is comprised of some of the BBC's finest actors including Ian Holm, John LeMesurier, Michael Hordern and Robert Stephenson. Ian Holm is particularly brilliant in his tortured and beautifully realised descent into despair. The production values are second to none and in some ways surpass the Peter Jackson film simply by allowing your imagination to fill in all the details. Peter Woodthorpe is stunning as Gollum\Smeagol and sets a very steep challenge for Andy Serkis to rise to in the forthcoming Two Towers movie.

Naturally, this is an adaptation and as such is abridged, but the only notable omissions are Bombadil, The Old Forest and the Barrow Wights. Some of the music may not be to all tastes (I personally dislike the Eagles proclamation of Saurons defeat) but all of it is beautifully orchestrated and delivered. Highlights for me would be William Nighy as Sam singing a part of the fall of Gil-Galad and his song in the tower of Minas Morgul. Gimli's recitation of "In Moria, In Khazad Dum" has wonderful emotion and resonance and Bilbo's last song is a beautiful and heartbreaking accompaniment to the scene at the Grey Havens.

Miranda Richardson's Galadriel has great power and she handles the temptation of the ring masterfully. Likewise Eowyn's challenge to the Lord of the Nazgul is amazingly powerful.

The main problem in a radio production is in finding a natural way to describe visual scenes without clumsy "Look Frodo, It's a big walking tree..." lines. This is handled very well for the most part particularly in the Battle of Helms Deep. Brian Sibley's decision to use the Minstrel of Gondor to tell the tale of the Battle of Pelennor Field is less successful but I found that after the first sitting I started to quite enjoy the effect.

I hope this short review has been enough to convince you that this is a very worthy addition to any collection and I hope that it appears in the correct section when you look for reviews of the Radio Play.

As a side note, although it is good, the BBC production of the Hobbit does not reach the heights that this production does, primarily due to poor choice of music style and a less than charismatic Gandalf.

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb Audio Adaptation of Tolkien's Classic, April 30, 2004

By	Neil Leslie (Marion,, SC United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I admit it. I'm a Tolkien addict. I've read the LOTR books at least 4 times, seen all the Peter Jackson films, and I have listened to this radio adaptation more times than I can count. In fact, as good as the films are (and they are, for the most part, very good) this radio version is in many ways superior. True enough, it lacks the stunning visuals of Jackson's films, but this leaves listeners free to imagine the fantastic creatures and landscapes of Middle Earth for themselves--to create theater for the mind.

One of the many strengths of this production is its extended running time--13 1-hour episodes for the radio series versus three 3-hour movies. This allows for greater character development and, more importantly, greater fidelity to what Tolkien actually wrote. The producers rearrange, compress, and eliminate certain events to make for a smoother narrative flow on radio, but they do not omit anything essential to the plot and, unlike Jackson, they DO NOT add anything to the book. Jackson adds an extended bloody battle with Wargs and a dream sequence to "The Two Towers" that are not in the original. As a result, he has to change the ending of the film, and, in my opinion, lessens its emotional impact. The producers of the radio version wisely avoid this kind of tinkering.

The producers of the radio version use more of Tolkien's original dialogue, which has a much higher and more exalted sound to it than most of Jackson's phrases. Ian Holm's radio Frodo is much more robust than Elijah Wood's film version, seeming to discover a nobility and courage that not even he knew he had. Wood's responses to crises for Frodo seem to be limited to screaming, passing out, and falling on his backside. The radio version treats Merry (Richard O'Callaghan) and Pippin (John McAndrew) with the respect and affection they deserve, rather than simply using them for comic relief, as Jackson seems to do. Other standout cast members in the radio production include William Nighy as Sam and Peter Woodthorpe as Gollum, both superior to Sean Astin and Andy Serkis, their film counterparts. Michael Hordern gives Ian McKellen a run for his money as the radio voice of Gandalf. Only Robert Stephens, the radio voice of Aragorn, comes up short compared to the movie's Viggo Mortensen. Unlike the movie's conflicted and self-doubting Aragorn, Tolkien and the radio version portray Strider as absolutely sure of his identity and destiny, and give him an air of supreme self-confidence. Unfortunately in Stephens's performance, what is meant to sound like regal self-assurance and a kingly air of command come out dangerously close to pomposity and arrogance. Mortensen's more restrained, quiet Aragorn who rises to greatness as a result of his trials, is a welcome improvement.

In short, if you want a real Tolkien experience, read the books, listen to this audio version, and see the movies, in that order. You can listen to the audio version while doing the dishes or driving to work. Doing those things while reading the book or watching the movie could be dangerous :-).

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Audio Experience, January 4, 2003

By	Tom Upshaw - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The BBC dramatization of the Lord of the Rings is quite a different experience from the recent motion pictures. If you know what to expect, this 13-CD BBC version is quite good. It is closer to the books, probably because it is a little longer than the movie trilogy and is focused on the story-telling and therefore spoken words, many of them from the original books. The BBC version again skips the Old Woods/ Willow-man/ Bombadil/ Barrow Wight material (as did the first film), but otherwise is more complete, and its adherence to Tolkien's original plot is fairly tight. The actor who portrays gollum did an excellent job with his speech mannerisms. Indeed all the actors did an excellent job. The BBC radio version also includes more of the songs and poetry in the original books. In a few places the choral music seemed a little old-fashioned or stuffy (for me) and hard to clearly understand, but the harmonies seemed generally appropriate for the songs being sung. The sound effects are simple but effective. A few of them were a little disappointing to the modern ear. An example is the lack of any battle sounds at Helm's Deep, only a few spoken exchanges and narrator summaries. (They could have at least rounded up a few metal objects to bang together a little more!) The journey home, scouring of the Shire and Grey Havens wrap-up after Mount Doom takes up an entire episode, which was a pleasant surprise since they did not skimp on even this part of the story. I was sad when the last CD was finished, just as when finishing a good book. If you are a Tolkien fan, and are looking for an experience of Tolkien's words and story that is closer to the original books than the recent films, this is an excellent listening experience. It would also be a good warm-up for someone who wants to experience the original version, but to whom the books appear a little daunting due to their length.

By the way, don't be confused by the reviews on this page. Most of them seem to refer to other (print) editions, not to the BBC radio version, oddly enough.