Hardcovers may be made as small as paperbacks, but far more lasting:

https://www.amazon.com/Hobbit-Lord-Rings-Deluxe-Pocket/dp/05...

I own those, I would describe them as semi-hardcover, with fake leather wrapped around some stiff but still pretty flexible material. The text is also so small as to be difficult to read in all but ideal lighting.

	▲	ChickeNES 3 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Tbh I have a worn UK first edition of one volume (stored for now, I think it was TT). Beautiful fold out map, but the cover was cheap and flimsy. I think my latter US 2nd edition was better manufactured, not sure if that’s a postwar UK problem or not.