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628 of 659 found the following review helpful:
 Do NOT buy this edition Dec 21, 2000
By Mark Warren
Everyone knows the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings are wonderful stories, and I fully agree. The reason for my bad rating of this PARTICULAR edition of JRR Tolkien's works is that the books are riddled with typographical errors, some so severe that they change the meaning of sentences, effectively reversing the author's intent. One example: "The Breelanders locked their doors at night, which was also not unusual in the Shire." The word "unusual" should have been "usual"--i.e., the Shire Hobbits don't usually lock their doors at night. But exactly the opposite idea is conveyed by this typographical error! And there are many more errors where that one came from. I counted THREE errors on ONE PAGE! AVOID THIS EDITION at all costs!
664 of 706 found the following review helpful:
Weak Maps, spelling errors, don't do justice Dec 29, 2000
By Tal
As someone else mentioned, we all know the Lord of the Rings to be by the far one of the greatest works of writing of the 20th century. It is all a game we play with Tolkien, for he too took it much more seriously then any other Fantasy of Science Fiction writer ever has. He made up languages that existed in relationship to languages and dialects that we have in english, and thus created a nightmare for Translators. He told stories of all sorts of perils of creation, and made sure everything was done right. Thus, when an edition like this comes out, it is truly painful. For one, originally, Tolkien created some of the most beautiful maps of Middle Earth, spending time making sure that all of the proportions were accurate. He didn't just jumble down some lines for the coast line, for example. He spent many hours making sure everything was proportinate and made sense. However, sometime after 1988, Ballantine started to release editions of the triliogy with completely new maps, all signed by some Shelly Shapiro. In either case, these new maps were plauged with problems, from being too cartoony and unproportinate to having names of locations from the original maps done away with. The maps, from the very beginning, have been essential to the LoTR books, and having cheap maps made is annoying beyond belief. It shows a sign of disrespect from the editors. To me, it says, "People won't notice anyway. Lets make a smaller sized book with less detailed maps and save some money." If you truly want to expierience this epic (or history, more accurately) as Tolkien envisioned it (not some editor at Ballantine), spend some extra cash and either get a different edition or buy a good map (there is currently an excellent one made by Christopher Tolkien, which is much larger and detailed). Of course, were the map adequate, this edition still suffers from annoying miscopies and misprints and so on. Don't sell out for cheap editions. You've been warned.
198 of 213 found the following review helpful:
Tolkien is tops, but this edition shaky on QUALITY May 28, 1999
I got this very boxed set the other day and The Hobbit fell apart on first reading. The cover just peeled right off as I read through! Boo to the publisher (Ballantine Books, NY) for messing up a classic of literature. Worse, I found spelling errors too... needless to say I got a refund and will get myself the Deluxe Edition.
102 of 111 found the following review helpful:
 Epic battle between good & evil - myth making at its finest! Nov 30, 1999
By Bonnie Jacobson
I first read the Lord of the Rings & The Hobbit in 1969 at age 21. It helped to form my pattern of basic reading interest for years; I've re-read it aloud to my teenage daughters & son. (I've since gone on to complete a Masters in Education, and still find it marvelous reading!) My children loved it, of course! In reviewing some other readers' comments, I must say, it never occurred to me that Tolkien might be racist. I think THAT reader needs to get a grip and stop feeling sorry for him/herself because of his/her ethnicity! There are more races portrayed in the Trilogy than I believe that reader probably could conceive -- many of them very positively represented. Sauron, himself, wasn't human -- and physically, not a LIVING being at all. The characters are VERY well developed, along with their histories, their cultural background and the World of Middle Earth, generally. The reader who cast aspertions on Tolkien, lumping him in with Eddings, etc., apparently doesn't value fantasy writing as a genre. Eddings is a very fine writer also. I believe it helps to be in touch with your own youthful spirit, and have some inclination toward the pursuit of spiritual growth to appreciate to scope of this myth. Tolkien spoke to the heart, as much as, perhaps more than simply spinning a good adventure yarn -- altho' the Trilogy is certainly that, as well. To get at the kernal of Tolkien's truth, you MUST read The Silmarllion, which contains the ontological basis of the entire Rings works. His creation myth in The Silmarillion clarifies the basis for the conflict between Sauron and Gandalf (who are, not surprisingly, equals of the same race of beings -- not human at all), and the seeds for the entire epic battle. Some readers may feel the ending was inadequate, as if "They all lived happily ever after" is not an end worth striving for. I think Tolkien, like many of us, hoped for the triumph of Good over Evil -- the hope of humankind. Evil is anti-life. The triumph of evil presupposes the end of all life. An epic myth such as Lord of the Rings can only stand for all time, as this one surely must, if it speaks to that glimmer of hope that Good (and Life generally) can and will triumph over Evil (and the grave). No sensible person, surely, would recommend all his children (much less his friends or other strangers) read a book which speaks only to the darkest side of ourselves, which concludes -- as the sign over the door to Hell warns, "Abandon All Hope, Ye Who Enter Here". Tolkien's trilogy is a timeless masterpiece. EVERYONE, I believe, can benefit by reading it, many times over (even those cynical or foolish enough to find its ending insipid, its characters inadequately developed and its development "racist")!
97 of 106 found the following review helpful:
The two greatest stories ever told.. Apr 20, 2000
By Charles Pinney
This new box set by Houghton Mifflin is a beautiful addition to any Tolkien lovers bookshelf. The illustrations on the box and on the book covers themselves, are done by Alan Lee. One of the best Middle-earth artists, renown for his work on the hardcover editions of "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit".In the box you get the cornerstones of Middle-earth, "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings". In "The Hobbit" you'll go along with Bilbo Baggins, twelve dwarves, and Gandalf the wizard on their quest to recover the dwarves gold and home from the dragon Smaug. A lighthearted and fun journey that sets the stage for what is to come.... Which leads us to "The Lord of the Rings", the greatest fantasy epic of all time. Taking place years later than "The Hobbit", this is the story of Frodo Baggins, Samwise, Merry and Pippin and their quest to save Middle-earth from the evil Sauron by destroying the One Ring. Bilbo is seen again and Gandalf is back too, helping the hobbits on their journey. You'll meet a memorable group of characters, who come to life, with the touch of Tolkien. In both books you'll get maps to help you on your way, and in "The Lord of the Rings" there are extensive appendixes with a tale of years, calendars, family trees, notes about language and other good stuff. Overall this one set of books you'll probably end up replacing over the years as you wear them out from reading. You'll smile everytime you open the covers, delving back into Middle-earth, to see old friends and make new ones, in the greatest stories ever told....
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