My rating:

add to my books

The Children of Hurin (Middle-Earth Universe)

by J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (Editor), Alan Lee (illustrator)

3.74 · rating details · 9,786 ratings · 920 reviews

Christopher Tolkien

Hardcover, 320 pages

Published April 17th 2007 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (first published January 1st 1988)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Great Books List of Kristi and Maggie the cat

33rd out of 87 books — 7 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 17,811)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jun 05, 2008

Jake rated it

Shelves: fantasy, series, epic, favorite-titles, favorite-authors

It has been said that all good things must come to an end. In this case, the end of Children of Hurin also marks the end of my quest to read a book by each of my five favorite authors. It seems like a fitting way to end this journey, in that Tolkien is the oldest of my favorites, and if there was ever a modern author suited to end-of-quest tales, it was Tolkien. He was also the author on my list that gave me the greatest concern—not only has he passed away, but his body of published work is rela...moreIt has been said that all good things must come to an end. In this case, the end of Children of Hurin also marks the end of my quest to read a book by each of my five favorite authors. It seems like a fitting way to end this journey, in that Tolkien is the oldest of my favorites, and if there was ever a modern author suited to end-of-quest tales, it was Tolkien. He was also the author on my list that gave me the greatest concern—not only has he passed away, but his body of published work is relatively small. I didn’t want to re-read the Hobbit or Lord of the Rings, not because I don’t love them, but because I wanted to be able to read something new, just as I had with the other authors. Having read the Silmarillion several months earlier, I was hard pressed to think of what else to read. Sure, I could have gone for Letters From Father Christmas, or Farmer Giles of Ham, but neither of those somehow felt right. Tolkien’s tales of Middle-Earth were what cemented him as one of my favorite writers, and I wanted to go back to Middle-Earth as part of this project.

Fortunately, the publishing gods smiled upon me, and gave me Children of Hurin. This is another in a line of books composed by Tolkien’s estate, taken from various notes, fragments, and other unfinished writings and molded into a coherent whole. In that respect, for the record, it’s very well done. The text flows seamlessly from chapter to chapter, and I never once had the sense that I was reading something out of place or inauthentic. This feels like Tolkien’s writing, and if it isn’t exactly what he intended, I have to believe it’s pretty damn close.

But what of the story itself?

The story of Hurin and his offspring is told as part of the Silmarillion, but not in the detail that Tolkien intended. Tolkien believed that this story was one that could be told apart from the Silmarillion as a whole—that it was strong enough and vibrant enough to stand on it’s own. And he is absolutely correct.

Children of Hurin is an epic. It’s also a tragedy. If you come into this book expecting glorious battles and happy endings, you will be sorely disappointed (though if you come to Tolkien expecting nothing but happiness and light, I submit you haven’t read Tolkien very often or carefully). This is not a tale of good triumphing over evil, but a tale of a family brought down by an epic curse. More Macbeth than Star Wars, in other words.

The writing itself is epic—Children of Hurin reads a lot like Beowulf or the Iliad. Tolkien apparently originally tried to write the tale as an actual epic poem, but was never quite able to make it work. Still, his prose captures that same spirit, rhythm, and cadence. As a huge fan of epic and epic poem, I love it.

Despite the epic prose and tragic scope, the characters of Children of Hurin are very well crafted, and ultimately, very human. Their actions, while not always rational, are often understandable, and while the tragedy has its origins in the supernatural (it is Morgoth who curses the line of Hurin), there is not a strong sense that the plot is forced simply by supernatural means. Instead, we get the sense that these are perhaps well meaning, but ultimately deeply flawed people, who suffer for their choices, and the choices of others. The final scene of the book, when Hurin is finally reunited with his dying wife, is absolutely heartbreaking.

There’s also a wonderful scene, much earlier, which really stuck with me, and I need to mention it here just because it’s so wonderfully crafted. It occurs shortly after Hurin’s capture by Morgoth, when Morwen, his wife, is trying to figure out what to do with herself and her children. Turin, the son, says something to the effect of “I know my father is dead. He must be, because I know that his love for us is so strong that if he were alive, no chains could hold him, and no amount of enemies could keep him from returning to us.”

And Morwen’s answer is “I do not think either of those things is true, my son.”

It’s a wonderful, if completely heartbreaking moment, where a child-like view of heroism clashes completely with the harsh realities of the world. It strikes me as a very Tolkien-esque moment; in many ways much of Tolkien’s work deals with the interplay between heroics, and the personal cost or realities of those heroics. At least, that’s my initial thought. In any case, it’s an immensely powerful scene.

The text of the book is aided by the wonderful illustrations done by Alan Lee, who has done a lot of Tolkien-related art in the past. His illustrations are interspersed in no particular order throughout the book, but each one of them is gorgeous, and really adds to the flavor of the text. It would have been neat to see some more of them.

This is yet another Tolkien book I’ll be re-reading in the future. It’s a fine addition to the Middle Earth canon.(less)

like 22 likes

· see review

Sep 03, 2007

Beggs rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Hardcore Tolkien fans.

The Children of Hurin is not a for people who saw the Lord of the Rings movies and then read the book. It's for hardcore fans. The people who remember all the names from the The Silmarillion. Or for the few people out there who reread Beowulf a lot. The Children of Hurin reads like a Nordic Saga.

As a self proclaimed Tolkien Fanatic I enjoyed The Children or Hurin. The Heroic, epic and ultimately tragic life of Turin and his sisters. It's not more The Lord of the Rings but it co...more

like 8 likes

· see review

Feb 14, 2008

Carter Krummrich rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Tolkein fans

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The Children of Hurin is a beautiful book. I bought the hardcover collector's edition for a small fortune as books go ($75) and let me just say that Alan Lee's illustrations are exquisite. I read the book immediately and will say that it is a must for any lifelong Tolkein fans. Tolkein's works were a huge part of my childhood and my mom would read them to me before I could read. She had to stop reading them because I would ask too many questions so I read them myself when I was eight or nine.
...moreThe Children of Hurin is a beautiful book. I bought the hardcover collector's edition for a small fortune as books go ($75) and let me just say that Alan Lee's illustrations are exquisite. I read the book immediately and will say that it is a must for any lifelong Tolkein fans. Tolkein's works were a huge part of my childhood and my mom would read them to me before I could read. She had to stop reading them because I would ask too many questions so I read them myself when I was eight or nine.

This story is one of Tokein's oldest. He started the tale of Turin Turambar in 1910 in the form of epic poetry (iambic pentameter if I remember correctly). The story appears in condensed form in The Silmarillion. Here, the narrative is fleshed out and edited by Christopher Tolkein because J.R.R never finished it. This is really strange to me because it is said that J.R.R. most identified with the tale's hero, Turin, out of any of his other characters.

That being said, I wouldn't recommend this work to anyone except hardcore Tolkein fans. The narrative is mired tightly within Tolkein's obscure legends of Middle Earth. The narrative reads like a Greek tragedy. Turin is cursed from the start. Hurin, Turin's proud and valiant father, is captured by Morgoth, the enemy, after the loss of the War of Unnumbered Tears. Morgoth curses Hurin's children and keeps him alive to watch their misery from atop a mock throne for most of his life.

Turin becomes a great warrior both proud and noble yet falls victim to the curse of Morgoth. He accomplishes many great deeds yet destroys or perverts everything close to him. He slays his best friend unawares, marries his sister having never known her, and causes the destruction of one of elf kind's greatest civilizations. These are just some of the many of the consequences of Morgoth's curse. One could argue that Turin's own pride brought these horrors upon his own head. I really enjoy Tolkein to this day because of these crisp complexities. You can choose to read the book on its most simple levels and be just fine. But if you choose to delve into its deeper themes, I promise you will be rewarded with gold (or mithril - if you're a true fan).(less)

like 4 likes

· see review

Dec 15, 2008

Aldean rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: tolkien, possessions

As a general rule I try to write my reviews "in a vacuum" as much as possible, that is, before I read through the other reviews already here. I am not going to be able to do that here. I have spent more than twenty years with this story (since my mother first read the Unfinished Tales version aloud to me when I was eight years old), and if Christopher Tolkien had not put this volume together, I might have eventually had the hubris to do so myself.

Let me start by making a c...moreAs a general rule I try to write my reviews "in a vacuum" as much as possible, that is, before I read through the other reviews already here. I am not going to be able to do that here. I have spent more than twenty years with this story (since my mother first read the Unfinished Tales version aloud to me when I was eight years old), and if Christopher Tolkien had not put this volume together, I might have eventually had the hubris to do so myself.

Let me start by making a couple of points. First: this is not a new book in any sense of the word, other than it is now standing on its own between two covers and without visible editorial apparatus for the first time. Second: Christopher Tolkien cannot be said to have written any portion of the narrative of this book, despite many reviewers intimations to the contrary. The bulk of this text appeared in Unfinished Tales, with significant gaps; Tolkien the son has filled in these gaps using the relevant sections from the (much more concise) version that was used in assembling The Silmarillion, as well as framing material at the beginning and end of the current volume, also from The Silmarillion. Christopher Tolkien has done little more here than the literary equivalent of very carefully stitching a few patches to mend the gaping holes in an otherwise noble and beautiful garment.

On to the story itself, then. This is, as so many others have already noted with varying degrees of enthusiasm, a very dark tale. If you don't like very dark tales, well then, you will quite likely not like this. It is also in a prose style, as is the vast bulk of Tolkien's work, that is very susceptible to being called "stilted", because compared to contemporary prose, it is. But as at least one reviewer here has wisely noted the tone is in keeping with the tone of the Nordic sagas of which Tolkien was so fond of and inspired by. And like so many ancient sagas and myths, this tale is about an entire family haunted by a doom they cannot escape.

Or is it? I think that Tolkien has done a wonderful job here of subverting the curse of Morgoth and the doom of Húrin and his kin with another motif: free will. Tolkien, who strenuously avoids almost any hint of allegory throughout his vast imaginative work, nevertheless imbued almost every corner of that world with reflections of his own deeply-held Catholic convictions and sensibilities. The core of the story is the tension between doom/fate on the one hand and free will on the other. Túrin makes decision after decision that invariably lead to tragic consequences. But does he do so because he is doomed to do so? Or because he is a man of haughty pride who stubbornly refuses to consider any viewpoint but his own, using his considerable gifts (natural charisma and rightfully-legendary physical/martial prowess) to charge willfully forward regardless of even foreseeable consequences to anyone and everyone around him? I believe that it is very much the latter, but without necessarily completely repudiating the former.

The malice of such a being as Morgoth is a very real force in the tale of the Silmarils, and such malevolence bent upon a single family, and largely upon a single individual as Túrin rises to prominence, can be understood to have tangible effect on individuals and events. And even on a more mundane level, the incursions and aggressive actions of Morgoth's forces, both the marauding armies of Orcs and the Easterlings who occupy Túrin's childhood homeland, can be understood to push Túrin in a particular direction in his life that he might not have gone had circumstances in his life and in his world been otherwise. So there is some range to the senses in which Morgoth can be said to have cursed the children of Húrin.

But Túrin has also grown up the proud child of a proud mother; effectively orphaned from the age of nine, he receives ostensibly every advantage, yet the pride instilled in him from the earliest age tragically unravels every opportunity he is presented with from his youthful fostering in the halls of Thingol onwards. It is his human choices, not the supernatural force of an evil will, that guide him on his tragic path, and this complex narrative thread is what makes this, to my mind, one of the greatest of all of Tolkien's tales.(less)

like 11 likes

· see review

Apr 28, 2008

Dustin rated it

· review of another edition

Having read most of Christopher Tolkien's other editions of his father's work, I was eager to read this prose rendering of the Narn i Chin Hurin, which may be familiar to anyone who has read the Silmarillion, or any of the Lost Tales/Unfinished Tales/History of Middle Earth volumes.

What always strikes me about the early writings of Tolkein's (JRR, not Christopher) is the love and tenderness with which he writes his characters. No matter how awful their acts, whether voluntary or fat...more

like 2 likes

· see review

Jun 21, 2008

Andrew rated it

· review of another edition

So, I decided to take the next step of Tolkien nerdom and read one of his non-Lord of the Rings books. At first I was emotionally detached from this story because, let's face it, Tolkien's never really been that great with character development. I was bored, and I thought I should probably quit. But I persevered. Good thing I did! The last half of the book picks up speed, and it turns into something reminiscent of a Greek tragedy - which is something I did not expect. It shocked me, disturbed me...more

like 4 likes

· see review

Oct 09, 2010

reinaj rated it

· review of another edition

I could’ve read this book in one sitting if I had the luxury of time. Like everything I’ve read of Tolkien so far (The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings), I found it engrossing and hard to put down. But don’t expect to have an experience similar to that of reading LOTR. Just as The Hobbit should not be compared in merit with LOTR, so shouldn’t this one, for though they come from the same world (Middle Earth), they’re entirely of different species (much like Elves, Dwarves and Men).

I knew ev...more

like 2 likes

· see review

Apr 06, 2008

Heather rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Serious JRR Tolkien fans

This book is only for the serious JRR Tolkien fan. If you've read the Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, Silmarillion, and still want more, then you will probably be interested in this book. It is very different than the above books though. The Hobbit is a very easy read, written for a young audience. Lord of the Rings is a long tale, but keeps you drawn in til the end. The Silmarillion is incredibly complex, and difficult to read, yet fascinating because of all of the history of Middle Earth that ...more

like 4 likes

· see review

Jan 14, 2008

Lauren Giova rated it

Recommends it for: Tolkien fans

Now, i am a huge fan of the Lord of the Rings trilogy but The Children of Hurin was sorely disappointing. Though i have to give Tolkien credit for starting a good story i would have to give his son two thumbs down in his editing abilities. I don't think i have ever read anything so coldly written in my life. There was no love in the book. I was depressed while reading it and had to make myself finish it. If there were more character building or even just some form of emotion aside from...more

like 3 likes

· see review

Dec 11, 2007

Nick rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

This book, based on original manuscripts along with notes and other bits and pieces left by J.R.R. Tolkien, has been brought together into a coherant form by his son, Christopher Tolkien who has done so much good work to bring to light the other writings of Middle-Earth that were as important to Tolkien as his seminal works, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.

This book sets out one of the longer so called "Lays of Beleriand", stories from that place in the west of Middle-...more

like 1 like

· see review

Nov 05, 2007

Luis rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Of course as this book came as a must read for any Tolkien fan worth their salt. I bought this within a week of its premiere and while on vacation a few months back it became one of the key books during the trip. I wanted to relish in its reading and linger on the words and history of middle earth. One part of this book that bothered me may in fact be the fact that the book itself is rather short for a Tolkien work. Christopher Tolkien fingers are all over this work for it reads smoothly and ele...moreOf course as this book came as a must read for any Tolkien fan worth their salt. I bought this within a week of its premiere and while on vacation a few months back it became one of the key books during the trip. I wanted to relish in its reading and linger on the words and history of middle earth. One part of this book that bothered me may in fact be the fact that the book itself is rather short for a Tolkien work. Christopher Tolkien fingers are all over this work for it reads smoothly and elegantly with little of the complexity that a reader expects from his father. I am not complaining about mainly stating it as more an observation, it turned out that while on vacation this book was perfect because it was never really a challenge. It became instead a light fantasy read steeped in the world of Middle Earth. It deals with a time before the rise of Suaron and deals mainly with the evil before him, Morgoth. I forget the details as to where he ranks in the history of Middle Earth, for unlike some Tolkien fans I have yet to memorize the tome that is the Silmarillon.
This book mainly deals with the life of Hurin how in his battle against Morgoth he is cursed by him and held hostage for years locked to watch the destruction of his land by foreign invaders unable to do anything. His son Turin grows into a man raised by elves and becomes a fierce dark warrior famed throughout the land. His journey is a dark one filled with palace intrigue and the darkness that surrounds his bloodline destined to befoul all his actions. The journey of Turin and his father Hurin is amazing , but ultimately he is a tragic figure within the pages of the Tolkien's word. This story is one apparently written by Tolkien early in his career and helps to create some of the basis for the beauty that is Silmarillon. It seems that after all his other tales have such beautiful endings here is a story steeped in tragedy. It think it is a fitting tale rounding out the mythology that is the genius of Tolkien. Great book, but be careful those looking for the usual Tolkien tales will be pleasantly surprised.
Turin is a character of amazing depth and battles that are described in this book are on par with the battles within the pages Lord of the Rings. Tolkien createss history and legends that are absolutely amazing. The artwork is amazing as well.(less)

like 1 like

· see review

Nov 14, 2008

Dan rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: those who liked the Simirillian

People seem to go both ways on this book, but I can only speak for myself: GREAT.

Great, great, great, great, great. As one who is among the (legions of) people who appreciate the character-driven, powerful portrayal of daily trials, personalities, and themes of friendship and loyalty found in The Lord of the Rings, and those (somewhat smaller number of) people who appreciated the sweeping, cataclysmic majesty of The Simarillion; The Children of Húrin is a most satisfying blend of th...more

like 3 likes

· see review

Aug 08, 2007

Silvercharmer rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Tolkien fans

Shelves: scifi-fantasy, tolkien

Can you imagine my excitement over the prospect of more Tolkien material? The story itself appears in a briefer form in the Silmarillion, and here in it's longer form we get to dwell a lot more on what things were like in the First Age, when the Elves screwed everything up so royally it all had to be sunk beneath the sea. Seriously, for a race that is immortal and thus in theory hip to smart decisions vs. horrendous ones, the Elves FAIL miserably to do anything that ultimately turns out to be ri...moreCan you imagine my excitement over the prospect of more Tolkien material? The story itself appears in a briefer form in the Silmarillion, and here in it's longer form we get to dwell a lot more on what things were like in the First Age, when the Elves screwed everything up so royally it all had to be sunk beneath the sea. Seriously, for a race that is immortal and thus in theory hip to smart decisions vs. horrendous ones, the Elves FAIL miserably to do anything that ultimately turns out to be right or smart. They seem doomed to failure, and everyone can just blame Feanor. Well, and I guess Turin, because after reading this you really wonder why in God's name is Hollywood fighting over movie rights, because watching this movie would likely sink you into a horrible depressive cycle that would last for weeks.

I say this all with love, by the way.

The Children of Hurin is stylistically written much like the Silmarillion, so put your Biblical goggles on. In general, and very much in this book, Tolkien conveys honor, fate, chivalry, sorrow and grief with such amazing beauty and grace that it quite frankly leaves you humbled. I cannot overemphasize the beauty and tragedy of Tolkien's writing. This world of his is made so complex and poignant mostly because of all the tragic things that happen within it. The stories of old told throughout The Lord of the Rings are spoken so lovingly and with such nostalgia, but it's the sadness that even remembered victories contain that make them so moving. When characters get that wistful look in their eye, you very badly want to know everything about what it is their mind sees, and in this story, you get that. In a lot more detail than the Silmarillion. (!!!)

But at the same time, these stories are so. so. easy to MST3K, and if you love them dearly like I do, you can do it and not feel bad. For example. One of the issues I have with most of Tolkien's writing is that when it comes to the noble, proud, heroic and yet flawed characters of the First Age, all you read about are the flaws, and the stupid decisions they make as a result of those flaws, without any emphasis on the good qualities that make them so well loved. I can't stand Feanor, and frankly, I cannot find much to like about Turin, the arrogant little prick, despite the fact that out of the Edain, he and Beren are probably the most revered. Yes, their bravery and valor have won them the respect of the elves, but man. If I were an elf and some dinky little man insisted to Orodeth that that no, don't listen to Cirdan's people, we should FIGHT LIKE BANSHEES and not stay hidden and thus avoid certain defeat, and as a result my kingdom was SACKED AND OVERTHROWN BY A DRAGON, I would be pretty damn pissed. But no, they still love the man, no matter how sullen and snotty he gets. And he gets pretty sullen and snotty if you ask me. I still don't understand how a human, who has a couple hundred years less experience than any elf, most especially elves who would be advisers to the king of one of the most powerful elven realms, could offer better military strategy than other fellow elves, but this is a world that after thousands and thousands of years, bows and arrows are still about the most powerful weapons they got.

So, there is a lot about Turin that you have to take everyone's word for, rather than see evidence of yourself. But if you are at all familiar with Tolkien's writing, and love it in the slightest bit, you will be ecstatic about this book, and hopefully equally as horrified as I that they want to make the damn thing a movie (yes! a movie about grief and tragedy and incest and betrayal where nothing good ultimately happens to anyone! whoo!!).(less)

like 2 likes

· see review

Jul 10, 2007

Steven rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Beowulf fans

Christopher Tolkien does an excellent job sifting through his father's manuscripts to assemble the tragedy of Hurin -- the first of the three "Great Stories of Middle Earth" according to J. R. R. Tolkien -- into a single coherent narrative. The style and themes have more in common with Beowulf and other Nordic and Anglo-Saxon epics, than it does with the Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit. This is, after all, no children's story. Be advised, however, the first several pages (as is typical...more

like 1 like

· see review

Apr 10, 2008

ba rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: fans of Middle Earth; even lapsed fans

As a teenager, I was a huge fan of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and fantasy books in general. But that was a long time ago. In the years between, I did read The Silmarillion, and did not enjoy it very much. So when I read that Mr. Tolkein's son had edited yet another book from his father's notes, I was wary. Having read some favorable reviews, I purchased the book, but it sat on my shelves many months as I tried to stave off the impending disappointment.

How wrong I was. I ve...more

like 1 like

· see review

Jul 20, 2007

Joe rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Fantasy lovers

The Children of Hurin will make you cry--it made me cry, and that's saying something. I cry rarely, and only when something is as touching as the movie "Cool Runnings".
If you love the Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit but have not been able to muster the patience and dedication it takes to read the Silmarillion, this book will inspire you to delve deeper into the ancient, tragic and glorious history of middle earth.
The story is one of Tolkien's "Great Tales" and t...more

like 1 like

· see review

Apr 04, 2008

Ceridwen rated it

Shelves: fantasy, incest-is-best

All of Western thought may be footnote to Plato, but all Western fantasy is a footnote to Tolkien. A "new' book by Tolkien certainly is welcome, and it's interesting to be confronted by his somewhat staggering limitations as a novelist.

After reading the introduction by Chris Tolkien, JRR's editor/son, I learned that this story was severally written as alliterative verse, a lay, several snippets of notes, outlines, etc, and smoothed together later. It's episodic, and ends on an ...more

like 4 likes

· see review

Dec 12, 2008

Adam Heine rated it

· review of another edition

I'm always sketchy of posthumous Tolkien. It used to be because "it wasn't Lord of the Rings," but later it was because these works involved an awful lot of exposition, telling, and names.

Children of Hurin certainly starts this way (there are 12 names in the opening paragraph alone!), but a few pages in the story started for real. After that I couldn't put it down.

This book is dark and sad and really good. It feels powerful in a way that a lot of stories don't. ...more

like 5 likes

· see review

Nov 14, 2008

Saved By Grace rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: idk

Shelves: very-much-disliked

I was looking forward to reading this, because heck, Tolkien basically wrote it, his son just edited it, right? I was severely disappointed. Especially with the whole gloom and doom thing. I understand, there are many books out there like this and many people don't mind gloom and doom books. But I really couldn't stand it, and

***********SPOILER WARNING********************************

I thought the way Turin/Thurin died was...more

like 3 likes

· see review

Dec 01, 2008

Valerie rated it

· review of another edition

Why did the family of Hurin wait so long before trying to find each other? To force the story line, that's why. Unless you are an extreme Tolkien fan, pass this one up!

like 1 like

· see review

Apr 18, 2008

Michaela Wood rated it

· review of another edition

Well, I think without the quirky and down-to-earth Hobbits the plight of men and elves are just too SERIOUS. Although I know Tolkien enjoyed the creation of British Lore, this is a Greek tragedy . I felt so bored by the time the main character killed off the last of his friends. It's like speeding to the edge of a cliff, thinking how exciting it will be when the driver pulls off the side, only to find yourself toppling over the edge of the cliff to the canyon below..."but this was supposed ...more

like 1 like

· see review

May 11, 2011

Coligne rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: biblioteca, fantasy

[...] e se la vicenda di Bilbo, di frodo e di Aragorn è un mito, qui approdiamo al mito del mito.
Nella nota questo libro, Quirino Principe ci fa notare quello che secondo me è il nodo centrale della vicenda di Túrin: una leggenda, e come tale questa storia deve essere presa.</p>

La sotria ivi narrata non è altro che la versione riveduta-ed ampliata- del racconto già presente ne Il Silmarrilion e nei Racconti perduti.
La sostanziale differenza tra le tre versioni della storia, oltre alla sua

...more

· see review

Feb 21, 2011

Anne Mathison added it · review of another edition

Tolkien Novice: I'm writing this review for those who have not yet strayed far from 'The Lord of the Ring' or 'The Hobbit'. Much like myself a couple of years ago you were probably swept up by the movies and decided to read the books. But now that the adventure is over your looking for more, let me take you by the hand and lead you down the dark and brooding path of middle-earth's past. But be warned, this journey should not be taken lightly for middle-earth is vast and varied, even more so than...more

· see review

Mar 24, 2009

Tony rated it

· review of another edition

The book opens with Hurin leaving his home at the request of the Elf Lords of Middle Earth to go to open battle against the first Dark Lord, Morgoth. A disastrous route ensues in which the armies of the Elf Lords are driven back (including the shining army of Gondolon). Hurin directs his men to act as a rear guard so Morgoth's army will be delayed long enough to not be able to chase the army of Gondolon, to its hidden valley. While commanding that force, Hurin is captured. Under torture from...more

· see review

Feb 05, 2009

Bookmarks Magazine added it

Shorter versions of Hurin first appeared in The Silmarillion (1977) and Unfinished Tales (1980); finally, fans of Middle-earth can read this fine addition to Tolkien's fantasy oeuvre in entirety. Hurin, illustrated by Alan Lee, is a dark, tragic tale. Readers expecting the good-trumps-evil trajectory of Lord of the Rings will instead discover T��rin, a complex, tormented antihero, and Tolkien's bleak, darker side. (Think dragons over hobbits.) Critics mostly quibbled with the accessibility of the

...more

· see review

Dec 21, 2008

Angela rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

I promised earlier this year that I'd write about this book, and now I finally can! I'd had to read it in bits and pieces, since I didn't dare take it out of the house or into the bath as part of my usual reading cycle. It's such a lovely volume that I was scared to death of damaging it!

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is reason number one that you should have this book. Even completely aside from the words it contains, this book is a work of art. I've long heard people speak of the phy...moreI promised earlier this year that I'd write about this book, and now I finally can! I'd had to read it in bits and pieces, since I didn't dare take it out of the house or into the bath as part of my usual reading cycle. It's such a lovely volume that I was scared to death of damaging it!

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is reason number one that you should have this book. Even completely aside from the words it contains, this book is a work of art. I've long heard people speak of the physical pleasure of reading a book; The Children of Hurin should now become one of the causes for this sentiment. I loved everything about its construction. I loved the paper it was written on. I loved the fold-out map of Beleriand and surrounding territory at the back. Hell, I even loved its fonts. More impressive, though, is the lovely artwork all throughout the book. The full-color plates at regular intervals are stunning, but the smaller black-and-white drawings that appear at the tops of the first page of every new chapter are also gorgeous.

Reason number two to have this book is, of course, the story. Hardcore Tolkien geeks who have read either The Silmarillion or Unfinished Tales will already know most of the saga of Turin and his family and all the various flavors of doom that descend upon them, but those are shorter versions. Reading the tale in a complete form from start to finish is wonderful, and at least for me as a reader, the parts edited in by Christopher Tolkien felt seamless. Most of them, in fact, were seamless enough that I couldn't even tell where the father had left off and the son picked up... except at the very end, where there's a coda that I hadn't recognized and which I found poignant indeed. Harder-core Tolkien geeks than I may be able to tell me whether that's something Tolkien wrote, or whether his son added it in.

Make no mistake--the saga of Turin is dark grim darkity dark dark grim with a side order of WTF, slathered over with a generous layer of gloom, doom, and despair. And most if not all of the place names and character names will be unfamilar to anyone who's only looked at the movies or who has read just the best-known works. The time of Turin is the First Age, which by the time of Bilbo and Frodo and company is nothing more than fragments of memory and legend; Sauron isn't even on the radar yet, and Morgoth, the original Big Bad of Middle-Earth, still holds sway. So it's almost literally like reading about an entirely different world... and yet, it is all part of the vast scope of Arda, and you can see the seeds of what will come later being sown here.

Highly, highly recommended. Four stars!(less)

· see review

Jan 09, 2012

Paul Darcy rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

by J. R. R. Tolkien, edited by Christopher Tolkien, published in 2007.

The works of J. R. R. Tolkien are so well known worldwide that I hardly have to mention the fact, but “The Children Of Hurin” is not so well known at all - at least not until now.

Some of the tale is told in “Unfinished Tales Volume 1" and “The Silmarillion”, but nothing like it is presented here in “The Children Of Hurin” - and I”m very glad I have it to read now.

Written in bits and pieces st...moreby J. R. R. Tolkien, edited by Christopher Tolkien, published in 2007.

The works of J. R. R. Tolkien are so well known worldwide that I hardly have to mention the fact, but “The Children Of Hurin” is not so well known at all - at least not until now.

Some of the tale is told in “Unfinished Tales Volume 1" and “The Silmarillion”, but nothing like it is presented here in “The Children Of Hurin” - and I”m very glad I have it to read now.

Written in bits and pieces starting way back in 1920, this tale of woe and misery would never have seen the light of day in the present form if not for Christopher Tolkien, J. R. R Tolkien’s son. And a masterful job Christopher did of putting the bits and pieces together into a coherent whole.

As I’ve mentioned it is a tale of misery and woe, and so very, very dark. It makes “Lord of The Rings” feel like a happy joy club selection of the month. We get a tale, set in the First Age, when Morgoth ruled supreme and basically dominated most of the lands of Middle-Earth.

Morgoth, one of the Valar (gods of Middle-Earth) turned to total maliciousness, puts a curse on Hurin such that his family will suffer for ever more. And this is no idle curse - it comes to rotten fruition on numerous occasions.

The tale is mostly about Turin, Hurin’s sone, but touches on Hurin’s two daughters and wife a bit as well. And man what an absolutely depressing tale right to the very last page.

Was it worth the read? You bet. This is Tolkien we are talking about. I really liked the feel of this book despite the never ending depression and tragedy of the characters, and the dragon was very cool indeed - even cooler than old Smaug form “The Hobbit”.

This huge dragon, his name is Glaurung, is one of Morgoth’s chief assistants and goes on a rampage destroying an Elven city (Yeah, an entire Elven city!) as well as hectares of forest lands. There is a great showdown between Turin and the Dragon at the end and dark deeds abound.

And as a bonus this book is illustrated by Alan Lee, and that is so cool. The full page paintings are great, but just as neat (to me anyhow) were the pencil black and white drawings at the start of each chapter and the end of most others. Bravo to Lee for capturing perfectly the text and worth the purchase price just to get them. I do believe you can get a calendar with these colour plates in it for 2008 - if you can find it anymore.

So, what are you waiting for. If you have read “The Hobbit” and “Lord Of The Rings” and every other book from Tolkien out there - you need to have this one as well - you will kick yourself years from now if you didn’t pick it up.(less)

· see review

Dec 28, 2011

dragonhelmuk rated it

· review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Kindled for £6. Amazing book telling the complete legend of one of my personal heroes from Tolkien, also has some handy notes. Two quotes to illustrate:

{the master of doom}
‘Have I been cozened, that I might come and die here dishonoured, who might at least have ended valiantly before the Doors of Nargothrond?’ And out of the night about the hall it seemed to him that he heard the cries of Finduilas. ‘Not first will I die here!’ he cried. And he seized Brodda, and with the str...moreKindled for £6. Amazing book telling the complete legend of one of my personal heroes from Tolkien, also has some handy notes. Two quotes to illustrate:

{the master of doom}
‘Have I been cozened, that I might come and die here dishonoured, who might at least have ended valiantly before the Doors of Nargothrond?’ And out of the night about the hall it seemed to him that he heard the cries of Finduilas. ‘Not first will I die here!’ he cried. And he seized Brodda, and with the strength of his great anguish and wrath he lifted him on high and shook him, as if he were a dog. ‘Morwen of the thrall-folk, did you say? You son of dastards, thief, slave of slaves!’ Thereupon he flung Brodda head foremost across his own table, full in the face of an Easterling that rose to assail Túrin.
...
at the last two choices only could there be for Turambar: to sit deedless until he was found, driven forth like a rat; or to go forth soon to battle, and be revealed.

{amazing action}
Now the power and malice of Glaurung grew apace, and he waxed fat, and he gathered Orcs to him, and ruled as a dragon-king, and all the realm of Nargothrond that had been was laid under him.
...
Then Turambar cried: ‘Alas! It is ill to walk in my shadow! Why did I seek aid? For now you are alone, O Master of Doom, as you should have known it must be. Now conquer alone!’ Then he summoned to him all his will, and all his hatred of the Dragon and his Master, and it seemed to him that suddenly he found a strength of heart and of body that he had not known before; and he climbed the cliff, from stone to stone, and root to root, until he seized at last a slender tree that grew a little beneath the lip of the chasm, and though its top was blasted it still held fast by its roots. And even as he steadied himself in a fork of its boughs, the midmost parts of the Dragon came above him, and swayed down with their weight almost upon his head, ere Glaurung could heave them up. Pale and wrinkled was their underside, and all dank with a grey slime, to which clung all manner of dropping filth; and it stank of death. Then Turambar drew the Black Sword of Beleg and stabbed upwards with all the might of his arm, and of his hate, and the deadly blade, long and greedy, went into the belly even to its hilts.

{why oh why did they leave out these important 2 pages?!}
I have omitted from the text two passages that I included in Unfinished Tales but which are parenthetical to the narrative: these are the history of how the Dragon-helm came into the possession of Hador of Dor-lómin (Unfinished Tales, p. 75), and the origin of Saeros (Unfinished Tales, p. 77).(less)

· see review

Nov 08, 2011

Asya Fergiani rated it

The Children of Hurin was a much awaited book published well after the death of J.R.R. Tolkien and edited by Christopher Tolkien. I was excitedly looking forward to this book and was disappointed that I wasn’t quickly drawn into the story like with the Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I grappled with the extensive ancestries and the unfamiliar realms that were to have preexisted Middle-earth, the setting of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. Often I found that I had to reread passages bec...more

· see review

Oct 17, 2011

Christopher rated it

· review of another edition

A very impressive novel of the first age of Middle-Earth long before "The Hobbit" or "The Lord of the Rings." In this novel, Christopher Tolkien has finally edited (all of this was written in an unfinished form by J.R.R. Tolkien before his death) a tale from his father's mythology that is accessible for all readers and not just the super fans. You don't even need to have read "The Silmarillion" or any of Tolkien's other works in order to enjoy this. True, if you've ...more

· see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 593 594 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (62)

More editions...

Genres

Fantasy

1,067 users

Classics

48 users

Science Fiction Fantasy

41 users

Epic

26 users

Fantasy > High Fantasy

25 users

Literature

24 users

Science Fiction

17 users

Fantasy > Epic Fantasy

17 users

Adventure

17 users

Fantasy > Mythology

12 users

See top shelves...

Readers Also Enjoyed

About J.R.R. Tolkien

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE, was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the high fantasy classic works The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford from 1925 to 1945, and Merton Professor of English language and literature from 1945 to 1959. He was a close friend of C. S. Lewis ...more

More about J.R.R. Tolkien...

Books by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, #1)

The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings, #2)

The Return Of The King (The Lord of the Rings, #3)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Pin It

Trivia About The Children of H...

4 trivia questions
1 quiz

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from The Children of Húrin

“A man that flies from his fear may find that he has only taken a short cut to meet it.” — 406 people liked it

“I will not walk backward in life.” — 66 people liked it

More quotes…

Groups That Shelved The Children of H...

LIS 9437

39 members

last activity Jan 11, 2012 09:52am

shelf: currently-reading

Beyond Reality

855 members

last activity 2 hours, 17 min ago

shelf: read

Lord of The Rings

260 members

last activity Feb 02, 2012 05:57am

shelf: read

title link	preview: The Children of Hurin
avg rating	preview: The Children of Hurin Goodreads rating: 3.74 (9786 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23591.The_Children_of_Hurin?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1185495053m/23591.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23591.The_Children_of_Hurin?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Children of Hurin by J.R.R. Tolkien[/url]

The Children of Hurin (Middle-Earth Universe)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Readers Also Enjoyed

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website