I've been to two ‘Lord of the Rings’ marathons – all three parts in a row: once at the cinema and once open air at the Waldbühne in Berlin (where the soundtrack to the film was played live by a symphony orchestra and a number of actors were also there...). It was amazing!

Nevertheless, I would recommend the books to you. You are a reader! It's worth it. The films are well made, both in terms of content and technique. They stay with you. There is a lot more in the book, it goes deeper.