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The Lord Of The Rings: The Return of the King (Dramatised)
- Narrated by: Ian Holm, Michael Hordern, Robert Stephens
- Length: 3 hrs and 10 mins
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Classics
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The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Dramatised)
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The radio dramatisation of The Hobbit became a classic when it was first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1968 and it continues to delight today. Tolkien's famous saga, the prelude to the Lord of the Rings, has all the ingredients of fantasy and adventure: dwarves, elves, goblins and trolls, a fearsome dragon, a great wizard, a perilous quest, and a dramatic climax.
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1 out of 5 stars
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It's just not good, the audio sucks.
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The Fall of Gondolin
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Gondolin, beautiful but undiscoverable, is central to the enmity of two of the greatest powers in the world. Morgoth of the uttermost evil seeks in vain to discover the marvellously hidden city of his Elven enemies, while the gods in Valinor refuse to support Ulmo Lord of Waters' designs to protect it. Into this world comes Tuor, cousin of Túrin, and guided unseen by Ulmo he sets out on the fearful journey to Gondolin to warn them of their coming doom.
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5 out of 5 stars
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excellent narration , filled the gaps of lotr
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Beren and Lúthien
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Beren was a mortal man, but Lúthien was an immortal Elf. Her father, a great Elvish lord, was deeply opposed to Beren, and imposed on him an impossible task that he must perform before he might wed Lúthien. Undaunted by Lord Thingol’s challenge, Beren and Lúthien embark on the supremely heroic attempt to rob Morgoth, the greatest of all evil beings, of a Silmaril, one of the hallowed jewels that adorn the Black Enemy’s crown.
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The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Dramatised)
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 32
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5 out of 5 stars
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1 out of 5 stars
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ruined it
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1 out of 5 stars
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The Fall of Gondolin
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- Narrated by: Timothy West, Samuel West
- Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall0 out of 5 stars 0
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Performance0 out of 5 stars 0
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Story0 out of 5 stars 0
Gondolin, beautiful but undiscoverable, is central to the enmity of two of the greatest powers in the world. Morgoth of the uttermost evil seeks in vain to discover the marvellously hidden city of his Elven enemies, while the gods in Valinor refuse to support Ulmo Lord of Waters' designs to protect it. Into this world comes Tuor, cousin of Túrin, and guided unseen by Ulmo he sets out on the fearful journey to Gondolin to warn them of their coming doom.
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The Silmarillion
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 8
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 6
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5 out of 5 stars
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Beren was a mortal man, but Lúthien was an immortal Elf. Her father, a great Elvish lord, was deeply opposed to Beren, and imposed on him an impossible task that he must perform before he might wed Lúthien. Undaunted by Lord Thingol’s challenge, Beren and Lúthien embark on the supremely heroic attempt to rob Morgoth, the greatest of all evil beings, of a Silmaril, one of the hallowed jewels that adorn the Black Enemy’s crown.
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Summers span decades. Winter can last a lifetime. And the struggle for the Iron Throne has begun. As Warden of the north, Lord Eddard Stark counts it a curse when King Robert bestows on him the office of the Hand. His honour weighs him down at court where a true man does what he will, not what he must...and a dead enemy is a thing of beauty. The old gods have no power in the south, Stark’s family is split and there is treachery at court. Worse, the vengeance-mad heir of the deposed Dragon King has grown to maturity in exile in the Free Cities. He claims the Iron Throne.
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4 out of 5 stars
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poor clarity and too much modulation
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Very poor narrator
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5 out of 5 stars
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Flawless author
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The Triwizard Tournament is to be held at Hogwarts. Only wizards who are over seventeen are allowed to enter - but that doesn't stop Harry dreaming that he will win the competition. Then at Hallowe'en, when the Goblet of Fire makes its selection, Harry is amazed to find his name is one of those that the magical cup picks out. He will face death-defying tasks, dragons, and dark wizards, but with the help of his best friends, Ron and Hermione, he might just make it through - alive!
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great 👍 Audiobook
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Publisher's Summary
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What listeners say about The Lord Of The Rings: The Return of the King (Dramatised)
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 30-09-19
Proved better again!
The best book of the series! The cast couldnt be perfect for the role! Loved it!
1 person found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- B-House
- 29-01-19
Chapters are out of order
Uodate: so the whole book is there but the chapters are out of order. Chapter 2 should be 1, 3 should 2, and 1 should be 3.
———
This book is taken from the old BBC version of the LOTR trilogy. Book two ends with the coming of the battle of Gondor and this book begins with the burial of King Theodin meaning it’s missing most of the book which they neglected to include it (about 60% is missing from this audio rendition). This is a five star book and performance but not with most of the book missing.
18 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Bryan J. Peterson
- 17-10-12
Excellent.
Return of the King picks up right where Two Towers left off. After accidentally revealing himself to Sauron via the Palantir of Orthanc, Pippin is taken to the city of Minas Tirith by Gandalf, who suspects that Sauron's next move may be to target that city. Meri is put in the care of King Theoden of Rohan. Aragorn, Gimley and Legolas go in search of the mysterious Paths of the Dead, a haunted road which provides the only chance Aragorn has of reaching Minas Tirith before the city is lost. And Sam Gamgee embarks on a desperate mission to rescue Frodo who, left comatose by Shelob's venomous sting, was subsequently discovered by a band of Orc soldiers, though fortunately not before Sam, mistaking Frodo for dead and resolving to see the quest through to its end on his own if possible, took the Ring from his friend. But even if he succeeds, only time will tell whether they'll have the strength to see the quest through to its ultimate end, much less whether that end will come on Mount Doom with the destruction of the Ring.
As with the first two installments, the BBC did an excellent job on this one. Ian Holm does an excellent job of conveying the terrible changes the ordeal has wrought in Frodo, and definitely leagues better than Elijah Wood's rather wussy performance in the films. Peter Woodthorpe is the perfect combination of scary and pathetic in his portrayal of Gollum. So all in all this is an excellent production surpassed only by the Rob Inglis narrated unabridged productions, which Audible has finally made available. So if you haven't given this production a listen you might just be in for a good time.
14 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- MBurke
- 08-07-17
Well read disappointingly edited
The voice actors did a nice job but I didn't expect the book to be so heavily abridged. Scenes I treasured were altered or omitted yet much time was dedicated to full renditions of songs.
5 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Paula
- 11-04-10
Nicely Dramatised
I've read the triligy several times and love the unabridged work, however this dramatised version has very good voices and pace. I don't care for the singing, but I tend to fast forward through that and it's just part of the story.
8 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Michael
- 12-01-12
Simply Epic
This is quite possibly the greatest story ever told. This should be required reading for every single person on the planet.
21 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Tuanna Carpo
- 30-07-11
A Lot of fun
This was my first audio book and I really enjoyed it. Not just because it is one of my favorite movies, books and now audio but because I was able to crochet while listening to it. I'm a crafter so this kind of thing really makes me happy. I like being able to multitask. I can't wait to find another book to listen too. With my eyes going slowly this is a God send.
6 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- hannah
- 28-01-11
Fantastic climax to the trilogy
This I think is the best of the 3 parts in this dramatised series by the BBC. It still contains enough plot to be exciting and the music and sound effects are very complimentary to it's production.
I can't wait to have time to listen to it again, which I think is best done in large chunks of listening time so that you get emerced into the plot.
Don't buy this if you want plot information purity.
13 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Jacob Jenks
- 25-02-20
not the book.
This is not the book just a script. this should be taken down and replace with the book.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Dakota S.
- 17-09-18
This is not the actual book. (avoid).
Not really an audiobook, so much as it is an audio only recording of a play.
7 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- kscott
- 30-07-18
Love that there are no breaks in this version!
This is the best version of the LotR out there. Wonderful adaptation, excellent acting, everything works. All dramatizations should strive for this level of quality!
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- R M Mewis
- 16-04-18
makes me cry every time & want to start it again!
from the 10 year old to the now 35 year old this series has never failed to keep me enchanted, scared and amused, and no doubt it will until I go deaf in my dotage!
6 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Nephrite
- 18-02-20
The End of The Red Book
The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King(1981) Adapted for BBC Radio 4 by Brian Sibley and Michael Bakewell
Here we are at the end of the journey my friends. Sauron’s mighty armies have been destroyed and there is a king in Gondor once again. The Dark Lord and his ilk are dispelled. Surely the task is done? Unfortunately for the Hobbits of The Shire the answer is no.
The Return of The King’s dramatisation is also peerless in its field. The Peter Jackson film adaptation is good. The Extended Editions especially. But it has one major omission. It doesn’t include The Scouring of The Shire. I won’t be too specific as to what occurs but from its name I’m sure I don’t need to be the one to tell you that it isn’t exactly pleasant...at least mostly.
The cast are on fine form one last time. Frodo as portrayed by Ian Holm once again comes in for praise only this time his personality has become somewhat warped. At last the burden has begun to lure the good kind gentle Hobbit. But his core is still pure...even though anyone could be tainted and scarred by such an evil.
Thank the Lady of Lothlorien that Frodo has a gardener with him! Samwise Gamgee has a pitch perfect portrayal courtesy of Bill Nighy. Sam manages to be stout-hearted and brave beyond the call of duty. After all he might not be able to carry The Ring but he can carry the Ring-bearer! Sam truly is the hero of the tale which seems appropriate since he is the most ordinary of them all. This is something captured wonderfully by Bill Nighy in his performance. He is also excellent at showing Sam’s incredible loyalty to Frodo and distrust of Gollum.
Speaking of Gollum or Smeagol, he is played by Peter Woodthorpe who manages to display both sides of the character. The two personalities are very well done even if I personally prefer Andy Serkis in the role. His sneaking and corrupted attitudes are shown very well as well as the famous tendency to speak like thisisisis especially with regards to fisheseses. (It actually feels weird to type like that. Maybe it is my inner pedant?)
You’ve heard me praise before the work of the series musician Stephen Oliver and the Radiophonic Workshop’s Elizabeth Parker but I made one notable blunder. I didn’t include the wonderful singing voices tied to the series. There are quite the collection of them across all three parts but sadly I could not find sources where many were named outright. The only names I could find definitively were Matthew Vine, Oz Clark and David James. Regardless I will praise all the singers as a group because all the songs across the series sound absolutely beautiful to my ears. I can’t guarantee they’ll be to everyone’s tastes musically but I certainly enjoyed them.
Once last time I will recommend hunting down either a physical CD of this version – Warning!: Physical versions are expensive – or obtaining a digital download from somewhere such as Audible. If I remember correctly the physical CD release of The Return of The King comes with a bonus disc which contains a large selection of the music heard throughout the series – although I believe not all. Some songs such as The Ballad of Gil-Galad as I refer to it or officially The Fall of Gil-Galad when listened to on the CD in question are sung by other performers than in the original dramatisation which may bother you. Personally it does somewhat hinder my enjoyment of the bonus CD but the bonus songs are notably not included in the digital version I own and have used for the reviews.
Now what could I review next? Perhaps it is time for a visit to the time of handsome cabs, endless fog, opium dens and gentlemen’s clubs? After all this is the home ground of The Great Detective.
Namárië!
Nephrite
3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Andyjn
- 15-02-16
An excellent end to a great trilogy
This instalment is like the rest in the series. A great story brought to life by a great cast. An excellent listen.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Luke
- 21-11-18
A must for all LOTR fans!
This recording is an absolute must for all Tolkien fans. A wonderful cast, superbly put together by Brian Sibly for Radio. I re-listen to this every year. Simply wonderful!
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Emma Richardson
- 22-12-17
wonderful
This is my favourite adaptation of my favourite book. Stunning and atmospheric throughout. I particularly enjoyed the music.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- James Garbutt
- 29-09-17
Loved it
Loved this. Well worth a listen! I have always been a fan of The Lord of the Rings from childhood. And this is a beautifully done performance
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Susan
- 28-08-17
Excellent in all aspects
Loved it when. first broadcast. A brilliant production. Wonderful to have it on my phone.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ross Elliott
- 10-08-17
excellent
Fabulous dramatisation. Wonderful voices which i remember dearly from childhood in the 80s when this series was first broadcast. Sadly many of these great actors have died now. They leave a master piece radio drama legacy.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- sally
- 25-08-09
Wonderful tolkein
I realy enjoyed this dramatisation. i am aware it is not a recent one but it stands the test of time.
3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- john roe
- 22-07-21
Excellent
Excellent listen just close your eyes and drift off into middle earth, watch out for them damned orcs though
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 02-07-19
Not what I was after
I picked this dramatic adaptation accidentally and couldby stand it longer than 2 minutes after the first two books being read by Ron Inglis
3 people found this helpful