Synopses & Reviews
This special edition of
The Lord of the Rings celebrates the birth of J.R.R. Tolkien with fifty paintings specially commissioned from the noted English artist Alan Lee.
Since its first publication in the 1950s, The Lord of the Rings has been accepted as a unique creation, becoming, as Tolkien envisioned, one of the living "myths" of the English-speaking peoples.
In this one volume the three parts of The Lord of the Rings The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King are enhanced by the work of a dedicated artist whose vision matches Tolkien's own.
In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring to rule all the others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and remained lost until after many ages it fell by chance into the hands of the hobbit, Bilbo, and was then bequeathed to his young nephew, Frodo. The Lord of the Rings tells of the quest undertaken by Frodo together with the fellowship of the ring: Gandalf the wizard; Merry, Pippin, and Sam, the hobbits; Gimli the dwarf; Legolas the elf; Boromir, man of Gondor; and a tall, mysterious stranger named Strider.
Their quest was perilous: to journey across Middle-earth, deep into the shadow of the Dark Lord, and destroy the Ring by casting it into the Cracks of Doom.
Review
"Among the greatest works of imaginative fiction of the twentieth century." Sunday Telegraph
Review
"A unique, wholly realized other world, evoked from deep in the well of Time, massively detailed, absorbingly entertaining, profound in meaning." The New York Times
Review
"A work of immense narrative power that can sweep the reader up and hold him enthralled for days and weeks." The Nation
Synopsis
Celebrating the birth of J.R.R. Tolkien, this centenary edition of the classic volume is illustrated with fifty specially commissioned paintings by an artist whose vision matches Tolkien's own. One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them. In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, The Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell, by chance, into the hands of the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins. From his fastness in the Dark Tower of Mordor, Sauron's power spread far and wide. He gathered all the Great Rings to him, but ever he searched far and wide for the One Ring that would complete his dominion. On his eleventy-first birthday Bilbo disappeared, bequeathing to his young cousin Frodo the Ruling Ring and a perilous quest --- to journey across Middle-earth, deep into the shadow of the Dark Lord, and destroy the Ring by casting it into the Cracks of Doom. The Lord of the Rings tells of the great quest undertaken by Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring: Gandalf the Wizard, Merry, Pippin, and Sam, Gimli the Dwarf, Legolas the Elf, Boromir of Gondor, and a tall, mysterious stranger called Strider.
About the Author
Alan Lee was born in Middlesex in England in 1947. He attended the Ealing School of Art, specializing in illustration, and has illustrated a wide range of books including Faeries (with Brian Froud), The Mabinogion, Castles, and Merlin Dreams. He also worked on the film Erik the Viking. Tolkien's work has inspired him ever since reading The Lord of the Rings at an early age. He now lives and works on the edge of Dartmoor, in Devon.