I must admit that I fail and fall short, and that I do have trouble slogging through several chapters of LoTR.
But, contrary to a main-stream conventional view, I enjoy and slow down for the agony and crying parts, and the most read part of my copy of the Trilogy are the Appendices.
And I must point out that the Silmarillion is the gripping story imagineable. I come here because I know there are other out there like me that enjoy all the history and tales of old, dead people as much as I do!!
b_b