Magic that will not Disappoint

While I concede that if you listen to, the truly wonderful, LOTR play before this as the earlier reviewer has you may be surprised at the different style and tone of the play. But I think the disappointment as he put it, may have clouded the plays many excellent qualities and caused him understandably, to be a too hash in his condemnation of this version of the book. The book of The Hobbit is not LOTR, it is children?s book, much lighter in tone but full of high drama for a young child and so wonderful tongue in cheek material for adults too but not as dark, serious and compelling as the later work, so the plays are naturally different and the way they are dramatized has rightly has to be different also (plus we must note they this was produced in 1968 and the LOTR produced in 1981 so the quality and technology is going to have improved) I had this play on tape as a child and wore it out, long before I fell in love with the written works of Tolkien and for the child then and the adult now, the eagle?s screaming voices came straight from the beaks of birds, the elves ululating tones made it clear they were from distant and higher & magical race, the music and actors seemed perfect for their places in this play, Gandalf is not the great Michael Hordern but he fits a friendly yet sinister guide who although he prove true at the end I never truly trusted of understood till the later books, just right for a wizard I think. Lastly the joint, mixed up and overleaping narration of Bilbo and a Tolkienesce narrator makes for a comforting friend in Bilbo that children can trust and rely on in later years. Too much to credit a children?s play with? I don?t this so! You?re kids need the Hobbit in their lives.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

29 people found this helpful

Magical

A simple story magically told. Pity peter Jackson couldn’t recreate this gem when making 3 bloated movies!

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

"TRULY AWESOME"

"Ask us any question the hobbits likes"

"Yes, yes whats in my pocket"

"It's fingers"

Best first book I could ever of purchased.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

Story is amazing, but audio remake is needed

Who does not like Hobbit... It's a classic! The storyline is easy to follow and dialogues too, bud the accompanying sounds effects and some voices definitely need makeover. At some point I had to skip through some parts as it was impossible to listen to high pitched voices and shameful sound effects.
Allover all for me, the story is 5 stars but the adaptation barely 3.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Good considering the age of the recording...

Only complaints are Gandalf's voice - perhaps I am too used to Sir Ian Mckellan doing it and the strange pronunciation of Gollum which sounds like Golloom. Those are the only things that annoyed me. Overall very good though.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Best hobbit audiobook!!

A very nostalgic audiobook for me, I used to listen to it as a kid. Still great now! The voices are fantastic and the music is really fun.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

There and back again

A fun well produced fantasy adventure. My one problem with the radio dramatisation is how much voice synthases they use, I wish they had let the actors do the work, for example the goblins got to high pitch for me, I was listening to this with headphones.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Nostalgia

The best dramatised version of the hobbit ever!

Wore my tapes out when I was young! So glad I found it again!

If you can't decide which version to go for this is the one!

R.I.P Ears

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

12 people found this helpful

Simple and brilliant

Tolkien at his best. Such a fabulous book at bed time. Well worth listening too

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Definitively Tolkein

No version of Bilbo or Gandalf will ever be as pristine as these. I find this such an excellent rendition, with the leading characters perfectly realised. The brave sensibility of Bilbo is wonderful, the sincere wisdom of Gandalf is superb, and the steadfast hardiness of Thorin is excellent. This is a fantastic experience for both kids and adults and I cannot recommend it enough.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!