Preview
  • Tolkien's Ordinary Virtues

  • Exploring the Spiritual Themes of The Lord of the Rings
  • By: Mark Eddy Smith
  • Narrated by: Simon Vance
  • Length: 2 hrs and 55 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (822 ratings)

Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
Audible Plus auto-renews for $7.95/mo after 30 days. Upgrade or cancel anytime.

Tolkien's Ordinary Virtues

By: Mark Eddy Smith
Narrated by: Simon Vance
Try for $0.00

$7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $9.32

Buy for $9.32

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

The Lord of the Rings offers us essential lessons in living. Here we discover ordinary virtues like generosity, pity, and hospitality. We meet extraordinary people like Bilbo, Gandalf, Tom Bombadil, and Glorfindel. We learn about the roots of destruction in pride and betrayal, and we find the ingredients for success, such as community and sacrifice.

Each of us, even the most simple, is called to a journey. We may be asked to leave behind everything we have grown dependent on. And when this is the case, the tale of Frodo and his friends offers hope that we will be given the strength and the help we need to overcome every obstacle and defeat every foe. This book is meant to help you find the way.

©2002 Mark Eddy Smith (P)2005 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

What listeners say about Tolkien's Ordinary Virtues

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    642
  • 4 Stars
    127
  • 3 Stars
    38
  • 2 Stars
    7
  • 1 Stars
    8
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    639
  • 4 Stars
    81
  • 3 Stars
    19
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    2
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    568
  • 4 Stars
    114
  • 3 Stars
    44
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    7

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Very Well Done

Will we ever have enough of Tolkien? Ahhh, I think not. There is so much depth. Smith does an admirable job of swimming down deeper still. Fantastic way to encourage lively discussion about Tolkien’s work with my teenage boys who also thoroughly enjoy Lord of the Rings.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Insightful

I thought that I had picked up most of the Christian references and insights into Tolkien's amazing works, but Mark Eddy Smith has given me a whole new dimension and insight not only into "Lord of the Rings" but also into my own faith. I thoroughly recommend it!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Will not disappoint!

I feel well on my way to understanding Tolkien's mind, and after reading this. 10/10

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Inspiring exploration of the values in Tolkien

Simon Vance is always terrific. This book was a great encouragement to live a better life and a reminder of how literature helps us to do that.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Exceeded my expectations big time!!

This is the PERFECT companion for any Tolkien reader or movie fan! ITS LIKE ADDING EXTRA FROSTING TO YOUR CAKE! Just makes LOTR even better. You’ll wanna listen over and over to take in all the wisdom... Voice is just right too, reminds me of a Bilbo :)

DOWNSIDE: doesn’t cover the hobbit which would have been great.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

loved it

Loved it. Made me want read all the Tolkien books again. I saw some of the characters in a new light

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Surprisingly Good

An excellent book that was thoughtfully and carefully written; showing a great deal of insight and knowledge and study of Tolkien's work. Beware - it is potentially life-changing!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A good book

This book presents good ideas to think about. I have read the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit many times, but it is nice looking at them from a different perspective. There is more depth in Tolkien’s books than I got from my first or second reading of them. Mark Smith is eloquent and thoughtful. The narrator, Simon Vance is easy on the ears and good at what he does.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

For LOTR fans

When you just can't get enough JRR tolkien, this is an excellent dive into his motivations, and a very good overview of the story, the characters, the friendships, etc.
For those who worry it's overtly religious, it's not. Tolkien was a devout Catholic, and that does come through, but this is not a very preachy book in that way. It's a relaxing short listen, I enjoyed it immensely.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great, but...

The content is excellent; the reader is excellent, but for some reason the reader included every reference to a footnote and it was extremely distracting.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!