The Return of the King: Book Three in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy

I've listened to Fellowship and Two Towers on audiobook by the same narrator, and I had been trying to find Return of the King on CD from a bunch of different libraries and no such luck- but now it's finally here!

Rob Inglis does a wonderful job as the reader, and gives the characters their own voice. I've read the books before and enjoyed them, so I knew that I would like this story- but if you have never read the books before then I definitely reccomend listening to this version. :)

The Lord of the Rings is a true classic and if you have not experienced it (or only experienced the movies) this recording should be a wonderful experience. This recording includes the prefix and appendices (both at the end of the recording), which might be dry for some, but is great for LOTR geeks. Having an unabridged Lord of the Rings on Audible has been long awaited and is terrific. If I had not been exposed to the NPR/Minds-Eye production of this series I would have been pretty happy with the narration. The Minds-Eye production was abridged but was a really excellent performance. Rob Ingles’ narration is very good, and he does particularly well presenting the difficult epic poetry sections, but I did not much like his singing and overall a simple narration can’t compete with the Minds-Eye performances. Nevertheless I was very happy to have this excellent unabridged version. I started out a little unhappy with the narration, but as time went on I just became quite immersed in the story.

masterpiece

post destruction of ring

uses voices and songs. A master of narrator. Best in the business

narration is like the first 2 books. Rob Inglis work in this trilogy is constant perfection

HE INCLUDES THE APPENDICES!!!!!

Rob Inglis narration of this beautiful series ,with it's richly imagined characters and places ,the poetry, the songs, left me wishing for more. If you have only seen the movies this series is a must read,or in this case even better ,narrated with such skill the story becomes even more vivid.

Great mythic story.

Tolkien has a great style quite appropriate for his mythic tale. He builds a consistent universe, borrowing elements from Norse and Celtic myth, mingled with the produce of his own rich imagination. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy is among my favorite works of fictions. When I first read it some 40 years ago, it came to its end much too soon for my liking, despite the length of the books.

Rob Inglis is an excellent narrator, with the possible exception of his rendering of Tolkien’s verse into song. He has a rich, theatrical voice, and is (especially in comparison to some other narrators’ work) thoroughly professional in his performance. Also of interest to those who are wondering: the narrator DOES include Tolkien appendices.

It was helpful hearing the pronunciation of Elvish words, phrases, and names. I also typically listen to audiobooks only during lengthy car rides. This production is quite suitable for such journeys, keeping you alert and engaged.

One would have to have a very long sitting to do this!

One of the appendices included in this volume is some introductory material from the first volume of the series, _The Fellowship of the Ring_. I can see where including it at the start of that volume might not suit the desire of some listeners to jump right into the tale. As is, this information – basic background of the nature of Hobbits – comes too late to be helpful to any listeners not familiar with them. Perhaps audible should consider restoring this to the _Fellowship_, with an option of skipping directly to the tale if desired?

This is a great classic trilogy. Few people have never heard of or enjoyed this story in one way or another so I would like to focus on the performance.

I believe this story, with its diverse characters and languages, would be overwhelming to say the least. Rob Inglis not only accepted taking on this challenging journey but did so with much success.

Finally we come to the end and you can tell that both the narrator and the listener have gone through a journey to come out the other side. Listening to this book is a vastly different experience from the first one.

The plot comes to it's pinnacle and the narrator's skill is finally comes into its own. The story kept me engaged and I couldn't wait to hear the end. A lot goes on after the quest comes to a close that fans of the moves are unaware.

Of all the characters that were my favorite I would have to say Sam outshines them all. I get how Frodo is supposed to be the star, but without the heroism and brevity of Sam all would have come to naught. He is humble and unassuming yet takes no lip from others and if the need calls he is more than capable. Other characters are confident and, at times, brash about their abilities but Sam exemplifies the saying "Walk softly and carry a big stick". You'd never guess it from his personality but crossing him may be the most unwise thing one could do.

I really liked the book and how the author allowed the readers to say goodbye to each character in turn which is a real treat compared to the endings from other books I've read. You get to know each person and it seems that not only was the reader saying good bye but the author too, which is why it was handled the way it was and part of what made it great.

The narrator finally comes into his own with this book. The big problem that plagued the series (especially in the first book) were the songs / poems, as the narrator would often sing very quietly which, consequently, caused you to turn the volume up to hear what was being said...until the song ended and your ears were blown out your skull!

Those days are gone with this book and the songs / poems are a real treat. I didn't hear a peep of background noise (another problem in book 1 at a few instances) and the 3+ hours of bonus content at the end really helped to make a listener fell they not only got their money's worth but a real value to boot.

I have read these books many times but, listening to Mr. Inglis really brings them to life in the mind. His smooth, clear speech vanish into the background as the images spring to the imagination. This is a great book read by a great reader. Thank You Mr. Inglis!

Rob Inglis really does justice to, in my opinion, the best books ever written! Fantastic story-lines, fantastic narrative, you really can't go wrong with The Lord of the Rings Trilogy or The Hobbit. Buy it!

Rob Inglis infuses each heart and soul in the story with the full measure of backstory and richness that Tolkien intended. His performance draws you in deeper, each time you listen.

I now own this recording on tape, CD, and digital media. It is like a good friend I can always turn to, and one that I will never be without.