I just saw a clip from LOTR Two Towers and I never got into LOTR and now feel like I lack some culture not having read any of it. I also haven’t watched any of the movies. I tried watching The Hobbit (first movie) but I didn’t understand any of it. Maybe it’s not for me? I like sci fi but not sure about phantasy. Can you understand each book without reading them in order? How many books are there? Is it still a trilogy?
The Hobbit movies sucked, they were just money grabs. I didn’t even watch the third one.
Just from an easier to read perspective, I’d suggest reading The Hobbit first, then moving onto the trilogy. The Hobbit is lighthearted and fun, and sets the world up for the darker and more complex trilogy. But you don’t have to read The Hobbit first or at all to be able to understand the trilogy.
If you enjoy these four books, there are more world building books of Tolkien’s, like The Silmarillion.