The set you ordered appears to be simply a narration, though it may have a bit of intro music. The BBC version is a radio-play with different people playing the parts and a narrator. I don't recall if it has sound effects and music. Petty has listened to it most recently, so he should be best to answer that.

[b:2u0p4e7y]GB[/b:2u0p4e7y]

I got the same CDs for my birthday, and I think they are really great. Better than the BBC version. There is no music or sound effects, but Ingles gives each character a distinct voice, so you always know who is speaking. I have listened to the BBC dramatization version and it's good, but I preferred this version. Depends what tickles your fancy...

Anyway have fun listening!

There will always be problems with one person reading something as long as LoTR- some of the voices given to characters will not be liked etc . Inevitable in a book with so many characters. But reading LotR is a big job and Inglis does very well at it (in particular with the songs,poems and accents). I'd certainly recommend it and it is excellent for long journeys or tired eyes. I find, as with reading the book itself these days, I tend to dip into it and listen to favourite passages.

The radio plays are quite different as they are a dramatization not narration. Again they are not perfect, I personally am not a fan of how they do the set up at the start and there are obvious problems when it comes to depicting large battlefields on radio, but overall they are a tighter, closer adaptation than PJ's and for a Tolkien fan as necessary a listen as the films are a watch (but with a lot less to be angry about at the end).

16 discs gone, 30 to go. enjoyable, keep running out of wine thou. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tM4eIBs8WBw this is not me, funny all the same.