Don't read this book if you're expecting it to be just like the movie. There are some differences between the two, which is to be expected, but by reading this book I gained greater respect and appreciation for Jackson's movie interpretation.
The story is a bit hard to read than most books, the verbiage is not common, and some of the descriptions can be a little lofty, but it is all worth it.

Andy Serkis is a great narrator, he strikes a good balance between dramatic and conversational, making the audiobook a more compelling read than just the text alone.

In my opinion, this is the way these books were meant to be experienced: read aloud in dramatic fashion, just as Bilbo did at his birthday party in the movie.

I am a big fan of the movies and rewatch them almost yearly, so I felt it was time to finally read the books. Obviously, I already knew I like the stories and characters, but it was really interesting to now meet the full story.
And it really is beautifully written prose, too, and way funnier than I expected.  Also the themes of not losing hope and friendship stand out even much clearer.
I was disappointed to realise, that Arwen being a badass good girl and saving Frodo from the ringwraiths is a movie only thing, though..

Beautifully written, but a little too slow for my tastes. Clearly all the braincells of the Fellowship are shared by Aragorn, Gandalf and Sam (sometimes borrowed by Legolas and Gimli). It's increasingly hilarious when Frodo attempts to use his non existent braincells, but a bit frustrating too, as the story is told mostly from his perspective.

Frodo is a frustrating protagonist, not because he is afraid of his Quest (which is natural), but because he lacks the charisma his uncle Bilbo had in The Hobbit, and is also unfortunately not very good at picking things up on the fly and adapting like Bilbo. He repeatedly takes action contrary to what Gandalf and Elrond have advised.

That is not to say that Frodo is a bad protagonist. In some instances, his cleverness and quick thinking do benefit his companions, and he (most of the time) has the good sense to follow Aragorn or Gandalf when he himself is in doubt. He respects and listens to the opinions and advise of creatures much older and experienced than him, but still has the common sense to not take their words as gospel. He has good friends who are willing to follow him into death on his Quest.

Its an amazing book, deserving of its title of 'Classic', but maybe not exactly my cup of tea.

The Lord of the Rings is, of course, a classic. It's very well written and beautiful with a spectacular world. That being said, it's not really my type of book. I tend to lean more towards emotional and character driven stories which isn't always what we get in the Lord of the Rings. The Lord of the Rings is more of an epic adventure than an emotional introspective story. I definitely did enjoy and appreciate it. I especially liked the way

Gandalf's "death" happens and the reactions to it. Really I liked a lot of the part where Gandalf was present, but unfortunately that was only the middle of the book.