TL;DR: reading Tolkien can be a slog, maybe try a dramatic audiobook?

I'm a die-hard Tolkien fan, with almost encyclopedic knowledge of his world. I read and watch the trilogy once a year, and own every book and resource relating to the Tolkien universe. I still tear up from the books and movies thirty years later. I've run a TTRPG in Middle Earth for years and don't plan on stopping.

All that to say, I always warn people interested in reading the books that they are extremely dry and often tedious to ingest. It seems that especially British authors of the time that the Professor started writing were like this. Tolkien was about 45 when the Hobbit was published, and in his 60s when the Fellowship was published. So in that period he's an old set-in-his-ways academic who probably spent a lot of time reminiscing on simpler times in the drastically changing post-WW2 world. Even looking at his major early influences like George MacDonald or Andrew Lang, they were very similar in overly descriptive scene setting and limited dialogue. I don't believe he ever set out to be an author either, but just fell into it, so the writing is rather elementary.

Most of that other folks have already stated, so forgive me for the rambling rehash. Suffice it to say, if you're finding the book too difficult, might I recommend a dramatic audiobook? There's one on Spotify under the name Roads Go Ever On that is fantastic, and includes various voice actors and even licensed music from the movies. The Lament of Boromir from The Two Towers made me weep openly!

In any case, enjoy the legendarium however you wish, no gatekeeping here! Cheers.