THE LORD OF THE RINGS

This dramatization of Tolkien’s epic is eminently suited for audio, and it’s hard to imagine anyone doing it better than the BBC does here. This ambitious and lavish recording offers generously orchestrated musical accompaniment and settings, good vocals, truly outstanding sound effects, a vast cast (52 members!), complete liner notes (Tolkien bio, Middle-earth map), and excellent acting. This is a complex, long-winded epic, and there is occasional confusion about who is talking. But the adept abridgment and use of narrative bridges and brief summaries clarify and condense the text so that even my seven-year-old could follow along. Worth every penny. A.M. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: JAN 95]