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  • The Fellowship of the Ring

  • Lord of the Rings, Book 1
  • Written by: J. R. R. Tolkien
  • Narrated by: Andy Serkis
  • Length: 22 hrs and 38 mins
  • 4.9 out of 5 stars (1,479 ratings)

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The Fellowship of the Ring

Written by: J. R. R. Tolkien
Narrated by: Andy Serkis
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Publisher's Summary


Journey back to the book that started it all. The Fellowship of the Ring is the first instalment in The Lord of the Rings, a series that has captivated fans for more than 60 years. A classic tale of good vs. evil filled with incredible world-building and adventure, this story by the master of fantasy, J.R.R. Tolkien, will transport you to Mordor and beyond.

In 1937, J.R.R. Tolkien brought to life the fantasy world of The Hobbit. Initially written for his children, the enchanting story filled with dwarves, orcs and other magical beings became wildly popular and set him on a path to creating one of the most beloved fantasy series ever. When prompted for a sequel by eager fans, he wrote The Fellowship of the Ring. The subsequent instalments in the series, The Two Towers and The Return of the King, also became best sellers and remain incredibly popular among adults and children. Now, in The Fellowship of the Ring audiobook, listeners can discover the ring of power and venture into Middle-earth with the touch of a button.

Tolkien’s epic book series was adapted into a highly successful film series. The Lord of the Rings trilogy broke records for depicting fantastical characters and places like the Shire and created a whole new generation of fans.

Narrator Rob Inglis brings all the characters—Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, Gandalf, Aragorn, Elrond, Tom Bombadil, Galadriel, the Dark Lord Sauron and more—to life in exhilarating ways. Whether you’re exploring this beloved story for the first time or are eager to experience it again in audio, his dramatization and delivery of Frodo and Sam’s adventures to Mount Doom, the old forest and beyond will immerse you in this magical world like never before. Prepare to be swept away by the timeless fantasy adventure that is LOTR.

What listeners say about The Fellowship of the Ring

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Perfect audio and amazing voices

I tried listening to the 2012 audiobooks narrated by Rob Inglis. half way through fellowship I gave up. I couldn’t stand his voice, and the quality of the audio recordings. This new version done by Andy Serkis has finally got me to finish the book (restarted even), love the audio quality and the voices that Andy does for the reading, this is a much better experience for me. I can’t wait to finish reading the others now.

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14 people found this helpful

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It's like living your first time again

First of all, Andy Serkis is... everything you want in a narrator, and far beyond! This reading of The Fellowship of the Ring is by all measure refreshing, hilarious, sadenning, and as intriguing as it was the first time I even crossed path with that trilogy in youth. You will experience every, single, detail you could wish for, expressed through such passion and life.

Serkis had an impressive range of tones, from mellow, to soothing and lively. He can mimic every single actor's voice from the movies, so greatly that the first time I've heard him read Sam's part (the one when he's eavesdropping) I burst out laughing uncontrolably... although silently, my roomate was asleep. Such sillyness.

There are not enough stars available to rate this masterpiece. What I can say is that it is a magical journey.

Anectode; Everytime someone asks me: "what would you ask a genie if you had three wishes", one of those answers always turns up... I would forget everything I know about Lord of the Rings, so I can live through its discovering once more.

My wish has been granted.

Have a great listen, and see you around part two of the trilogy; once it comes out.

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8 people found this helpful

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  • Joy
  • 2021-10-05

Easy to listen to and get lost in Middle Earth

Since hearing The Hobbit read by Andy Serkis I've wanted him to read the trilogy. I've tried other narrators but couldn't get stuck in. 10/10 highly recommend, he brings an already fantastic book to life with his absolute fantastic performance. It seems you can feel his love for the material in every line and seems to make a few nods to the Peter Jackson LoTR trilogy in his accent and performance choices, fun Easter eggs for the movie lovers!

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Excellent!!

This is a great reading of an amazing book. The change in voice for the characters makes it easy to follow.

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Narration masterclass

Mr. Serkis was simply brilliant in this reading. His fluctuation in the tones of his voice brought an invigorating excitement to my reading of this story! I intend to listen to the next two as well!

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Amazing

What an incredible job by Andy Serkis. Definitely recommend to any fan of the series or newcomers.

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Talented Narration!

Andy Serkis sounds like an entire cast!!! Enchanting and captivating! So easy to listen to...

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Andy Serkis Does a Masterful Reading!

When I heard that Andy Serkis was doing the LOTR audio books, I knew I just had to get them!! Downloaded Audible just for this! Listening to him read is like wrapping a warm blanket around yourself, curled up by the fire with some hot cocoa in your hands. His mastery as a voice actor shines through as he modulates his voice based on the character. He even gives his voices characteristics based on the actors that played in the movies. Pippin sounds like a Scotsman, and I could swear it was Sean Astin and Sean Bean that were reading Sam and Boromir. Absolutely fantastic! I recommend this audio book version to everyone!

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amazing book AND performance

went by so fast because Andy Serkis is a legendary performer. so good!! I felt so immersed in the world and the characters.

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Best Fantasy Adventure series

If you want inspiration for a fantasy world, this book does not hold back when flooding your mind with amazing and epic images. The story is captivating, and the detail is in depth.

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  • Perilous Moo
  • 2021-09-17

Perfection.

I own the Rob Inglis narration, and he did quite a decent job. I mean no disrespect at all to him. I've listened to it dozens of times.

However, when I heard that Andy Serkis was doing a new narration of what I consider some of the finest books ever written in the English language, I just about died. I knew instantly he would be brilliant, and I was not mistaken.

His talent is off the charts. He's one of the finest actors of his generation. He was flawless in the films.

I'm not finished with these new releases yet, but so far I have not one single complaint to make. As expected, he's incredible.

The only narrators I can think of who would be anywhere near this performance would be Ian McKellen, Christopher Lee, or Cate Blanchett, and they wouldn't be better. That's some of the highest praise I could ever pay anyone. My mother read these books to me while I was still in the womb, and 56 years later the story remains an essential, vital part of my life.

Thank you, Andy. Thank you for this masterpiece of narration.

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  • Mollie
  • 2021-09-18

Over acting at its worse

I love LotR. Have read many many times. This performance? You can just hear him pushing each syllable to sound like its the climax of the whole story. Andy... less is more. Did Tolkien mean for Gandalf to be angry with every word he says? WOW he sounds like pissed off Batman the whole story.. I want my credits back

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  • Ren
  • 2021-09-17

Andy Serkis keeps the tradition of oral literature alive.

Andy Serkis is not simply a narrator; do not look here for a bed time story. Rob Inglis and his more traditional narration would serve you better if you would like to listen while you drift off. Serkis makes it entirely impossible—it is hard to fall asleep when you are so immersed in his storytelling. He has a unique voice that brings each character alive. He pays homage to the familiar voices that many of us associate with the cast of LOTR, but also uniquely marks each with his own tonal signature. This is quite literally the best narration of Tolkien’s work. Listening to Inglis is to be greeted with a familiar and beloved story. Listening to Serkis is to fall directly into Middle Earth.

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  • Nathan
  • 2021-09-16

Why so much argument

I have already reviewed this once. I come back to it because I am disconcerted by all the comparisons between this and the Rob Inglis performance. Both were exceptional in their own ways. Every narrator is going to have their own interpretation on any given story. Tolkien fans should feel exceptionally blessed for having multiple interpretations to choose from. I have personally enjoyed both readings of the original text. I have enjoyed each for different reasons. Criticism for one reader over another seems counter productive. If you like one reader then listen to them. I just enjoy Tolkien. I love both readings because they are both the original text with different interpretations. Don't we have enough controversy with the new Rings of Power series without adding to it by arguing who reads the definitive text better? Please quit arguing over this. Tolkien fans who enjoy his actual words should be supportive of each other. Not tearing each other apart over which narrator was better.

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  • Da Busta
  • 2021-09-16

WOW

Andy Serkis is really amazing.... I’ve read and heard the other audiobook... this by far is the best...would highly recommended.

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  • Anonymous User
  • 2021-09-16

The best reading of this story by FAR in my opinio

Serkis performs SO spectacularly its amazing. If you have never read or have been thinking about re entering this world now is the time to do so!

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  • Jesse
  • 2021-09-16

Precious

Just wow. Andy Serkis does a stunning reading of LoTR. If you haven’t read it, are a enthusiast, an Andy Serkis fan, or if you have a few spare credits pick this up!
The Fellowship of the Ring takes me back in time to my high school days (when I first read it). New life is breathed in. It’s a perfect reading.

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  • Skeeve
  • 2021-09-16

Andy Serkis

Andy Serkis tells this story with just as much attention and enthusiasm as he did “The Hobbit” last year and the moment he started narration I knew he was going to blow this out of the water.

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  • JoR
  • 2021-09-20

Serkis is a joy to listen to

I used to get sleepy during the slow bits of LotR and The Hobbit. And forget reading the songs—I skipped them every time. That was until Andy Serkis brought new life back into the telling of this greatest of tales. Serkis is a joy to listen to. I was grinning like a fool during my commute to and from work as Frodo and gang made their way out of the shire. Serkis’s narration of the barrow wights has so far been the highlight (they have only just left Bree).

You need these audiobooks in your life! Get The Hobbit while you’re at it, and start praying for a Silmarillion update to go with it (although I’d love Ian McKellan giving the Silmarillion a shot—Christopher Lee’s narration on Children of Hurin is great as well!).

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  • J.Francisco
  • 2021-10-27

An absolute disaster

This abomination seems to be an attempt to dramatize every word that Tolkien wrote. Words imply meaning - at least to Tolkien and myself. The way Serkis reads this it appears he thinks that every word only implies excitement or suspense. It's impossible to listen to and loses Tolkien.

It gets worse when the dialogue starts. Serkis decides to go full voice acting. The most disturbing part of this is how it illustrates his complete lack of self awareness: he has zero voice acting talent in a live reading setting. What we end up with are cartoon characters with different accents. How am I supposed to follow the story when Aragorn now sounds like Batman? It gets worse. Serkis then decides to "dramatize" his already full voice acting. The result is something resembling anyone's worst nightmares about bad method acting.

I frankly do not believe any of the good reviews. And anyone saying this is better than Rob Inglis' masterpiece should be viewed with absolute suspicion.

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