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

Both live on shelves: Hobbits, The Lord of the Rings, Middle Earth, English Fantasy fiction, Magic, Fantasy

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

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Cover of The Two Towers

The Two Towers J.R.R. Tolkien · 1954 ★★★★★ 4.7 450 pages · ≈ 8 h 20 m · Moderate Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 4.6 vs 4.7 — either is a safe pick by score.
The Two Towers is the quicker read — about 8 hours vs 11 for The Return of the King.
The Two Towers is the easier read (Moderate), The Return of the King more demanding (Challenging).

Side by side