The Fellowship of the Ring

Written by J.R.R. Tolkien

Narrated by Andy Serkis

An unlikely hero. A perilous quest. The greatest adventure ever told.

In a quiet village in the Shire, young Frodo is about to receive a gift that will change his life forever.

Thought lost centuries ago, it is the One Ring, an object of terrifying power once used by the Dark Lord to enslave Middle-earth. Now darkness is rising, and Frodo must travel deep into the Dark Lord’s realm, to the one place the Ring can be destroyed: Mount Doom.

The journey will test Frodo’s courage, his friendships and his heart. Because the Ring corrupts all who bear it—can Frodo destroy it, or will it destroy him?

'The English-speaking world is divided into those who have read The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit and those who are going to read them.'—Sunday Times

This brand-new unabridged recording is narrated by the acclaimed actor, director and author, Andy Serkis.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Sep 16, 2021
• ISBN: 9781705047576

J.R.R. Tolkien

J.R.R. Tolkien (1892–1973) was a distinguished academic, though he is best known for writing The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion, plus other stories and essays. His books have been translated into over sixty languages and have sold many millions of copies worldwide.

Reviews for The Fellowship of the Ring

[Bryce Taylor · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing. Andy makes this audio book far better than I could have imagined.

[Angela · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved it!!❤ Andy Serkis is a great narrator and does all the voices! So cool and awesome!!

[Annika · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Andy Serkis version is definitely better than the other one.

[Peggy Scholtes · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

To hear Andy Serkis narrate is to hear each character that we’ve come to know. I find it more satisfying to listen to this edition than to watch the movies.

[Ben Borgelt · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Tolkien is the greatest author of the 20th century, and one of the greatest of all times.

Also I must admit that I was dubious about Andy Serkis as a narrator...but he may indeed have surpassed Martin Shaw! I particularly enjoyed his renditions of the many songs. Very well done, good sir.

[Matt Gonzalez · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Andy Serkis blows this performance out of the water! These books have been incredible since day one, but this takes them to a whole different level!

[James Howland · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Andy Serkis’s narration is simply amazing. The characters are voiced differently without being distracting. This was a very enjoyable listen.

[Paul English · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

There is nothing like the lord of the rings narrated by Gollum!

[Adele Schoeman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I thought that the reader's voice captured all the aspects of the characters

[Lindsay Marshall · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Andy Serkis is a wonder!!! Best narration I've ever heard!

[Constance Sahlmark · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Read this trilogy to my children, beginning to end, 3 times over the course of their youth. But listening to this story - the narrator is amazing; I was riveted! Fantastic!

[Jodi LaFrance · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Andy Serkis made this truly come alive. Excellent and well produced! I’ve wanted to read Tolkien for a while and now I’m doing it with a little help from the audiobook version! Thank you!

[LV Ellis · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Andy Serkis is an incredible talent as an actor and narrator. He made the book come alive.

[Yessenia Austin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is a must read I really enjoyed it

[Landon Bellum · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Best audio book I’ve ever heard! Andy is a genius

[Baders · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you disdain the liberties taken in the movies and long to read the book again without the eye strain and the added benefit of expert inflection, let Andy Serkis take you through the tale.

[Jess · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Andy Serkis is a master. Well done indeed!!! Highly recommend to those who have read this a thousand times as well as to those who have never picked it up. You won’t regret it!

[funstm · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Lord of the Rings is not The Hobbit. If you have tried The Hobbit and didn't love it, you're probably not going to like The Lord of the Rings. The Hobbit is the epitome of the perfect fantasy tale. The kind you want to sit around a campfire and hear told with dramatic exaggeration. It has a dragon and dwarves, a wizard and one lone hobbit who turns out to be the bravest of them all.But The Lord of the Rings is not The Hobbit. The Lord of the Rings is The Hobbit's meticulous, older and more serious brother who is going to sit you down and tell you an epic tale of adventure that spans four ages with maps, appendices and side trips delving into the history of many people and a world of places. If you don't like the base elements of The Hobbit, you're going to hate Lord of the Rings because The Lord of the Rings is just a long drawn out, denser version. J.R.R. Tolkien has not just written a story. He's written an entire world of stories. He pretty much spent a lifetime writing and bringing to life Middle Earth and it's freaking incredible. Is it perfect? No. But any criticisms don't detract from the highly imaginative work this is - or from my enjoyment of it. 5 stars. It's a classic.The first volume, The Fellowship of the Ring is fantastic. There's lots of adventure and danger and friendships. The hobbits travel to Rivendell, picking up Aragorn on the way. At Rivendell a council is held and The Fellowship of the Ring is formed - a company of nine representing the races of the land. The hobbits; Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, the Rider; Aragorn, the Wizard; Gandalf, the Men; Boromir, the Dwarves; Gimli and the Elves; Legolas. Then the Company sets out on their adventure to destroy the ring. I love this book - it's fast paced and intense and had me riveted. I did find the depth confusing at times - there's so many characters and names and backstories and footnotes and references and it can be very intimidating and overwhelming. But I also love the depth because all the background is what makes it such a classic. Merry, Pippin, Fatty Bolger and Sam are freaking hilarious. I love that Frodo thinks he's going on this dangerous mission with only Sam to accompany him. A dangerous mission no one knows or suspects him to be undertaking. And then he turns up at Crickhollow and the gang confront him and are like we know you're going away. Frodo: The time has come. I must tell you. I'm leaving. Gang: Gee really, we never would've have guessed with you going to all your old haunts and muttering things like 'will I never see this again?' But guess what you're not going to escape that easily!Frodo: If you know I must leave then don't hinder me.Gang: Yeah we won't - we're coming too!Frodo: But you don't understand it's dangerous. I have a thing. Gang: Oh you mean the ring? The ring that makes you invisible? Yeah that's not a secret to us. Bilbo outed than one, long before you. Frodo: The ring? You know about the ring?Gang: Duh. Merry: I kept it secret but with all your plotting our conspiracy had to be shared so I told the gang. Gang: And then we spied on you and Gandalf with you none the wiser til our chief conspirator got caught. Frodo: Chief conspirator?Gang: Yeah Sam is awesome. He learnt everything. Frodo: Sam? Sam!? Sam: Well Gandalf said you're not s'pose to go alone so here we are. Frodo: But I can't trust you! Gang: Don't be ridiculous. ‘It all depends on what you want,’ put in Merry. ‘You can trust us to stick to you through thick and thin – to the bitter end. And you can trust us to keep any secret of yours – closer than you keep it yourself. But you cannot trust us to let you face trouble alone, and go off without a word. We are your friends, Frodo.Tolkien, J. R. R.. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King (p. 105). HarperCollins Publishers. Kindle Edition.Frodo: Well crap. Guess you're coming with. I like Tom Bombadil. He's so cheerful. I like that he helps out the hobbits and sends them in the right direction. At Bree, we meet Aragorn/Strider/Ranger. I've always loved the poem to go with his name. All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king.Tolkien, J. R. R.. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King (p. 170). HarperCollins Publishers. Kindle Edition.It was interesting to find that Bilbo actually wrote the poem. I liked the hobbits visiting Rivendell and meeting Bilbo again. I adore Sam. I love all the hobbits - Frodo, Merry and Pippin are amazing (and Fatty Bolger is amusing) - but I adore Sam. He is a true and steadfast friend and a very brave hobbit. I love the end of the first volume after Boromir attacks and Frodo decides to leave by himself. Sam is hilarious when he chases after Frodo. Sam runs to the boats thinking that's how he'll leave and sees a boat gliding along with no one in it and ignoring the fact he can't swim - totally jumps for it, misses and almost drowns until Frodo decides to fish him out. He's terrified but so loyal and I love it. Plus I love his comments to himself - his remarks about forgetting the rope had me chuckling.

[wanderlustlover_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Rob Inglis Audiobooks's 2011:

My favorite part remains the same from The Hobbit -- anytime Rob Inglis sings. Which meant Tom Bombadill's chapter was the one least remembered from my teens, and Rob sang like every thirty seconds which had me gleeing like a child.

I didn't remember the forest before Riverdale, which takes up like one third of the book. I still love Glorfindal's arrival on scene, and remember how mad I was at the movie for changing that to Arwen. Also, on the accounts of Arwen & Aragorn....I totally never remembered how oblivious Frodo was to what the narrator & reader aren't.

Most of the rest of the book was pretty normal and as expected from first read and movie watching.


My most down part on this one -- The Gandalf talk in the Shire that took something like forty tracks to to get through. Maybe it's because I already knew everything he had to say, but the irritation grew by each track after like twenty.

[rosands-494665 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Awesome book. I enjoyed it very much. 5 Stars!

[stbalbach_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

First reading: 1981. Second: 2022. It's impossible to over-estimate how influential Tolkien has been. LOTR is the magnum opus and Fellowship as I recall the best of the three. There is an awful lot going on, it takes time with Tolkien scholarship to fully appreciate how deep it is. It is more engrossing as a young reader, but with age continues to reward and entertain. Tolkien does not make things up random there are connections all over, this is not a simple book though it might seem that way. Tolkien knew his stuff on medieval subjects and one can hear it in the poetry, manner of speaking, themes and imagery. The nature writing is top notch, the descriptions of trees and landscapes oh my. With a new reading one can slow down as the plot is known and focus on the byways and craft of story. I'm in no rush to start book 2, but its comforting to know this world exists at any time to return to.

[et.carole · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fascinating, but not consistently so.

[lonlucepolak · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It is the template on which almost all other fantasy and a lot of Sci-fi is based.

[wishanem · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I learned to read partly by following along as my father read Tolkien’s books aloud to myself and my siblings. I can understand how one might prefer the heightened drama of the sequels, but the sense of adventure, wonder, and discovery in Fellowship was my favorite part of the series. Tolkien’s prose is detailed, wandering, and at times obscure. But his imagination and storytelling are to me unparalleled. He revived a tradition of inventing fairy-stories, and inspired a genre with these books.

[sjh4255 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A decent read... not a whole lot of action, seems it is more of a setup for the next 2 books... Great detail by the author so that you fully understand his thoughts and his ideas... Moving on to the next book already which is picking up where this one leaves off, seems to be one big book rather than a trilogy...

[sgtcat · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a pretty good adaptation. I kept imagining the scenes from the movie as I listened along. There were some differences from the movies, but I don't know if it was an innovation on the part of this adaptation or the movie. I last read the actual LOTR books about 25 years ago. I guess it's time to crack them back open.

[othemts · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read this book aloud (along with my wife) to my daughter for the first time.  It's still a classic, imaginative adventure that I remember.  Although there are some slow and boring parts when reading to a 9-year-old.  You begin to notice how tedious the lists of names and places and the songs and poems are when you're reading aloud.  Nevertheless, we had a good time reading it and are looking for to the more action-oriented The Two Towers next. 

[payday1999-430350 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's one of the oldest fantasy books I've read and It's writing style is interesting and kind of hard to read, but once you get through to the action parts of the books. It get easier to read. Tolkien created a world that is very detailed.

[drfuriosa · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This re-read has proved rich and insightful. Quests are not merely about the objective, but also how you grow on the journey.

[narilka · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

At this point it is impossible for me to keep track of how many times I've read this series. My parents gifted me a boxed set of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings for my 12th birthday. A couple months later we took a family vacation and these books were what I chose to keep me occupied during the boring, traveling parts of our trip. I devoured all four books in a week, firmly cementing this series as one of my favorites. For many years after I reread the series yearly. Then I heard about the Peter Jackson movies being created and I was both excited and apprehensive given that book to screen translations don't always workout so well. Turns out I need not have worried. The movies are faithful to the spirit of the books and enjoyable in their own right even if there are differences. After that I admit I became a bad Tolkien fan and only re-watched the movies instead of rereading the books. Time sure flies. That was almost 20 years ago. I was long overdue for a reread.Boy have the movies messed with my memory of the book! It makes for a unique reading experience, familiar and yet new at the same time, almost like reading the books for the first time all over again but not quite. There are so many things I'd forgotten and even more that have become all mixed up. Jackson swapped events and lines of dialog around, sometimes to other characters. It took me almost half the book to not imagine Elijah Wood as Frodo as it took me a while to wrap my head around the fact that book Frodo is 50 years old when he sets out on the journey, a far cry from the very young looking Elijah. I am ruined enough that Viggo Mortensen will always be Aragorn in my imagination just like Orlando Bloom will always be Legolas.All of that is to say there is absolutely no way for me to objectively review this book. I love The Lord of the Rings. By modern standards Fellowship of the Ring is a dense read with a slow moving plot for the first half of the book. It's full of songs and poetry that may or may not be pertinent to the plot, dedicates a lot of time to world building and has many descriptive passages to beautifully illustrate the scenes. Once the hobbits made it to Bree and Strider, the story really took off. Tolkien does an amazing job with building tension, both during the flight to Rivendell and then after the Fellowship sets off on their quest. I think I held my breath for all of Moria and most of Caradhras. The hints of Gollum following are downright creepy. Lothlorien is even more magical and mystical than I remembered and made me a bit sad how the elves there have accepted their fate. These are the version of elves that ruled my imagination growing up.Peter Jackson's movie has completely messed with my memory of where the book actually ended. I enjoy the book's ending more as it turns up the tension on events. Boromir's betrayal, while not a shock, is more profound when his attempt at redemption is delayed. It's also made me question where Two Towers will pick up. Do we start out with Frodo and Sam or is it the others in the fellowship? I remember that the halves of the book are split between them, just not the order. Can't wait to find out! Two Towers used to be my favorite in the series. We will see if it still is after this reread.