The Fellowship of the Ring: The Lord of the Rings, Part 1 (Lord of the Rings, #1)

by J. R. R. Tolkien

Alan Lee (Illustrator)

The first ever illustrated paperback of part one of Tolkien’s epic masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings, featuring 19 colour paintings by Alan Lee, Conceptual Designer on Peter Jackson’s THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY.

Sauron, the Dark Lord, has gathered to him all the Rings of Power – the means by which he intends to rule Middle-earth. All he lacks in his plans for dominion is the One Ring – the ring that rules them all – which has fallen into the hands of the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins.

In a sleepy village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task, as his elderly cousin Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must leave his home and make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose.

Part of a set of three paperbacks, this sumptuous edition is illustrated throughout by Alan Lee, Conceptual Designer on Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

• ISBN10: 0007269706
• ISBN13: 9780007269709
• Publish Date: 1 April 2008 (first published 29 July 1954)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 5 December 2014
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Imprint: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
• Edition: Illustrated edition
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 576
• Language: English
• URL: http://harpercollins.co.uk

Reviews

[inlibrisveritas]

3 So much love for these books.

[Whitney @ First Impressions Reviews]

Many years prior to this story's beginning, a young Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins goes on an adventure; on his adventure he comes across a cave in which a strange creature by the name of Gollum resides. After a game of chance Bilbo acquires a magic ring.

Let's fast-forward now to Bilbo's eleventy-first birthday, which is a grand affair as it is joint with his nephew and heir, Frodo. Much preparation has gone into the party in which Hobbiton had yet to see for many a year. All goes splendid until Bilbo's infamously boring speech, year 111 is no exception until he suddenly disappears at the end of his roast on Hobbiton. After vanishing he walks into the night to mingle with the elves. Upon his leaving, but with great difficulty, leaves the magic ring for Frodo to inherit.

After discovering how dangerous the ring is Frodo and Sam who swears he wasn't eaves-dropping and heard " N-nothing important. That is, I heard a good deal about a ring, and a Dark Lord, and something about the end of the world, but... Please, Mr. Gandalf, sir, don't hurt me. Don't turn me into anything... unnatural." Anyway, they're off to Morder. As not to make this description any longer will just say that after forging the fellowship the seven members experience consent peril and betrayal.

There are thousands of adjectives to describe The Fellowship Of The Ring but none could do it justice. Instead I will simply say that Middle Earth is a place that can only be dreamed of but with lush descriptions and 3D characters it is very easy to picture a hobbit hole or the Mines of Moria. Alas, despite the vivid detail, it is not a happy story (little people willing going to their death doesn't make for light reading). The novel begins out nice enough showing a peaceful and gay time but slowly grows darker and darker. I thought this was brilliant because it shows what is worth fighting for and are willing to go to the ends of Mordor to keep it safe. A beautifully crafted story, and am still pondering why it has taken me so long to reread it.