I've just started listening to the BBC adaptation of Lord of the Rings as I drive to and from work (I'm on disc 3). I've got the 13 cd package. It's superb, and I'm enjoying it more than the movies, to be honest. I thought to myself as I drove in this morning, I ought to post about it, so here I am. Before I entered the forum I read OSC's latest column, and lo and behold there's OSC saying exactly what I feel about it, including the bit about the actor playing Aragorn. Even with that reservation, I'm loving it, and am actually looking forward to driving to work! It's about a 25 minute drive for me, about 30 minutes to get home, so I get almost a whole cd done in one day. The acting is wonderful, the dialogue is very close, often identical, to the book, and for the most part the voice characterisation excellent.
Posted by Cashew (Member # 6023) on :
Anybody else listened to it?
Posted by Eaquae Legit (Member # 3063) on :
I studied for my calculus final to it, in high school. At points, it's cheesy, but on the whole, I love it. The bit in Orthanc when Gandalf shatters Saruman's staff is my favourite. Just listen, you'll hear exactly why I find it so funny. (For the record, I have the 9 CD set, from the 1970s or so.)
Posted by Earendil18 (Member # 3180) on :
That's my favorite delivery of that monologue by Saruman!
"Gibbets and croWss....DOTARD!!! O.o...What is the house of EORL but a THATCHED BARN!??! Where brigands drink in the reek!!! And their BRATS...roll on the floor among the DOGS!..........too long have they escaped the gibbet themselves..."
Cashew, the BBC radio drama was how I was first introduced to the series, and it remains to this day, my favorite adaptation of the books. Sorry PJ, but they used 13 hours better than you.
I'm going to try to get the special edition of the series from BBC for that special soundtrack CD. Stephen Oliver did such a great job with a limited number of instruments!
Ok, I'm done. Posted by Cashew (Member # 6023) on :
I'd always known the BBC drama existed but had never bothered with it until I bought Rob Inlis reading The Hobbit. I enjoyed that so much I've decided to get his reading on the whole trilogy (46 cds. I think!), and decided to try the BBC version in the meantime. I really am enjoying it. One thing I am truly enjoying is that virtually all the visuals I'm having while listening to it are the ones I created for myself as I read the books, rather than the movies visualisations. As much as I enjoyed the movies, this IS the book.
Posted by Earendil18 (Member # 3180) on :
Exactly. There's still some room for imagination!
Posted by Telperion the Silver (Member # 6074) on :
I still love the unabridged recording read by Robert Inglis.
Posted by Cashew (Member # 6023) on :
Yeah Telperion I'm really looking forward to buying that. I just finished reading LotR, and all the time reading it I was thinking to myself I wanted to hear how the prose sounded read aloud by someone like Inglis. I even read some passages (quietly) aloud to myself, while my wife looked sideways at me from the other side of the bed!
Posted by Earendil18 (Member # 3180) on :
quote:Originally posted by Telperion the Silver: I still love the unabridged recording read by Robert Inglis.
Didn't he read Joseph Campbell's "Hero of a Thousand Faces?"
*checks*
Posted by Mig (Member # 9284) on :
The voice of Gullum in the BBC radio pruction will always be the difinitive version for me. The music in the production is also great.
Posted by Earendil18 (Member # 3180) on :
quote:Originally posted by Mig: The voice of Gullum in the BBC radio pruction will always be the difinitive version for me. The music in the production is also great.
Seconded!
Posted by Cashew (Member # 6023) on :
Well, Sam and Frodo have just left for Mordor and Aragorn and co. are on the trail of Merry and Pippin. This is great, it's actually making me reappreciate the movies more than I had recently, not sure why. The series is great, but the voice of Aragorn is definitely problematic, but his acting is good.. I got goosebumps when Boromir was trying to get the ring from Frodo, very well done. I look forward to each day's listening...
Posted by Earendil18 (Member # 3180) on :
What is problematic about Aragorn's voice?
Posted by Cashew (Member # 6023) on :
He has a really annoying lisp that just doesn't work for the character. Good deep strong voice, if a slightly effected accent, but it's the lisp...
Posted by Earendil18 (Member # 3180) on :
I've never noticed. Maybe his accent helped blend it in.
Posted by Cashew (Member # 6023) on :
Flip, hope I haven't wrecked it for you from now on...
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