The spoken word
 

I am looking for recommendations from the wise people here...
I'm trying to track down a cd/tape edition of LotR (but not the BBC dramatisation). The only one I've found on amazon is one by Rob Inglis. Does anyone have a copy and how do they rate it as a reading? And can anyone recommend any others?

I found the Rob Inglis version to be ok, but these things are like the films or the radio play, driven by your own likes or dislikes. I have a few friends who dont like anything but the book, you cannot please everyone. Have you tried your local library, they have sections for the visually impaired.

I have LOTR on CD by Inglis, and they're great - well worth the money. He reads the books, word for word, and uses slightly different accents/inflexions/etc to denote different speakers. He sings/chants the songs as needed. No sounds effects are heard, so it's all in your head. The Appendices at the end of ROTK are also included.

Note that frequent use of Inglis CDs can cause vertigo when viewing PJ movies.

I also have the BBC versions of LOTR and Hobbit on cassette/CD. They were okay, but some parts of the stories are missing. Better than nothing at all.

For long drives when you want your brain to take a vacation.

I have the Inglis tapes and like them very much. Some of his voices match my imagination rather closely (Gandalf, Gimli, Sam, Gollum) and others don't (Theoden is the only one that springs to mind).

The only danger: after listening more than once, one may start to "hear" his narration when reading the book.

As for others: according to the case the Inglis tapes come in, this is the only unabridged version. Of course, it's possible that others have since been made.

The Master's Voice
 

One other version of note is the recordings Tolkien himself made in August of 1952. They are excerpts from LotrR, books 3 and 4 of TTT, Books 5 and 6 of RotK, and Books 2 of FotR. Apparently Tolkien had been ready to give up on LotR but these recordings renewed his faith in the book after several refusals from publishers.

from Caedmon Audio ISBN 0-89845-223-6.

Thank you so much everyone!
I wanted to get it for car journeys but I didn't want to make such a big investment without vetting respected opinions first - I will also check out the library, but I fear I won't have time to play the whole thing before it's due back...