- Hardcover
- Publisher: HarperCollins; Deluxe e. edition (10 Dec 2007)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0007275390
- ISBN-13: 978-0007275397
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Reading The Children of Hurin was a struggle at first but eventually the Tolkien genius did unfold. In my opinion, one needs to be familiar with the Silmarillion for in order to fully understand where this history fits into the greater scheme of things. A convenient fold-out map helps with the geography.
In the preface it is explained when and how JRR Tolkien worked on the long version of the legend of the Children of Hurin as an independent work and how the current text came about, whilst the introduction provides a brief description of the Land of Beleriand and its peoples near the end of the elder days. There is also a note on pronunciation.
The story begins with the childhood of Hurin and the Battle of Unnumbered Tears which marked the decline of the Eldar when the Land of Hithlum was lost. Hurin and his descendants were cursed by Morgoth whose evil realm was then expanding. The plot takes the reader through the lands of Hithlum, Mithrim, Dor-Lomin, Dimbar, Brethil, Doriath, Talath Dirnen and Dorthonion.
As a young boy, Turin left Hithlum for the hidden Elvish realm of Doriath where he stayed some years. After a dispute with an Elf, he left to become an outlaw. After many adventures he established a refuge on the mountain Amon Rudh, the domain of the petty dwarf Mim. When this outpost was lost to the orcs through treachery, Turin dwelt in the Elvish city of Nargothrond until its fall.
Afterwards he established a home amongst the people of the forest of Brethil. At this time his sister left Doriath, lost her memory in an encounter with the dragon Glaurung and came to Brethil, with tragic consequences. The wingless dragon made its way toward Brethil in order to destroy the town Ephel Brandir, when the highlight of the book occurs: Turin's slaying of Glaurung.
If one perseveres through the first difficult pages one will certainly enjoy this great tale of tragedy. All the Tolkien magic is there in the intricate plot, gripping imagery and elegant use of language. There are beautiful colour plates and black & white illustrations throughout the text. The Genealogies section includes the House of Hador & People of Haleth, the House of Beor and the Princes of the Noldor. The Appendix includes The Evolution of the Great Tales and The Composition of the Text, and the book concludes with a List of Names.
In the preface it is explained when and how JRR Tolkien worked on the long version of the legend of the Children of Hurin as an independent work and how the current text came about, whilst the introduction provides a brief description of the Land of Beleriand and its peoples near the end of the elder days. There is also a note on pronunciation.
The story begins with the childhood of Hurin and the Battle of Unnumbered Tears which marked the decline of the Eldar when the Land of Hithlum was lost. Hurin and his descendants were cursed by Morgoth whose evil realm was then expanding. The plot takes the reader through the lands of Hithlum, Mithrim, Dor-Lomin, Dimbar, Brethil, Doriath, Talath Dirnen and Dorthonion.
As a young boy, Turin left Hithlum for the hidden Elvish realm of Doriath where he stayed some years. After a dispute with an Elf, he left to become an outlaw. After many adventures he established a refuge on the mountain Amon Rudh, the domain of the petty dwarf Mim. When this outpost was lost to the orcs through treachery, Turin dwelt in the Elvish city of Nargothrond until its fall.
Afterwards he established a home amongst the people of the forest of Brethil. At this time his sister left Doriath, lost her memory in an encounter with the dragon Glaurung and came to Brethil, with tragic consequences. The wingless dragon made its way toward Brethil in order to destroy the town Ephel Brandir, when the highlight of the book occurs: Turin's slaying of Glaurung.
If one perseveres through the first difficult pages one will certainly enjoy this great tale of tragedy. All the Tolkien magic is there in the intricate plot, gripping imagery and elegant use of language. There are beautiful colour plates and black & white illustrations throughout the text. The Genealogies section includes the House of Hador & People of Haleth, the House of Beor and the Princes of the Noldor. The Appendix includes The Evolution of the Great Tales and The Composition of the Text, and the book concludes with a List of Names.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
1 review
A tragedy for the ages
22 Feb 2010
This is a very, very dark epic, not like The Lord of the Rings at all. Nonetheless, if you like Tolkien's other works, The Children of Hurin is worth a try. It explores the earlier ages of Middle Earth, particularly the story of Turin as described in The Silmarillion.
The story emphasizes key Tolkien themes like honor, oaths, tragedy - and, of course, dragons. Hurin, a noble king, is kidnapped by the evil lord Morgoth. When he refuses to reveal the location of an elven stronghold, Morgoth curses his children. The story follows Hurin's son, Turin, and his trials. The story of Turin is overwhelmingly depressing, with tragedy heaped upon tragedy. He accidentally kills his best friend, makes love to his sister, and eventually begs for death. Think Oedipus meets Aragorn. It is a pretty original and exciting story, but you'll definitely need some prozac after finishing.
Tolkien believed the book wasn't fit for publication because the prose was dry and stilted at times, and I have to agree. However, it also gives the book an archaic flavor. You really feel like you're reading an ancient story, not just a fantasy novel. I'll admit that The Children of Hurin is a tough read, but it is worth your effort.
I disagree with some of the reviewers here in that I think it is extremely helpful, if not necessary, to have read the The Silmarillion first. While The Children of Hurin stands alone as a story, it does reference characters in The Silmarillion, particularly Morgoth and several of the Vallar. What I would recommend is reading The Silmarillion up until the chapter about Hurin and Turin, and then switch to reading this book.
The story emphasizes key Tolkien themes like honor, oaths, tragedy - and, of course, dragons. Hurin, a noble king, is kidnapped by the evil lord Morgoth. When he refuses to reveal the location of an elven stronghold, Morgoth curses his children. The story follows Hurin's son, Turin, and his trials. The story of Turin is overwhelmingly depressing, with tragedy heaped upon tragedy. He accidentally kills his best friend, makes love to his sister, and eventually begs for death. Think Oedipus meets Aragorn. It is a pretty original and exciting story, but you'll definitely need some prozac after finishing.
Tolkien believed the book wasn't fit for publication because the prose was dry and stilted at times, and I have to agree. However, it also gives the book an archaic flavor. You really feel like you're reading an ancient story, not just a fantasy novel. I'll admit that The Children of Hurin is a tough read, but it is worth your effort.
I disagree with some of the reviewers here in that I think it is extremely helpful, if not necessary, to have read the The Silmarillion first. While The Children of Hurin stands alone as a story, it does reference characters in The Silmarillion, particularly Morgoth and several of the Vallar. What I would recommend is reading The Silmarillion up until the chapter about Hurin and Turin, and then switch to reading this book.
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