The Return of the King

The Lord of the Rings, Book 3

By: J. R.R. Tolkien

Narrated by: Rob Inglis

Length: 17 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

The complete, unabridged audiobook of The Return of the King.

Concluding the story begun in The Hobbit, this is the final part of Tolkien’s epic masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings, available as a complete and unabridged audiobook.

The armies of the Dark Lord Sauron are massing as his evil shadow spreads ever wider. Men, Dwarves, Elves and Ents unite forces to do battle against the Dark. Meanwhile, Frodo and Sam struggle further into Mordor in their heroic quest to destroy the One Ring.

Includes Appendix A.

©1954, 1966 The Tolkien Estate Limited (P)1991 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

"An extraordinary book. It deals with a stupendous theme. It leads us through a succession of strange and astonishing episodes, some of them magnificent." (The Observer)

"Among the greatest works of imaginative fiction of the twentieth century." (Sunday Telegraph)

At last I can Read LOTR

Where does The Lord of the Rings rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This, like another favourite of mine, The Count of Monte Christo, is a long book. It needs, and gets in Rob Inglis, a reader of restraint and character whose voice is at the service of the book. The story comes first and then, with subtle changes of inflection or accent we recognise different character's voices. It is going to be a favourite of mine for this alone.

What did you like best about this story?

The reader made the story come alive. I was able to enjoy the book and not struggle through LOTR as I did before in 'book form'. Not everyone loved the books - I gave up, but the films inspired me to try again with this Audible audio book. The books are different but I enjoyed it and the film in equal measure.

Have you listened to any of Rob Inglis’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have only heard Mr Inglis read Tolkien but find him an excellent reader for the series that make up the Lord of the Rings books.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

"What do you mean you haven't heard the Audible version?" :-)

Perfect

Just perfect . Tolkien's work read masterfully by Rob Inglis made me feel like I was with the fellowship every step of the way

Good old Tolkien.

The lord of the rings are a classic tale and I hope that it will stay living not just by nerds and geeks. The Return of the King is full of wonderful, trilling and hart rendering beauty, it has bravery and selfless actes. I love the story and it is a grand tail, it has in a way shaped me, I hope that it will give some other that joy and pleasure that good storys can give.

Finally!

Would you listen to The Return of the King again? Why?

Absolutely. The narrator was excellent and the story is timeless.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Return of the King?

(No spoilers, I promise) Toward the end there is a whole section that was not in the films at all. This was my first time reading and it made the story new again for a film fan.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Of course, but I don't want to give away anything.

Any additional comments?

As a long-time Lord of the Rings movie fan, I finally tuckered down and listened to the books. They are fantastic. They are filled with new (to me) characters and additional stories that you wouldn't know about if you'd only watched the films. Definitely get this series on your "to read" list.

Graet

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Inglis sounds like Tolkien!

As far as I know, this is the only unabridged reading of LOTR, so if you want unabridged this is the one to go for! (if you want abridged, try the BBC full cast dramatisation).

Rob Inglis has a very traditional english voice - similar to Tolkien's own. He reads in a very measured way. Not only does he read the entire book (apart from the appendices), he also sings all of the songs. I think that he suits the reading, but I find sometimes he doesn't differentiate the characters enough, and the pace is not fast. I also find that he makes the hobbits a bit too "yokel" (rural english accent) for me.

That said, I enjoyed this audiobook and would recommend it. The only thing to be aware of is that Audible have divided it into six separate audiobooks, so to listen to the whole of LOTR, you are going to have to buy them all.

Don't miss this

I doubt there are any superlative words that haven't been applied to these books! I mean, of course the three books that make the complete story. They do what we wish all books would do, they transport us to a different world. They are so well written, that you suspend belief very early and move straight to middle earth. The characters become well known friends, and you share all their adventures with real emotional investment. These books will have you laughing, crying, holding you breath and shaking your head! As I am not an author, I can't make you understand how wonderful they are, nor how fabulous is the narration, so I'll have to leave it at that. I believe if you don't hear these you will honestly miss on of life's most special experiences.

The Perfect End

This is one of the rare occasions where a writer, not only develops the thematic ending to the main characters, and even secondary characters, but really closes the thematic argument of the whole saga and all other subplots very gracefully.

wonderful story

I have never gotten around to listening to lotr but now that I have I wish I could forget and experience this wonderful story anew.

Lord of the Nazgul!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I recommend this audio book to all Lord of the Rings fans as it enhances the reading experience.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Aragorn is my favourite character for his wisdom and bravery and willingness to sacrifice everything to save Middle Earth.

What about Rob Inglis’s performance did you like?

Rob Ingliss' performance of Lord of the Rings is excellent. His performance of Ghan-Buri-Ghan is brilliant and I loved the accent.

Any additional comments?

The Battle of Pellinor Field and The Pyre of Denethor are my favourite chapters in this part of the book.