It isn’t possible to overstate the impact this story has had on all kinds of media (books, films, video games, music etc) since it was first published in 1955. The world Tolkien writes about feels alive and full of history (in part because he spent years creating a complete overarching mythos and history of this world and the people in it (of which the Lord of the Rings is but a small part).
I own LotR and have read it. It basically defined the fantasy genre as we know it and has also inspired a lot not directly derived from it. But how it is written it didn’t click with me and reading it felt a bit of a chore and I have never felt revisiting the book.
Classics, every Fantasy reader should read in their lifetime.
But what about non fantasy readers?
At least check out The Hobbit.
It’s a dense book and there are large portions of it which aren’t particularly exciting or easy to read. It won’t appeal to everyone but it’s worth a try at least.
The depth of the book cannot be overstated. Everything has a backstory. Answers for questions are often sprinkled around in conversations spread throughout all the books. Tolkien spent years working on the Silmarillion before starting this which is why so much detail is sprinkled throughout.
And Tolkien was crazy detailed with everything. He plotted every step of the journey out on a map and ensured everything, including the phase of the moon, was kept consistent.
I think almost every fantasy fan will agree with this.
I actually finished it for the first time very recently. Such an incredible book and really put the films into a different perspective to me (the way the second film handles the Saruman death is just… awful, and some of the changes made seem unnecessary, also Fellowship seems like it rushes through too many plot points to me now lol)
If you’re short on hands free time, the actor who plays Gollum reads the series on Audible and it’s fantastic!
