Books. Of course.

Book are nearly always better as is the case here, but the movies are superb. I have little complaints now, all though I use to whine about Glorfindel, Arwen, Bombadil, Gandalf's mother friggin staff being broken, Scouring of the Shire and a lot of minor things. He was given 1 film from the start, and that is all we would have gotten if he didn't push for more. Would I change things? Hell yeah. Is it perfect? No. But it comes closer to nearly all other movie to book adaptions I have ever seen, but Tolkien fans are in another tier when it comes to defense. Only with Tolkien do you see so much movie/book controversy and I kinda see that as a tribute to Tolkien in its self.