The Fellowship of the Ring

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an excellent production, frees the imagination - Rated
OK, I admit it, I first read the book before this radio adaption came out, and was really impressed when it was first broadcast. Now on CD and edited for continuous play (omitting the introductions at the start of each episode), this great production has an impressive cast list and follows the book very closely. The result is that the pictures are far superior to the recent 2-disc DVD production! It also does not suffer the curious omissions and plot alterations of the DVD, which lead to unexplained dangling references and curious weakening of the characters. (Perhaps the dangling references are explained in the 4-disc set, but to me a movie should not require you to have to buy supplementary material to make sense of it).

All in all, something that readers of the book will enjoy without being distracted by changes, and who are likely to listen to this as often as they reread the book. Enjoy!

A world apart... - Rated
Surely, surely this has to be the ultimate radio drama. A story of epic proportions set in a rich and varied folkloric landscape, adapted here with a seamless brilliance that pulls you irresistibly into its world of adventure, folklore, and deep, deep lyricism. The cast is a perfectly matched ensemble of actors almost as legendary as the characters they play - Ian Holm as Frodo making the transition from carefree youth to anguished anti-hero with complete conviction, Robert Stephens' majestic Aragorn an always commanding presence, and Michael Hordern's Gandalf somehow managing to capture both the twinkling humour and the somewhat melancholic wisdom of the wizard. Over all this, Stephen Oliver's strange and beautiful score adds an atmosphere of intense, otherworldly mysticism that enriches the whole, and emphasises the often overlooked poetical depth of Tolkien's Middle Earth.

Never underplaying the seriousness of its story, this production is quite simply an astounding achievement, and highly recommended to anyone - whether you have read the books or not.