Microphones in Middle-earth...the BBC Lord of the Rings

[Mnemosyne]

Originally Posted by davem

Mnemosyne You can lead the discussion on the 'extra' narration - I haven't heard it! I'm curious - is there a lot of it?

Ehh... not more than a couple minutes at the beginning and end of each "Book" (except for the last one since the rest are all set in Frodo's study as he's trying to compose everything). They are, by and large, excellent mini fanfics--especially the one that brings up the potential plot hole of Frodo and Sam not hearing Boromir's horn! What I find most fascinating about it, honestly, is that you really can't tell that over 20 years have elapsed between the narrations and the drama.

Anyway, the recut is worth listening to at least once... I love the bonus narrations, but it's a lot harder finding four-hour chunks to listen to each "book" and you don't get all the fun mini-cliffhangers that basically created the original format. (Well, you get them, but then they're immediately spoiled.) But that was what Barnes and Noble had, and since they had it, I had to buy it. Previously I'd used interlibrary loan for the thirteen-hour sets and you could probably do the same pretty easily with the recut.

[davem]

Originally Posted by Mnemosyne

Anyway, the recut is worth listening to at least once... I love the bonus narrations, but it's a lot harder finding four-hour chunks to listen to each "book" and you don't get all the fun mini-cliffhangers that basically created the original format.

The best way to experience the series if to set aside a full day & listen to it right the way through (which I've done twice), setting out with the Hobbits in the morning, & returning to Bag End with Sam as the day ends. If anyone hasn't done that I'd recommend they try that at least once - you'll be amazed at how powerful the experience is. (I find the existence of three different versions of the series quite intriguing. Bit like the books, in a way - we have the First Edition, the slightly different Second Edition & then the new 50th, with its 300-400 changes authorised by CT. )

[Estelyn Telcontar]

The different versions of the radio play do make in difficult to join in specific discussions. Mine is on 10 CDs, cut differently than the one davem is using. I'm fortunate to be able to get it in English here in Germany, but it's published by a German audio publisher, and the original episodes are hard to locate.