Parmandur
Book-Friend, he/him
I think after nigh 70 years, Fellowship of the Ring spoilers are probably safe.I can completely understand people not finishing the LotR (although I never imagined my 5th grade class that seemed to all be reading it on our own was precocious. I will always remember how crushed one was when
died).Boromir
The Silmarillion is one of my all time favorite books though. (My paperback fell apart from re-reading long ago. My second hardback copy was still in good shape, but I've replaced it with the new illustrated edition).
I wouldn't argue it is great literature anymore than I would argue either pot roast or my grandma's chocolate chip cookies were high cuisine. But if forced to be on a desert island, I think I'd take favorite comfort food over high cuisine any day. Although I'm guessing we'd all have very different choices of favorite comfort food. Just like we would for books. It feels like similar things could be said of movies and songs.
I know a number of ways to measure "great literature" and by any attempt at metric I can think of Tolkien's work qualifies as "Great Literature."