Tolkien Audio Books

[Nikosandros]

Hi,

does anyone have good Audio Books versions of Tolkien works to recommend?

1) I'm looking for CDs... no tapes!

2) I'm looking for actual audio books and not dramatizations.

Thanks!

 

[smootrk]

I have all the recordings of The Lord of the Rings un-abbridged. I have ripped them from cd to my computer so that I can use an MP3 player. It is enjoyable to listen to them.

They are available from a variety of places like amazon.com but can be expensive to purchase. If you are penny-pinching, you can borrow these from a public library. Most libraries in major cities/towns have the audio versions available.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

You can get a great reading of the Hobbit, unabridged, on CD from Amazon.

The only LotR compilation I have on CD is the BBC dramatization -- which is actually quite good.

 

[Raloc]

My grandmother has the record version of the Hobbit, that Tolkien read himself. I've not been able to find a copy.

 

[Wombat]

I have heard parts of the unabridged Silmarillion. The moment I have the fundage (a daydream currently) I will pick a copy of it up for myself.

 

[Morgana]

Not sure if they are available outside the UK, but I would recommend the readings of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings given by Rob Inglis. Both are unabridged and do a good job of developing some individual "personality" for the main characters.

Martin Shaw's reading of The Silmarillion isn't bad either - he manages a suitably austere tone.

I don't like the BBC dramatisation myself; it's very much a product of it's time, and it now comes across as dated, and frankly a bit twee. The Black Riders are particularly awful IMHO.

Having said that a lot of people DO seem to like it, so it's obviously a personal thing.

 

[smootrk]

Not sure if they are available outside the UK, but I would recommend the readings of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings given by Rob Inglis. Both are unabridged and do a good job of developing some individual "personality" for the main characters.

Martin Shaw's reading of The Silmarillion isn't bad either - he manages a suitably austere tone.

I don't like the BBC dramatisation myself; it's very much a product of it's time, and it now comes across as dated, and frankly a bit twee. The Black Riders are particularly awful IMHO.

Having said that a lot of people DO seem to like it, so it's obviously a personal thing.

The un-abridged versions with Rob Inglis are available state-side and are very good. I am not a fan of the old BBC enactments either. Any major public library should have the copies you want, although you may need to get on a waiting list as I had to. They seem to be checked out at all times.

 

[kingamy]

I don't like the BBC dramatisation myself; it's very much a product of it's time, and it now comes across as dated, and frankly a bit twee. The Black Riders are particularly awful IMHO.

Having said that a lot of people DO seem to like it, so it's obviously a personal thing.

I find that while I REALLY appreciated the BBC plays before the movies came out, they have lost much of their charm now. I'll still pop it in now and then (having ripped my CDs onto a single MP3 disc makes it more practical) but it doesn't have the same effect.

kingamy

 

[Bobitron]

I have the dramatized BBC production myself, and enjoyed it greatly. I agree with some of the others comments about seeming dated and having some poor choices, but overall it's a bunch of fun.

I have not purchased or heard a straight audio book version. I have nothing to contribute. Why did I even post?

 

[Mark]

I'll try to nudge my buddy, thalmin, to pop into this thread. I think he's got a number of Audio Tolkein collections.