The Lord of the Rings

The Fellowship of the Ring: The Ring Sets Out

By: J. R.R. Tolkien

Narrated by: Rob Inglis

Length: 19 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

The complete, unabridged audiobook of The Fellowship of the Ring.

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

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.

©2025 Paul Delaney (P)2025 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)

Classic

What did you love best about The Lord of the Rings?

The story

What other book might you compare The Lord of the Rings to and why?

The Hobbit

What about Rob Inglis’s performance did you like?

His voice

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

There are movies of these books and it is wonderful to read it and compare it to the movies

A joy to hear

The reader has done a marvelous job. I had struggled through the book many years ago and had eventually, after persevering for several years (!) reached the end, but this book tripped through my headphones like sweet music.
In fact that is one of the aspects of the book that I most enjoyed. The reader does a marvelous job of singing the many songs that are recounted in the book and, instead of simply seeming a way to pad out the story, they become an intrinsic part of the narration. For this aspect of the audiobook alone I would highly recommend this title!

masterpiece

Theres nothing to left to say about thid book that hasnt been said...truly a masterpiece

A must listen

I could hardly say anything that hasn't been said before about this book. So I'll just leave it at this.

I truly enjoyed every part of it.

The Ring sets out.

What made the experience of listening to The Lord of the Rings the most enjoyable?

The most enjoyable part of listening to this book is Rob Ingliss' excellent narration and character performances. He should not have sung the songs though.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Lord of the Rings?

When the Hobbits meet Tom Bombadil and Goldberry. This is a wonderfully moment filled with J.R.R. Tolkien 's humour and Bombadil' s merry laughter.

Any additional comments?

Just this, The Lord of the Rings is just one of the greatest stories ever told. Rob Ingliss' performance was excellent although it may not do Tolkien 's masterpiece justice. Then again who could have? Still an enjoyable listen.

Highly enjoyable!

The narration is well done and every character has his/her own voice. Would recommend to all LOTR fans.

Excellent storytelling

I have loved The Lord of the Rings for a long time, having read it several times already, but Mr Inglis brought it to life in a marvelous manner.

The best book ever

The best best best book ever I enjoyed it very much it was deeply moving and funny yours truly Bob !!!

A peafeful, enjoyable experience

I come from listening to Andy Serkis' trilogy, and I am quite surprised to admit I definitely prefered this Rob Inglis reading. Serkis is amazing, but he is too dramatic, too loud, too many fake accents makes it confusing, at times it feels exaggerated. Rob Inglis is just perfect. It is a peaceful reading. It feels natural, enjoyable, great to listen to at night. He sings beautifully too. Serkis' singing is terrible. If you want a very dramatic performance of the book, go for Serkis. If you want a peaceful reading experience that is not lame or monotonous, I highly recommend this version. I really liked it.

lol.....what if....

i liked the books, liked the movies......but why didnt they used an eagle to deliver the ring to the volcano?