The Lord of the Rings Audiobook By J. R.R. Tolkien cover art

The Lord of the Rings

The Fellowship of the Ring: The Ring Sets Out

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The Lord of the Rings

By: J. R.R. Tolkien
Narrated by: Rob Inglis
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Continuing the story begun in The Hobbit, this is the first part of Tolkien’s epic masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings.

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 Dragons & Mythical Creatures Epic Fantasy

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)
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Rob Inglis is the perfect narrator for this story. I just wish the book wasn't sold in six separate parts - very (and unnecessarily) pricey. But I bought and enjoyed all six anyway - the story is too well written, and Rob Inglis does too good a job reading it, to stop after the first one.

Great (but pricey) production

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I've read the Fellowship of the Ring twice. With Rob Inglis' voice added to this classic, it becomes ten times better. It is sad to see the Fellowship being broken up into two downloadable parts, for which you have to pay separately. It must be mentioned however that Audible's price for it is still much cheaper than buying the audio CD's.

Absolutely worth listening

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Would you consider the audio edition of The Lord of the Rings to be better than the print version?

In a way, yes. Many people have a problem reading the print version because Tolkein loves to use very long descriptions and histories along with a very liberal use of songs and poems. These suit an audio version, where the listener can just sit back and soak in the atmosphere created by the vivid descriptions, or enjoy the songs actually sung by the narrator. The voices are also a treat.

The format of the book also suits a voiced narrator as Tolkein writes in the format of a story teller telling you a tale of a world bigger than the books.

What did you like best about this story?

The scale of the story is so epic yet personal. And having just listened to The Hobbit, the many references make the world feel so alive and real.

Any additional comments?

As someone who watched the films before listening/reading the books, I can appreciate the care that both writer and director put in in creating this world in print and in film. Amazing!

Amazing Story Matched by an Amazing Performance!

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You really do realize why these books are so long, after you hear the insane amount of songs. I do believe Tolkien at times wanted to be an artist, and not a writer because this is insane! The performance is great though, and over all the book is great!

You realize why these books are so long

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

The comprehensive world created by JRR Tolkien

What did you like best about this story?

Gandalf's humour, especially in relation to hobbits.

What does Rob Inglis bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The songs, they left me completely cold when I first (and second, and third) read this. He gave life to the songs and the snippets of other languages, really bringing the world into focus.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I couldn't help but smile at much of Sam's character, what he says, how he thinks, what he does. I was also surprised at several points, not having read the book for so long that things like the hobbit's knowledge of the ring took me by surprise.

First stage in an epic journey and story

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A perfect reading of Tolkien's masterpiece!
I would recommend this audiobook for any Tolkien fan! The narration is wonderful and in a very pleasant dialect, the pacing is great and nothing is omitted from the book. As an added bonus, the songs are sung, some with Tolkien's melodies, and some with melodies written for the audiobook.
The story in itself is wonderful, with fleshed out characters and a world carved out to the slightest detail. I haven't read the book, but considering this is unabridged, I reckon everything is as it should be. The voices for each characters fit nicely with how I would have imagined them.
All in all, this book is an absolute treasure, and if you prefer audiobooks over printed books, I would definitely recommend this one.

Wonderful!

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love it! i've read all books several times alredy! but, it is the First time that i have listened it.

i love Tolkien!

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My loset character that is sorrily missed and I am aware that he is not that importent, but he was so different then all the other characters. I love the book and the reader is pleasant to listen to he sings the songs and he is steady in his Quenia.

Bombadil

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A great story narrated by a very good narrator. Having listened to that, I could hardly be impressed more... For what it's worth, I can't say that the movie itself was ever able to do anything like that to me.

Thoroughly enjoyable.

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a timeless classic with an amazing narration. doing my second listen and enjoying it like the first time

An epic adventure

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