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The books were written by a person with a very good, classical education. a university professor who specialised in Anglo-Saxon literature. If you are looking for a "sword and sorcery" casual read then the books won't grab you. Tolkien used his scholarly interests as a basis for an "epic' in the spirit of Homer or Beowulf, not a Hollywood epic. If you enjoyed the "Iliad" and the "Odyssey" then you'll love these books.
Movie making is a different genre and has to be a very visual experience by its very nature. It is also expensive to make a movie so there has to be a lot more to interest the general public - you need to sell tickets!
I thoroughly enjoyed the movies, but in a completely different way to the books. The New Zealand scenery is worth watching, even if the movies were total rubbish (which they aren't). I love the books - but I also have had a classical education (unusual in these days) and have studied Homer in the original 8th century BC Greek (even more unusual!). So don't worry if you can't get into the books, just enjoy the movies and the story - the plot goes back to the most ancient literature.
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