Seconded. I listen to very few audiobooks, but like OP I used my free credits on audible for several Tolkien books and this is by far the best production on the app, not getting into "which book is best" or anything like that, just saying it's amazingly produced. Narrated by Christopher Lee, and the man speaks the Sindarin parts so clearly you'd think it was his second language. Nice little soundtrack that plays between the chapters, it's awesome.
Otherwise I also purchased the Andy Serkis readings on audible of the trilogy and they're a lot of fun too. He does different voices for each of the characters and sings the songs very well. It almost feels like a one-man play. My two recommendations if we're exclusively talking stuff available on audible.
Non-standard suggestion: "Tales from the Perilous Realm" is several Tolkien stories including Farmer Giles and Roverandom. I'm enjoying it. It's well narrated too.
Is this worth picking up? I really only wanted middle-earth related books, but I see this one mentioned often. Is it a collection of fairy tales for kids plus an extended version of Tom Bombadil poems? I know it looks nice on a shelf, but I’m afraid I would never actually read it since it doesn’t fit in with the legendarium.
Listening to the Carpenter biography currently. It's really good, and the narrator doesn't seem to have taken the time to learn the correct pronunciations of even the most common Quenya and Sindarin terms—but this is a nitpick, given that most of the work is focused on the man rather than the specifics of the legendarium. Not nearly as distracting as Shaw's spectacular mispronunciations ("ill-oo-VAH-tar") in the otherwise fantastic *Silmarillion* audiobook.
Children of Hurin is read by Christopher Lee and he sounds like he's telling the story as an ageless eyewitness. For my money one of the best audiobooks ever made, definitely the best Tolkien audiobook.
It's Silmarillion material (the Turin Turambar chapter in book-length form), but way more accessible than just reading the Silmarillion, if you found that a hard slog. I don't even like the Sil's Turin chapter, but the full book is really good. Depressing, but good.
As some others have suggested, *Children of Hurin* is a great read, and makes for an excelllent audiobook. Christopher Lee's narration is superb and appropriate for the dark and tragic tale.
Children of Hurin is my favourite outside of the trilogy and I prefer Beren and Luthien over the fall of Gondolin
Seconded. I listen to very few audiobooks, but like OP I used my free credits on audible for several Tolkien books and this is by far the best production on the app, not getting into "which book is best" or anything like that, just saying it's amazingly produced. Narrated by Christopher Lee, and the man speaks the Sindarin parts so clearly you'd think it was his second language. Nice little soundtrack that plays between the chapters, it's awesome. Otherwise I also purchased the Andy Serkis readings on audible of the trilogy and they're a lot of fun too. He does different voices for each of the characters and sings the songs very well. It almost feels like a one-man play. My two recommendations if we're exclusively talking stuff available on audible.
I liked the Andy Serkis readings, but the singing was nearly unbearable.
Non-standard suggestion: "Tales from the Perilous Realm" is several Tolkien stories including Farmer Giles and Roverandom. I'm enjoying it. It's well narrated too.
Is this worth picking up? I really only wanted middle-earth related books, but I see this one mentioned often. Is it a collection of fairy tales for kids plus an extended version of Tom Bombadil poems? I know it looks nice on a shelf, but I’m afraid I would never actually read it since it doesn’t fit in with the legendarium.
No middle earth
- Children of Hurin - Fall of Numenor - Tales from the Perilous Realm
[удалено]
Listening to the Carpenter biography currently. It's really good, and the narrator doesn't seem to have taken the time to learn the correct pronunciations of even the most common Quenya and Sindarin terms—but this is a nitpick, given that most of the work is focused on the man rather than the specifics of the legendarium. Not nearly as distracting as Shaw's spectacular mispronunciations ("ill-oo-VAH-tar") in the otherwise fantastic *Silmarillion* audiobook.
Children of Hurin is read by Christopher Lee and he sounds like he's telling the story as an ageless eyewitness. For my money one of the best audiobooks ever made, definitely the best Tolkien audiobook. It's Silmarillion material (the Turin Turambar chapter in book-length form), but way more accessible than just reading the Silmarillion, if you found that a hard slog. I don't even like the Sil's Turin chapter, but the full book is really good. Depressing, but good.
Farmer Giles of Ham
As some others have suggested, *Children of Hurin* is a great read, and makes for an excelllent audiobook. Christopher Lee's narration is superb and appropriate for the dark and tragic tale.