The first time I tried the Rob Inglis narration for 'The Two Towers', I almost switched it off. The pacing is so... deliberate. Like, he reads every single 'and' and 'the' with the same weight. But weirdly, that's what grew on me over the Helm's Deep chapters. It creates this massive, epic, almost archaic rhythm that matches the text's tone perfectly. It doesn't sound like a modern thriller; it sounds like a history being recounted.
I find it perfect for rereads, or for times when you want to sink into the world for an hour without being bombarded by sound effects and a full cast. It's a companion, not a performance. If you're new to Tolkien, the sheer density might be tough in audio, but for a veteran, Inglis feels like the voice of Middle-earth itself. I still catch new nuances in his delivery of Gollum's dialogue that I'd missed on the page.