THE RETURN OF THE KING

The third part of the esteemed Professor Tolkien's epic trilogy ratchets up the story's drama, danger, tragedy, and triumph to . . . well, epic levels, while generously presenting (in some surprising ways) its sadness, melancholy, and tenderness. The final fate of Middle-earth and our stalwart heroes is here in its full glory. The aforementioned drama and emotions are once again well served by Rob Inglis's commanding and artful performance. By this point in the series, Inglis fully inhabits both the world and the characters and, by virtue of his fine reading, makes the listener an inhabitant of that mystical world, too. In fact, listening to Inglis's work is arguably the better way to get the full force of Tolkien's story rather than reading it on one's own. J.P.M. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 02]