My single biggest gripe with Pappa Tolkien has always been his annoying habit of spending 3 pages describing the trees, rocks, and grass at the roadside.
We get it, man! Move the story along please and thank you.
I'll be honest. The journey books were a CHORE for me to read. I love them overall obviously, but I could have done without 3 pages describing every tree, rock, flower, and blade of grass in the shire. Or in Rivendell, Or anywhere else. The man could not say "hello" without it being 6...