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The Children of Hurin is the first complete book by J.R.R. Tolkien published in three decades - since The Silmarillion in 1977. This story is presented for the first time as a complete, stand-alone story (it elaborates upon the story of the man Hurin from The Silmarillion). This elaborate narrative will appeal to casual fans and Tolkien fanatics alike, returning them to the rich landscape and characters unique to Tolkien's Middle Earth. The story of The Children of Hurin is organized very much like a Greek Tragedy (Oedipus Rex by Sophocles and Medea by Euripedes come to mind). The hero, Hurin, defies Morgoth (the master of Sauron) and invokes his wrath. Hurin is captured by Morgoth and in his anger, the Dark Lord curses Hurin's descendants. The story then turns to Turin and Nienor (his son and daughter). After Hurin was thus bound, Turin goes to the kingdom of Doriath and grows up in Menegroth, with the elf-King Thingol, who claims him as "foster-son". There Turin is taught the language of the elves, hunting, and fighting. He rapidly becomes a great warrior, as agile and quick as an elf yet with the great strength of a man. He accepts the Dragon-helm of his father from Thingol, and fights against the Orcs (the Orcs fear the dragon-helm). There is a conspiracy to discredit Turin with Thingol and as a result Turin leaves, believing that he has lost the favor of the king. Yet, Turin is prideful, and he believes that he has been wronged and rejects all ties to Doriath (avoiding the summons of Thingol for the rest of the book). The story continues through the various adventures of Turin as he encounters one despair after another. This is not a happy story, but it is written in the best traditions of many ancient and modern writers who focus on the fallen man and human characteristics which lead to that downfall. If you are a Tolkien fan, you need this!Read full review
Taking place in the distant past of the Middle Earth most people know from the "Lord of the Rings," the "Children of Hurin" is a poignantly beautiful gem from JRR Tolkien's literary world. Before great cataclysms that altered the very substance of Middle Earth, the High Elves were allied with three great Houses of Men in a proud and hopeless struggle against the original Dark Enemy. "The Children of Hurin" begins with the most disastrous defeat of Elves and Men in that war, and how Turin, son of the greatest warrior in the history of Men, tries to take up his father's responsibility and reverse the damage. One of JRR Tolkien's greatest achievements was the world of Middle Earth itself, which contained endless layers of history and backstory that informed the origin and actions of its characters. What can be easy to miss in reading LOTR is that Middle Earth is a desolate shadow of what it used to be, before time and the mistakes of foolish pride wore down the greatness of Elves and Men to almost nothing. This book takes place in a part of Middle Earth that was later destroyed, to be remembered only in the sad songs and anecdotes that pop up here and there in the background of LOTR. This and the book's maps may initially confuse fans of LOTR, but the journey into unfamiliar territory is more than worth it: "The Children of Hurin" is great all by itself, but will do a lot to help you understand the world of LOTR in general. Fans who have trouble with the drier, historical tone of the "Silmarillion" might be better served with this fleshed-out piece of its story. If you have ever wondered why the Elves are such a small, sad, and reclusive bunch in LOTR, you'll see a bit of the answer here, and did you know the great Sauron was once just a servant of the true and original Dark Enemy? You'll meet the dark god Melkor here, and understand why Sauron was just carrying on a legacy. Be prepared also for the diabolical Father of Dragons, Glaurung. If you enjoyed the combination of guile and physical might that Smaug brought to the table, you'll get more than you bargained for from this dragon. "Children of Hurin" may also surprise fans that are used to the "plain Hobbit sense" and sober steadfastness of more well-known Tolkien protagonists. The central character, Turin, is in many senses the complete opposite of a Hobbit: a great and proud warrior, born for leadership, but doomed to make poor, rash decisions in the heat of emotion. You might be reminded a bit of Boromir, and rightly so. Turin struggles with moral choices and his pride often gets the better of him. Whereas you could trust the Bagginses to use logic, see the big picture, and keep their heads cool enough to defeat despair... or even the cunning wits and words of a dragon... you'll be horrified to see Turin falter. He's the essence of a tragic hero, and although he'll frustrate you, you might see more of yourself in him than in the nearly-unbreakable Hobbits. It's altogether a different flavor from LOTR or the Hobbit, but it's no less great, and anyone interested in the world of Middle Earth should give it a go.Read full review
I loved this book, although it almost made me cry. I think that it was much easier to understand than the story line of Silmarillion not to dis that or anything, but it reminded me of the way that "LOTR" was written. It was a great way to present the story of "The Tale of Tinuviel", not to complicated yet not to bland. Turin himself I thik kind of represents all of us in the sense tha He keeps trying to do the right thing but everything that He does goes wrong, also in his way of thinking through things is very human. In the end although tragic it is a good story, a good story that all Tolkien lovers and simply fantasy lovers will like. Just as a side note I read a review saying that they didn't like it because Christopher Tolkien wrote it, and that it was hard to understand however Christopher Tolkien did not write it he only edited it. I also think that the person who wrote this must not be a true Tolkien fan if they found this difficult to read.Read full review
Professor Tolkien (with whom I corresponded many years ago) was a philologist whose study of Beowulf, Sir Gawain, and the Scandinavian sagas, among others, is clearly reflected in this work. It is not to be compared with the facile entertainments that amuse the "Harry Potter" crowd (nothing against the series or its admirers), but will be most deeply appreciated by those who not only want to read fantasy with more meat on its bones, but those who prefer genuine literature, of the kind that will be remembered centuries from now. Christopher Tolkien, son of the master, has done an admirable job patching together various incomplete manuscripts giving this story from different periods in Tolkien's life, and not always cohering as to plot and characterization. If there is anything lacking, it is that C.T. might have included some of J.R.R.T.'s poetic renditions of the story, at least in part, and provided a more detailed textual apparatus explaining which versions are reflected in his final version and what exactly he did to emend them. Even lacking these additions for the armchair Tolkienist, the book is magnificently prepared and printed. One hopes that C.T. will do the same for other less fully presented tales of his father, especially that of Beorn.Read full review
The Children of Húrin is about a curse. Christopher Tolkien tells us in the Introduction (p.18) that JRR Tolkien's proposed alternative title was Narn e-'Rach Morgoth, The Tale of the Curse of Morgoth. The curse "works," not because of some quality within Middle-Earth. but because of who Morgoth is. "Morgoth is not 'invoking' evil or calamity on Húrin and his children, he is not 'calling on' a higher power to be the agent: for he,'Master of the fates of Arda' as he named himself to Húrin, intends to bring about the ruin of his enemy by force of his own gigantic will." (Ibid.) The lives of the Children of Húrin end tragically, which may cause some Tolkien fans to ask "Where is the eucatastrophe? Where is the Recovery and Consolation Tolkien speaks of in "On Fair Stories"? The quick answer is that The Children of Húrin was not intended to be a Fairy Story. In his letter to his editor quoted in the Second Edition of The Silmarillion, Tolkien describes what was in his mythology. The story of Beren and Lúthien is, he says, a "heroic-fairy-romance," while The Children of Húrin is a "tragic tale," admitting that it is "derived from the elements in Sigurd the Volsung, Oedipus, and the Finnish Kullervo." Tolkien lovers who have struggled through the History of Middle-earth series edited by Christopher will be delighted to know that the story is presented uninterrupted by notes and commentary. Tolkien scholars will, on the other hand, be pleased that an Appendix is included giving a detailed history of the manuscripts.Read full review
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