The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings, Book 3)
by J.R.R. Tolkien

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Book Reviews of The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings, Book 3)

Book Review: The Return of the King read by Rob Inglis -- Awesome!
Summary: 5 Stars

And that's only in the first 6 discs! It only gets more gripping from that point!

*Reading* J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings "trilogy" (I think we all know now it's not really a trilogy, but rather seven slimmer books slapped together to make three fat ones), is wonderful. But *hearing* the books read by a master like Rob Inglis is nothing short of breathtaking. Inglis transforms the books from something you merely imagine into something you actually experience. Each character comes alive and becomes someone you'd instantly recognize should you chance meet him/her.

The Return of the King follows on the heels of The Two Towers and picks up the tale of the quest to destroy the One Ring. King is written in the same way as Towers, with multiple tales going on simultaneously. In the Two Towers, the tale is split into three: Frodo and Sam...Merry and Pippin...and Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas. The tales never converge (Inglis' characterization of Gollum in The Two Towers is chilling, by the way -- what a brilliant performance!) and, in fact, seem to splinter even more at the very end of the book. (I won't reveal what happens lest you haven't heard/read it all yet.)

King begins with Merry, Pippin, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli more or less together -- then going their separate ways again...only to come together, miraculously, at the battle for Gondor. And then...well, you'll have to listen for yourself to discover if Frodo succeeds.

As with the previous RecordedBooks editions, this CD set is perfect. The sound quality is flawless. Very clear and crisp. Every nuance of Rob Inglis' marvelous voice is heard without spot or blemish. And the 16 CDs (some 15 hours!) seem to fly by. I swear there were times when I didn't want to leave the car because the action was so gripping.

As I listened to The Return of the King -- in fact, as I experienced the entire series on CD -- I kept feeling a stirring inside of me that was hard to explain. I think it has to do with knowing one's place in the world, doing what's right, chivalry, gallantry, royalty, kings, queens, etc.

For example, whenever I heard one of the characters address someone like Aragorn as "lord," or when Merry and/or Pippin chose (out of love and respect) to serve their kings to the end if need be, I wondered if we're missing something these days. Actually, I longed to experience the same thing. Some days I just want to be commanded by my king. And I want to follow wholeheartedly as a loyal subject, bravely wielding my sword in battle. Life is so much simpler when you know exactly what to do. Much more clear-cut.

But such is the world of J.R.R. Tolkien. Part of its allure is the majesty of the language. Part of it is the unparalleled imagery of the world he created. And part of it is the gallantry and bravery of the characters.

If you're new to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series, don't start with The Return of the King. That's the last chapter. Start with The Fellowship of the Ring. Or The Hobbit, which is the "prequel" to the series.

But if you want some of the finest audio book experiences you'll ever enjoy, get this set read by Rob Inglis. His deep, expressive, British voice is perfect to make Toklien's world spring vibrantly to life.

Summary of The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings, Book 3)

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