We've got your back. With the Tough-O-Meter, you'll know whether to bring extra layers or Swiss army knives as you summit the literary mountain. (10 = Toughest)
(3) Base Camp
By now, if you are on the third book in the Lord of the Ring series, you have probably already learned how to follow Tolkien's maps and remember all the strange names and places in Middle-earth. So even though The Return of the King has the most epic and high-toned language of the three novels in the series, it's actually easier to read than The Fellowship of the Ring or The Two Towers.
All that's left in The Return of the King is the wrapping up of plots that Tolkien has introduced in his earlier volumes. If you've already gotten through seven hundred-odd pages of Tolkien, another three hundred fifty or so probably won't be a challenge.