The Hobbit vs The Return of the King: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Hobbits, Adventure, Fantasy, Fiction

Cover of The Hobbit

The Hobbit J.R.R. Tolkien · 1937 ★★★★☆ 4.3 284 pages · ≈ 5 h 16 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

Readers rate The Return of the King higher: 4.6 vs 4.3 from 1084551 votes.
The Hobbit is the quicker read — about 5 hours vs 11 for The Return of the King.
The Hobbit is the easier read (Light), The Return of the King more demanding (Challenging).

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