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J. R. R. Tolkien
- A Biography
- Narrated by: Roger May
- Length: 11 hrs and 31 mins
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J. R. R. Tolkien
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In honor of the 50th anniversary of C. S. Lewis' death, celebrated Oxford don Dr. Alister McGrath presents us with a compelling and definitive portrait of the life of C. S. Lewis, the author of the well-known Narnia series. For more than half a century, C. S. Lewis’ Narnia series has captured the imaginations of millions. In C. S. Lewis - A Life, Dr. Alister McGrath recounts the unlikely path of this Oxford don, who spent his days teaching English literature to the brightest students in the world and his spare time writing.
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Tales from the Perilous Realm
- By: J. R. R. Tolkien
- Narrated by: Derek Jacobi
- Length: 7 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 51
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 46
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 47
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4 out of 5 stars
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Great to hear these tales, by Tolkien
- By Amazon Customer on 20-08-2017
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Unfinished Tales
- By: J. R. R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien - editor
- Narrated by: Timothy West, Samuel West
- Length: 21 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 69
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 65
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 64
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The Silmarillion
- By: J. R. R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien
- Narrated by: Andy Serkis
- Length: 19 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 55
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 47
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5 out of 5 stars
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Perfect match of voice to the epic of Tolkien!
- By Costa on 26-06-2023
-
Beren and Lúthien
- By: Christopher Tolkien, J. R. R. Tolkien
- Narrated by: Timothy West, Samuel West
- Length: 6 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 71
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 56
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 56
Beren was a mortal man, but Lúthien was an immortal Elf. Her father, a great Elvish lord, was deeply opposed to Beren, and imposed on him an impossible task that he must perform before he might wed Lúthien. Undaunted by Lord Thingol’s challenge, Beren and Lúthien embark on the supremely heroic attempt to rob Morgoth, the greatest of all evil beings, of a Silmaril, one of the hallowed jewels that adorn the Black Enemy’s crown.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Tolkien delivers
- By Strider on 24-10-2022
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The Children of Hurin
- By: J. R. R. Tolkien
- Narrated by: Christopher Lee
- Length: 7 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 323
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 292
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 291
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A valuable experience
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C. S. Lewis - A Life
- Eccentric Genius, Reluctant Prophet
- By: Alister E. McGrath
- Narrated by: Robin Sachs
- Length: 13 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 14
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 14
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 14
In honor of the 50th anniversary of C. S. Lewis' death, celebrated Oxford don Dr. Alister McGrath presents us with a compelling and definitive portrait of the life of C. S. Lewis, the author of the well-known Narnia series. For more than half a century, C. S. Lewis’ Narnia series has captured the imaginations of millions. In C. S. Lewis - A Life, Dr. Alister McGrath recounts the unlikely path of this Oxford don, who spent his days teaching English literature to the brightest students in the world and his spare time writing.
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5 out of 5 stars
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An Excellent Account
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Publisher's Summary
The original authorised biography, and the only one written by an author who actually met J. R. R. Tolkien.
In the 25 years since Tolkien’s death in September 1973, millions have read The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion and become fascinated about the very private man behind the books.
Born in Bloemfontein in January 1892, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was orphaned in childhood, brought up in near poverty and almost thwarted in adolescent romance. He served in the First World War, surviving the Battle of the Somme, where he lost some of his closest friends, and returned to academic life, achieving high repute as a scholar and university teacher, eventually becoming Merton Professor of English at Oxford.
Then suddenly his life changed dramatically. One day while marking essay papers he found himself writing 'In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit' - and worldwide renown awaited him.
Humphrey Carpenter was given unrestricted access to all Tolkien’s papers and interviewed his friends and family. From these sources he follows the long and painful process of creation that produced The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion and offers a wealth of information about the life and work of the 20th century's most cherished author.
Critic Reviews
"One of the most interesting and readable biographies of a literary figure." (The Times)
"The story is rich and beautifully told." (Sunday Times)
"Absolutely fascinating." (Daily Mail)
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What listeners say about J. R. R. Tolkien
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Gabby Howse
- 24-09-2018
A Tolkien Admirer
As a Tolkien admirer, I loved listening to this Book. I'm now keen to listen to other works
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Viranga
- 21-09-2022
Surprisingly ordinary, yet satisfyingly informative
As the biographer said, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion are the true biography. I learned too much about one of my favourite authors. A man with an extraordinary imagination was very much a typical man of his times. Edith Bratt had given up much of her identity to please Ronald Tolkien. It's difficult to view their lives through a modern lens.
Both biographer and voice actor seem competent, although it's possible that the biographer is skewing my perception.
My real rating is 3.5 stars. A 3-star review would have been unfair; a 4-star review hides some of my disappointment.
Later in the narrative, I started liking Ronald Tolkien more.
The best parts of the biography deal with Tolkien's perfectionism and procrastination ... and his publishers.
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