BBC's LotR audio version from 80s

[jusu]

I don't know if this belongs to this movie chapter but several of the LotR actors have mentioned that instead of reading the book they have listened the BBC's 13 episode dramatized audio version of the book. Good for them as I think the BBC version from 1981 (?) is a true masterpiece, I consider it no 2 just after the book itself. The BBC version follows truly with the book and actually Ian Holm (film's Bilbo) play Frodo and what magnificient and strong voices Gandalf and Aragorn have.

Have You other (and mainly much younger) fans heard it and how do you rate it?

[azalea]

I think it would be best for this to be moved to the Books forum (although I think there is a thread about it already somewhere, I don't know where. You can try a search if you want).

[-elfearz-]

well, i dunno what you mean by 'much younger' :P but i'm 18 and yeah i've heard it - i own it :p my parents got it for me in a 14 cd set as a xmas present when i was 14 :D
i love it - all the actors are excellent and it manages to tailor itself to an audience of non-readers as well as staying very true to the book (the changes made are few and reasonable)
they played it on radio here a couple of months ago, too (although the dumb announcer kept summarising the story incorrectly :rolleyes: )
and battle of pelennor fields is unarguably the best episode :p
i've got one of the hobbit too, but that's not half as good as the lotr one. for a start gandalf sounds about 30...:rolleyes:

[Starr Polish]

I hope to own it one day. I've checked it out of the library twice. The last chapter always makes me cry extremely hard. Very, extremely touching.

It has many, many flaws (lisping Aragorn, Unobservant Fred [not really a flaw, but still!], but I love it nearly as much as the books.

[-elfearz-]

i like aragorn (lisp and all) :rolleyes:
unobservant fred? :confused:

[Starr Polish]

A name for a "character" in nearly every radio dramatization. Since radio is an audio medium and not a visual medium, things like events and scenery and blah de blah have to be described to the listener. Usually the narrator does this, but often times you'll here characters saying things that realy people wouldn't say. Example: When Frodo is looking in the mirror, he describes everything he sees out loud. You could say he's thinking, BUT it sounds more like he's describing it to someone that's just unobservant, thus "Unobservant Fred".

If I owned the show I'd give you other examples.

I like lisping Aragorn too, but the first time I realized that it existed, it irritated me to no end! Now I don't mind.

Oh, and the eagles voices. My goodness...::giggles::

[-elfearz-]

lol i get you. i'm not gonna be able to listen to it again without picking out all the fred bits...i think it works ok in the mirror bit though, better than it would if they had the narrator doing it
lol at the eagles voices. and gwaihir's song. and arwen's voice, actually all the womens' voices...and boromir's riddle is somewhat deafening...
it's still good, but :p

[Agburanar]

The radio play is great. much better than the film, buy it today!!!!:D

[sun-star]

The radio version is great. I listened to it when it was repeated last year and recorded it so I can hear it again and again :) I thought the music was especially good.

[jusu]

Yes, the songs were excellent, especially Bilbo's last song, first verse by Bilbo and the third (there is a middle verse) sung by the choir boy.

" Day is ended, dim my eyes. But journey long before me lies. Farewell friends, I hear the call the ships beside this stoney wall. Foam is white, the waves are gray. Beyond the sunset leads my way. Foam is salt the wind is free, I hear the rising of the sea."

That is true poetry.

[Agburanar]

Too right.

[Starr Polish]

That part always makes me cry. If I need a quick "good cry" after a bad day, I can always listen to that (I don't own it, but...:D).