Average Rating: 
Rating:  - *Quality* personified
I only recently (Today in fact) recieved this book, and I had no doubts in my mind as to whether it was worth the expense to have it shipped here (I am located in the republic Ireland). I could have simply gone to my local Easons (pretty much *the* only bookstore, of note, in Ireland) and picked up one of the many (and I'm talking millions here) paperback editions of "The Hobbit" (or The Lord of the Rings, as I bought both leatherette editions), but instead I chose the leatherette edition, and I'm not sorry, not in the least!I'll start by describing the 'externals' (or asthestics) of the book: Let me first say, dont be fooled into believing this is some 'form' of leather that the book is bound in, it is, in fact (or at least appears to be), a form of plastic. Saying this, however, it does not cheapen the book, I'm saying merely to clarify. This 'plastic' is actually made to look 100% like real leather, if only for the feel, you would be fooled into thinking it was leather (leather is less resitant, scratches more easily and is softer under-hand). I personally dont mind, the book is most beautifully crafted with 'simulation' gold gild (more than likely its a gold ink or paint). The pages themselves are of good, rather great -quality, not cheap 'bright-white' 'mass market' pages, but rather a subtle shade of mild yellow, not to mention the pages being almost twice as thick as paperback editions (if not, in fact thicker), which makes for a much more comfortable read. I have only one 'gripe' or 'probleme' with this book, and that is that the text that is printed on the pages seems to be at an angle (rather than being 90deg to the pages edge, the text seems to be off by about 3-5 degrees). This is only a slight annoyance, and I am not totally convinced that it is either an error while printing nor that all copies have the same 'condition'; I personally dont mind too much, but for the 'perfectionistic reader' it can be quite distracting, but to be honest that is the fault of the reader rather than the book's. Finally (and perhaps most importantly?),
The book comes with a 'container' wich is, also, bound with 'leatherette', they both complement each other and the cover is a perfect protector against the day to day 'wear n tear' of life. Personally, I cant put the book down. I'm three chapters through and cant find fault in the book. All of this goes for the "Lord of the rings - Leatherette edition" just as much as for "The Hobbit - Leatherette edition". This book is a must for all!
Rating: - superb reading of the Tolkien classic
The Hobbit is JRR Tolkien's prequel to The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Though it stood on its own legs for 30 years, it is now difficult to disentangle this tale of Bilbo Baggins' adventuring with dwarves and finding of the One Ring from the grandly-scaled tale that would follow. This is a charming story, less an epic than a good old-fashioned tale, as Bilbo, Gandalf, Thorin Oakenshield and the rest trek to the Lonely Mountain to wrest dwarvish gold from the dragon Smaug. Along the way they encounter Beorn the Bear-Man, elves, trolls and spiders. Rob Inglis, who reads the unabridged edition of this fantasy classic, is a Shakespearean actor, and has the chops. His voice is clear, resonant and beautiful, and he has created unique voices for each character -- even the fourteen dwarves. He could relate the dialogue with no intervening narration and you would be able to tell who is speaking! In addition, he lends animation to the text, not reading in a dry style, but with appropriate inflection, humor and drama. It is a pleasure to hear this beloved book brought to life by such a talented actor. Minimal packaging of ten CDs, each approximately 1 hour in length. This is a wonderful way to introduce The Hobbit to children, to enjoy the book as a family, or to give to someone who, for whatever reason, can't read the book for themselves.
Rating: - Audio masterpiece..
Having just purchased both BBC productions of "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings", I've decided to write a quick review.First off, "The Hobbit" is the classic story of Bilbo Baggins' adventure across Middle-earth to help recover the dwarves gold, and defeat the evil dragon Smaug. If you live and breath hobbits, you can't go wrong with this audiobook. It comes in a green slipcase, containing a hardback (almost book-like) holder of five compact discs. A booklet containing all the characters, production cast, and track titles is included. Also in the set is a fold out map of Middle-earth. The production itself, is a lot of fun to listen to. The English actors are great, the music is superb. Overall this is a great item for any Tolkien lover, sure to bring joy and put a smile of your face for a long time to come.
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