So, more about E. R. Eddison and the The Worm Ouroboros.
Evidently, Eddison found Tolkien's books to soft and tame. I think this is true in several senses. First, there is in the Worm unabashed erotic sex (though not explicit). His heroes have non-platonic dalliances. Second, his the violence of his heroes has explicit gore. For Tolkien, there's a bloodless quality to the conquests of the good guys - lots of orcs dispatched, but no-one is dripping with orc-blood. So Eddison feels gritter and realer here.
On the other hand, for all the tremendous richness of description in Eddison's word, the world is hollow ways that Tolkien's is rich. Eddison's castles are ornate with copious flourishes of every craft, but never do you hear of a craftsman. The dinners are rich of every delicacy - but there are no cooks. A few yeomen here and there, but the only crop of note is the grape.
Tolkien's world has craftsmen to build the castles, forges to forge the weapons, farms to grow the food, even among the orcs. The world is not grittier, but it's deeper.