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The Lord of the Rings: Visual Companion #1

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: Visual Companion

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Houghton Mifflin is proud to present a full-color, large-format, guide to the characters, cultures, and locations of J.R.R. Tolkien's extraordinary creation Middle-earth, as depicted in the movie The Fellowship of the Ring - the first of three blockbuster films from New Line Cinema. Filled with stunning imagery and with a thorough, informative narrative text, The Fellowship of the Ring Visual Companion will provide the reader with a rich feast of detail and information. Featuring exclusive photos of Frodo, Gandalf, the Ringwraiths, elves, and all the other main characters and creatures of the first film, the book also includes breathtaking pictures of Hobbiton, Rivendell, and Moria.
The first of a projected three-book series that no Tolkien fan, from novice to expert, should be without, The Fellowship of the Ring Visual Companion contains a special eight-page gatefold of large-format images unique to this book.

72 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

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10379 people want to read

About the author

Jane Johnson

103 books552 followers
Jane Johnson is an English writer of books for adults and children and fiction book editor. As a writer she has used the pseudonyms Gabriel King, jointly with M. John Harrison, and Jude Fisher, as well as her real name.

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5 stars
32,396 (77%)
4 stars
6,324 (15%)
3 stars
2,227 (5%)
2 stars
497 (1%)
1 star
509 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
Profile Image for Andrew.
281 reviews31 followers
March 10, 2015
This was actually a lot better than I was expecting it to be.

It gives you a brief look into the history of all the different types of people and creatures who live in Middle-Earth, along with the places.

Having not read the books, only seen the movies countless times, this book taught me a lot about The Fellowship of the Ring, and I really want to read the sequels Companions now!
Profile Image for Ay Oh Be.
540 reviews2 followers
June 23, 2024
If you haven't read the books or its been a dog's age since you have this companion guide will you a hood run down of who's who and where's where. The entries include images from the movie so it's easy to identify all the parts.

If you are looking for a book to tell you about the cinematics; where it's shot, how they created the visuals this is not what you are looking for.
Profile Image for Mitch.
236 reviews9 followers
March 24, 2024
"Never, since the fall of Isildur, have the people of Gondor taken another king."

"Since the fall of Isildur, son of Elendil, the Gondorians have taken no king."

GIRL, WHAT?! This author makes David Day look like a Tolkien expert.
4 reviews
Read
September 22, 2017
The lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is about Bilbo a hobbit has to give the ring of power to Frodo Bilbo's son. Frodo has to destroy the ring with the help of Sam.

The Lord of the Rings is one of my favorite franchises ever. The book is much more elaborated then the movie. The begging of the book was a little slow but after that the book becomes a lot better. The book becomes really intense in the middle and endish. Since i am a visual person i didn't think the book will be as good as the movie but i was wrong mostly. The book also wasn't as bad when it comes to time. The book went by pretty fast for a thick book. The book was great and full of action when you read enough of it.

The book is great but has a few flaws. One of them is that the book is really slow at first. The book mostly talks about a party Bilbo sets up at the start. But it gets better the more you read.
Profile Image for Joe.
9 reviews
June 15, 2024
Perfect to read. Lord of rings is an excellent series
Profile Image for Sophia.
81 reviews
January 19, 2014
I loved learning about the characters. My favorite character was Aragorn son of Arathorn.
1 review
Read
March 2, 2022
BOOK NAME : The Lord of the rings the fellowship of the ring.
WRITTEN BY : J. R. R. Tolkien
REVIEWED BY : HAMZA
PUBLISHED DATE : July 29, 1954
PULISHER : George Allen & Unwin
REVIEW DATE : 2nd MARCH
REVIEW:
A great series, definitely worth reading. If Harry Potter was good, then this one is legendary.
That being said, there are two flaws that come up as the books, in their creation, grow older. Firstly, almost of the conflict in the book, and subsequently its plot, revolves around the fact that there is lots of distance between the locations that the characters are at and the one where they want to be. Almost all problems that they face and all battles that they fight are based on the singular fact that they had to get from one place to another and couldn't get there in time or took the more dangerous path while going. This feature also makes the book extremely long, and for the first book and some parts of its sequels it's extremely slow paced and a vivid and accurate description of the path and the surroundings is given. So, here I would recommend you to not race through the book or skim any paragraphs and to understand all locations, characters, descriptions and artefacts that are described for the best experience. This series will take you around 2 weeks to read at an average speed so don’t kid yourself into finishing it soon. Read at your own pace and be patient for the best results.
Secondly, the ending is one of the most disappointing ones that I have ever read. This is made even harder to accept when one expects a grand finale for a conclusion after reading such masterfully written books. Spoiler alert: Aragorn becomes king of Gondor and the ring bearer eventually leaves the Shire with Bilbo and Gandalf to go to an unknown land. They don’t even see the dark lord, every antagonist except Saruman dies without effort once the quest is completed and even he is killed with relative ease in a throw-away sort of manner. The ending has no pay off whatsoever and has a tone of the line ‘happily ever after…’.
Now, that getting out of the way, I shall explain what was good with the books and why this series is a must read. Firstly, one gets to visualize and consequently experience the fantasies and legends that have been penned down. Men, dwarves, elves, wolves, Halflings, orcs, wizards; the works. All sorts of weapons and legendary towers, locations, magic, legends; everything. It is an immersive experience that is extremely satisfactory. The stakes are always high and the suspense keeps you at the edge of your seat. The characters are relatable and likeable. This, on average Is what each book is full of.
So, regardless of your age, if you like fantasy, I recommend that you read this series. It would be a good idea to start with the prequel- ‘The Hobbit’. Only 2 warnings; Read at your own pace, for, the books are long and descriptive. This way you shall both understand and visualize better. Secondly, although the ending may not be perfect, this is a series that shall, like the legends in it, be well remembered as one of the greatest of its time, in the years to come and shall amaze and delight people, for generations.
This trilogy was amazing. Unfortunately I saw the movies first so when I read the book everything I imagined was stuff I had already seen in the movies so sometimes I wish I could've have read the books first and see what I would have imagined the environments and people and creatures of Middle-Earth to look like without the influence of Peter Jackson. Nonetheless, it was still thrilling story with plenty of action and emotion throughout. The characters are beautifully written and like a trilogy should, it left with no cliff hangers on what was to happen next. Everything was beautifully tied up at the end like Aragorn becoming king, the ring being destroyed along with the defeat of Sauron, the safety and peace now in Middle-Earth, and the fact that the hobbits got to go home and be at peace after the adventure. Even though there are some moments that can feel a bit slow and long with Tolkien describing their surroundings (mainly in the beginning of Fellowship of the Ring) if you read through it slowly to understand everything he is saying, you will start getting into the more exciting parts of the book. In my opinion, this book is something everyone must read and enjoy the history of the world that Tolkien created and of course the story he presents you with.
NAME: HAMZA
EDUCATION: CURRENTLY STUDING UET, TEXILA
E-MAIL: hamzaqtr84@gmail.com

4 reviews
March 1, 2022
The novel, Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien welcomes the reader to experience a completely fantastical world. Following the model of his uncle Bilbo Baggins, Frodo Baggins embarks on an adventure, suggested by Gandalf. Gandalf is a wise character, that acts as the wise mentor in the archetypal character’s journey. Frodo, partnered by other Hobbits, leaves the Shire, the only home they’ve ever known, and the only place they’ve ever been. These Hobbits discover new creatures and see what they called myths come to life. In addition, as a character, Frodo endures more than he ever previously expected. Frodo’s character and wits grow as the story progresses.
An important theme to recognize within the novel is greed and its power on a person. As one progresses through the novel, the reader recognizes greed slowly grip a character. These characters become possessed by greed and their personality changes. Another theme that is important to take into consideration is the importance of friends and receiving help. Without the help of those around him, Frodo would have lost the Ring, and/or possibly lost himself to the ring.
The writing of this novel was articulate and complex. I enjoyed the style and found its difficulty to be just right. The description provided was lovely, and the depth of Middle-Earth and all of its many attributes appealed to me in many ways. I cannot wait to visit Middle-Earth again when reading more of J.R.R. Tolkien’s work, or even this book once again.
Finally, I would recommend this book to anyone who can handle and appreciate a story that contains a vast amount of characters as well as all sorts of events and information. There is a vast history that J.R.R. Tolkien created for this series of books, along with its own language. J.R.R. Tolkien is truly a mastermind and his works are masterpieces. I hope that someday, once he or she feels ready to embark, everyone may experience Middle-Earth and enjoy it as much as I have.
19 reviews1 follower
October 21, 2017
The fellowship of the rings starts on Bilbo's eleventy first as he calls it or 111, birthday. He throws a huge party because not only was it his 111 birthday it was also his air Frodo's 33rd birthday when he would be coming of age. After Bilbo mysteriously disappears and leaves Frodo his home all full of furniture and things along with his most precious a golden ring with mysterious power. Gandalf the gray came and told Frodo the story of the ring and shows him the ancient inscription: One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to rule them all and in the darkness bind them. Then Gandalf leaves for many years and only returns once he knows more, and Frodo sets off on his adventure.
The main character in this book is Frodo Baggins. At the first he is a little over weight (as most hobbits are) and has never gone on any adventures or really missed a meal. All of the folks in the shire are amazed that at 50 he is still as young and lively as he was when he came of age at 33. Then he sets off with faithful Samwise Gamgee, and without his consent Peregrin Took and Meriadoc Brandybuck. As all of these hobbits go they all become thinner and wiser for it all. Frodo is in constant danger, and by the time this book is over h eis starting to feel the true burden of bearing the ring.
I really enjoyed this book. This book was a great mixture of action and rest. Once you get into the old english feel of it it is a ton of fun to read! There was a few boring parts but if you stick out long enough then you can get to the really good and fun parts. Reading this book is time consuming but that can be a very good thing. It keeps you occupied and you can stay up late and not worrie too much about nightmares. I am so glad I read this book and can't wait to read the next!
1 review
February 22, 2023
The lord of the rings being as a follow-up story of The Hobbit, the connection between the stories are smooth, you can see a lot of foreshadowing in the two books. The Hobbit, already shows the power of the rings and the connection between the ring and the demon lord when Bilbo takes his first chance wearing it he can hear noises of people speaking to him, and Gollum is completely addicted to the power that the ring shows. Where The Fellowship of the Rings Frodo can hear the whisper of the lord of the demon when his power became stronger and stronger, and Gollum is still addicted to the power of the rings in The Fellowship of the Ring. This is a very important part of the book that Gollum promised them to lead the road to Shelob's lair.

I like how it separates the stories into two different places while Gandalf tries to lead the Fellowship through the Mines of Moria, only to fall down into a bottomless pit during his battle against the Balrog of Morgoth, Frodo, Sam, and Gollum going across the forest. Thus it didn't give Frodo the protection of Gandalf making their adventure risky and interesting, however, Frodo does have the ring and has the ability to use the ring, but once he wears the ring the lord from the Shelob can feel the ring, and whisper to Frodo makes it very interesting.

I think it should be a 5-star the storytelling, background setting, and foreshadowing of the book are perfect
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Zoë Birss.
779 reviews22 followers
June 19, 2017
This book is a good companion to the film. Large format pages allow the reader to linger on masterful photographs from the film, chosen carefully to show details one would otherwise miss in the original medium. Long captions and descriptions go much further than the film or even the main text, telling stories of characters found in appendices and in the Silmarrilion. For those who loved the films, or even the book series, but who have not read beyond them, there is still plenty of content that would be new. And perusing the images for details of set, prop, and costume gives the reader many opportunities to appreciate the the substantial quality and care given in these films, as well as their needle sharp accuracy to the original source. Very good.
13 reviews
January 22, 2025
Vero capolavoro della letteratura Fantasy. Un vero "MUST READ". Tolkien è un vero gigante e maestro capace di creare un mondo ricco di personaggi magistralmente descritti e che rimangono nella mente e nel cuore per sempre
Profile Image for Samantha.
1,449 reviews12 followers
August 2, 2017
Adorable. It manages to explain a ton of stuff withot spoiling the other movies. It's pretty cute.
3 reviews1 follower
January 18, 2018
A right of passage, must read series. Could not put the books down!
4 reviews
April 7, 2021
It's a very good book and for me it's even better than the movies, it shows a lot more about all of the characters and it makes you want more and more to read, an awesome book
Profile Image for ABULANA BOLHI.
1 review
August 14, 2022
An interesting adventure story. I love to know further what happened then to the characters. All of them are too ambitious.
Profile Image for Hector.
29 reviews
Read
July 16, 2023
It is a fantastic work, I recommend it
Profile Image for Johnson.
10 reviews
September 24, 2023
This book was a rollercoaster of emotions, and I loved every moment of it. The storyline was fantastic, and the author's writing had me completely engrossed. It's a must-read.
Profile Image for Fabienne.
185 reviews
December 30, 2024
Nette Fotos und einige Hintergrundinfos, wenn man Tolkien selbst nicht gelesen hat. Bleibt aber sehr oberflächlich.
Profile Image for Maria Owens.
17 reviews
June 17, 2025
A great look into the characters themselves to get a better understanding.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews

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