The Lord of the Rings cannot be described in a few words. J. R. R. Tolkien's great work of imaginative fiction has been labelled both a heroic romance and a classic of science fiction. It is, however, impossible to convey to the new reader all of the book's qualities, and the range of its creation. By turns comic, homely, epic, monstrous and diabolic, the narrative moves through countless changes of scenes and character in an imaginary world which is totally convincing in its detail. Tolkien created a new mythology in an invented world which has proved timeless in its appeal.
This one volume paperback edition includes the complete unabridged text of the three books. The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King, that together make up The Lord of the Rings. It does not include the Index or full Appendices which are printed in the hardback and paperback editions of The Return of the King.