From the Bookshelf of J.R.R. Tolkien…

The Children of Húrin

J.R.R. Tolkien,

Christopher Tolkien (Editor)

Start date: September 1, 2012

Finish date: November 30, 2012

Discussion: The Children of Húrin

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The Children of Húrin

The Children of Húrin
By Jenna · 48 posts · 471 views

last updated Sep 27, 2023 06:04PM

Tolkien Group Read September-November 2012: The Children of Húrin
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last updated Nov 11, 2012 03:41AM

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What Members Thought

May 08, 2009 Kevis Hendrickson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, novel, action, adventure, favorites, 5-star-reads, best-books-i-ve-ever-read

As a person who read the previous incarnations of this tale in The Silmarillion and The Unfinished Tales, it's safe to say that I was already a fan of this book before it was ever released. However, I'm pleased to see that this was more than just a cheap attempt to milk the cow by putting out the same story multiple times as George Lucas keeps doing with his Star Wars re-releases. The Children of Hurin contains several never before seen chapters and illustrations which help to further expand the As a person who read the previous incarnations of this tale in The Silmarillion and The Unfinished Tales, it's safe to say that I was already a fan of this book before it was ever released. However, I'm pleased to see that this was more than just a cheap attempt to milk the cow by putting out the same story multiple times as George Lucas keeps doing with his Star Wars re-releases. The Children of Hurin contains several never before seen chapters and illustrations which help to further expand the story.

As it goes, this is probably the darkest of the tales J.R.R. Tolkien ever wrote. It's very bleak and grim, but that's where the magic of this story takes place. Rather than manufacture artificial escapes for the heroes of this book as he did in The Lord of the Rings, the heroes in this book really get their butts handed to them. The heroism of the good guys in this story stems from their resilience in the face of overwhelming odds, not necessarily their victories. The one thing I truly love about Tolkien's fantasy universe is that evil is not this single entity that you can confront and destroy. It's built into the very fabric of the world and proves to be indestructible by any means known to the inhabitants of Middle-earth.

The main character Turin, is as complex a character as has ever been devised in fantasy. Because of his father's defiance of Morgoth, the original dark lord of Middle-earth, Turin spends the better part of his life trying to dodge the curse that has been called down upon him by Morgoth. Turin's family suffers dearly because of Morgoth's curse. Turin's greatest defense against the power of Morgoth, is his resilience, which proves to be the highest level of valor that he can acheive in the face of Morgoth's unrelenting evil.

This is a tragedy not unlike Hamlet or Oedipus, except it draws upon familiar Tolkienesque conventions for its impact. This book takes place during the First Age of the Middle-earth when the world was just taking shape and the race of men had just been introduced into it. The world is ruled by all-powerful gods called Valar. Hence, the battle between good and evil is more primeval than in the later ages of the world.

As in Tolkien's previous books, Middle-earth proves to be a world rich with history. It's a joy to be able to take a glimpse into his world in its founding days long before Hobbits or Ring Wraiths roamed the earth. It's a showcase of the best that Tolkien has to offer and clearly points to the fact that his tales are less about magic than they are about the power of the human spirit and our role in the unfolding of the world's history.

I would recommend The Children of Hurin to any lover of classic fantasy, especially since it's unlikely we'll ever see books like this written again by any writer of our generation. ...more

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Aug 15, 2015 Ivonne rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I was one of those radical readers who thought that nothing could beat The Lord of The Rings. Well, I was wrong, especially with this story, that, though, as it feels short, depicts the epicness and drama of the early ages of Middle Earth.
I was hooked from the start. I remembered, vaguely, Húrin's adventures and the story of Túrin in the Silmarillion, but the detail in this tale brings you to where it all happened. One thing that fascinates me, particularly, is the geographical description and t ...more

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Jun 09, 2014 Rossrn Nunamaker rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-earth, fiction

After reading The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings more than once in junior and senior high, I decided to tackle the Silmarillion.

In the Silmarillion is Of Turin Turambar. I loved it. I read it over and over. It was 28 pages.

In the Unfinished Tales, the story was expanded on, running nearly 100 pages.

Then in 2007, we get The Children of Hurin, as complete a telling (259 pages in my version) of what is to me the most tragic tale ever written.

For those familiar with the History of Middle Earth (HoME), ...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Keith rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, best-covers

It has been a while since I have read the Silmarillion, so sometimes it was difficult to follow the geography of the plot. This story is a fleshed out version from the Silmarillion, but I am not sure that I got more out of this version than the story told before. I did enjoy the book and especially liked the five or six pictures that were put into the book.

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