The Fellowship of the Ring (Dramatized)

By: J. R. R. Tolkien

Narrated by: An Ensemble Cast

Length: 3 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

Here is the original American full dramatization, as broadcast on National Public Radio.

In the ancient lands of Middle-earth, a place of elves and dwarves, Orcs and wizards, the darkest evil and the brightest good, a hobbit named Frodo Baggins embarks on a perilous quest: to carry the One Ring, ruler of all the Rings of Power, into the shadowy land of Mordor and destroy it in the fires where it was forged.

They're precious! Listen to all of our classic NPR dramatizations of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series:

The Hobbit (Dramatized)

The Two Towers (Dramatized)

The Return of the King (Dramatized)

©1979, 1994 Christopher R. Tolkien, Michael H.R. Tolkien, John F.R. Tolkien, and Priscilla M.A.R. Tolkien (P)1979, 1994 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

"The best available." ( Booklist)
"This collection...is a masterpiece." ( The Courier)
"Spirited productions...stirring music." ( Washington Post)

Classic stuff!

I used to listen to these on tape when I was a kid, and when I saw them here, I had to download 'em. They're almost as great as I remember. Some of the voice acting is a little off (I'm looking at you, Elrond -- whose idea was that?), but the main characters are great, and the selection of material is excellent. One and three-quarters thumbs up.

Silly voice acting

Generally bad voice acting too silly and too many women putting on ridiculous male voices.

Better for Young Adults

Some adults may enjoy this light fluff as entertainment, but I discovered I'd rather listen to an unabridged recording. This version isn't gripping enough for me.

could be Better

easy to lose interest. readers need to be more prolific in their reading. it could be read a little better.

For kids only

This is a really good way to introduce the younger set to the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, who may find it difficult to read the books or to young to watch the movies.

I didn't realize this was geared for kids when I dowloaded it. As an adult, I was unable to finish listening to this narration because I found the voices annoying. If you listen to this with your children, be aware that many of the characters have high pitched voices, sounding like the Smurfs or munchkins (which of course, children love!). The narration of the start of Frodo and Co.'s journey seemed to go and on and they hadn't left the realms of Hobbit lands yet. I think they should have cut this down a bit so children don't start to get bored with the narration.

None-the-less, if you have a young one that you want to get into the science fiction realm, this is the perfect thing to listen too. When they get older, show them the movies and let them read the books for the complete Lord of the Rings experience.

Highly abridged version

if you have not read the book or seen the movie previously, this version will be very hard to follow. it is highly abridged.

I finally found it!

This was the first audiobook I ever heard. Given to me by a family friend when I was 10. The compact discs were used and in poor condition and I admit I lost a few of them. This may not be the most complete or definitive version of LOTR but it kindled my love for audiobooks and therefore will always hold a special place in my heart and now in my audio library as well.

Good story but the performance I'd lacking

Story was great as I expected, but the voice action in this isn't good at all. In my opinion, the BBC version is far superior.

It's a radio drama of my favorite book, I loved it

I'm not sure why people complain about the abridgement. this isn't an audiobook of course its abridged. however of the two radio drama versions it's actually more faithful to the book than the BBC version. though it is undeniably more lighthearted in tone. the music and actors remind me of early Disney movies.

the pronunciation is a problem, and the lady who attempts to sound manly playing Sam made me laugh. but the music and acting make it clear that some of the voices were chosen for laughs. my primary complaint is that some of the voices sound a bit too similar at times.

ultimately its a very good listen. if you are a die-hard token fan who takes the sort of thing seriously, get the unabridged production by Rob Inglis. if you just want to enjoy the Lord of the Rings story in its basic form, this is a good option. if you want shortened but more serious delivery go BBC.

...Or you can be crazy like me and have all of them

a Wonderful Retelling

it had the quaint attitude befitting its time. reminiscent of a early Walt Disney movie. i will always hold a soft spot in my heart for the series. And this satisfied my hunger for Middle earth. very well done