Is there a good audio book of Lord of the Rings?

Cafe Society
1

I’ve read Lord of the Rings two or three times, so this is not my first experience with it. It’s something that I like to come back to every few years.

This time, I’d love an audio version of it to listen to in the car and during my bike rides. I have heard very mixed-negative reviews of most audio versions. Is there a good one?

I do have a copy of the BBC audio-play, which I have not heard. I know it isn’t a full-text unabridged version, but I thought it might be a great listen if a good full-audio does not exist.

Man, if there was a book for GraphicAudio to get the rights to, this would be it!

Thoughts?

2

I recall that the version read by Rob Inglis is very good, but it’s been a lot time since I heard it.

3

If what you want is an actual unabridged reading of the books, AFAIK the only one available is by Rob Inglis, and it is a good one. I have listened to it/them and enjoyed it/them.

There also exist audio dramatizations, a British one from the BBC and an American one that was broadcast on NPR. I haven’t heard either of them, but from comments I have read here and elsewhere, the British version is the better of the two.

4

Yes, I have a copy of the BBC one(as I said). I wasn’t aware of the American one.

I may add the audio-play to my “reading” queue, so to speak.

5

The NPR Highbridge Audio version has 2 buying options, published on the same date, with ratings a full star and a half apart on Amazon. The difference? The higher star version is packaged in a wooden box.

6

I like the BBC radio drama. Ian Holm (Bilbo in the LOTR movies) plays Frodo.
It has music, sound effects, and (some bad) singing.

Brian

7

Rob Inglis does a good job, IMO. If you want the unabridged books, and want an audio-book experience, rather than a radio-play type of experience, I would not hesitate to get it.

8

Another vote for Rob Inglis. He almost sounds like Tolkien, but better. Tolkien always sounds like he’s in a hurry to get it over with when he reads excerpts. You also have to get Martin Shaw’s Silmarillion. It is much easier to listen to as oral folklore.