The Fellowship Of The Ring vs The Return of the King: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: The Lord of the Rings, Hope, Fantastic fiction, Elves, Fear, Adventure

Cover of The Fellowship Of The Ring

The Fellowship Of The Ring J. R. R. Tolkien · 1954 ★★★★☆ 4.4 423 pages · ≈ 7 h 50 m · Light Find on Amazon

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Cover of The Return of the King

The Return of the King J.R.R. Tolkien · 1950 ★★★★★ 4.6 603 pages · ≈ 11 h 10 m · Challenging Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 4.4 vs 4.6 — either is a safe pick by score.
The Fellowship Of The Ring is the quicker read — about 7 hours vs 11 for The Return of the King.
The Fellowship Of The Ring is the easier read (Light), The Return of the King more demanding (Challenging).

Side by side