A lot of my thoughts have to do with how this book compares to it's movie adaptation and how we remember the lord of the rings today.

So much of our conversations about this story are colored by Jackson's films (and Bakshi's cartoon) and it was difficult to separate them from Tolkien's book.

The book is slower paced, both in how it was written and how long it takes in-story. Frodo spends years between Bilbo leaving and Gandalf explaining the ring. His journey to Bree takes months, and they spend months in Rivendell.

At every step Tolkien details the environment and history of his world. Nature is as much a character as Frodo or Sam in this book, and in many cases it is literally true (Tom Bombadill). Tolkien uses these long passages to establish the stakes for his plot. It's not just Frodo's life that is in danger; Tolkien makes it clear that all of the natural world is at risk.

Characters are basically rough sketches of people who spout lore and make exclamations. Everyone feels broader and more whimsical than their pop culture portrayals. Everyone sings in this! Every character gets at least one song! It rules!