I am so excited to read this book has anyone read it and had any views? No spoilers please.

[[deleted user]]

I am going to get this book on my kindle, which I'm getting for Christmas, and want to know what people thought of it.

[Phil]

It was similar to reading one of the stories in the Silmarillion. If you enjoyed that then you should enjoy this.

[Mitali]

The actual story is the same as the one in The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-Earth. If you've read either of those, then you already know the story. But the version in this book is expanded from the versions in the earlier two books. It's written more like a novel than as a mythological tale, as in the previous two versions. If you get the illustrated edition, you'll also get to see lots of lovely illustrations by Alan Lee (the same artist who illustrated LOTR).

If you haven't read The Silmarillion or Unfinished Tales, then you're in for a treat. It's a great story - but also very tragic. It's set thousands of years before LOTR, during the First Age (LOTR is set at the end of the Third Age). The background is explained in the book.

[Jamie]

It's a very good book. Btw if you like it, you should read a norse saga called the Saga of the Volsungs. Tolkien was inspired to write the Children of Hurin by it.

[Kyle]

I LOVED this book - probably as much as I loved TLOTR! You definitely won't be disappointed, I know I wasn't :)

[Arbré]

It reads like the bible

[Jamie]

Arbré wrote: "It reads like the bible"

Actually, you are thinking of the Silmarillion

[Arbré]

Both really they were written the same way

[Mitali]

Arbré wrote: "Both really they were written the same way"

Not really. The Children of Húrin is just one of the stories making up The Silmarillion, but in this particular book (i.e. The Children of Húrin), it's in an expanded form, and reads more like a novel than a mythological tale.

[Arbré]

you misunderstand I am comparing The Children of Húrin with the old testament bible and the writing style of both. I am not comparing the Silmarillion with The Children of Húrin.

[Tom]

Enjoy your time reading this book! Knowing that it was the 'last new Tolkien' I was likely to ever read, I saved it up for a cross-country plane flight, and settled in for some uninterrupted reading. I can no longer remember when I first read the Hobbit, the LotR, or the Silmarillion. This was a special treat for me.

[Doug]

I think one of the best analyses I saw of the writing style of Tolkien's three great works is that "The Hobbit" was written as a "fairy tale", "LOTR" was written as a "legend", and "The Silmarillion" was written as "mythology".

I think that puts it very well!

[Vanjr]

Much easier to read than the Silmarillion. This is a complete story in and of itself.

[Doug]

Yes, I think this is the best of the Tolkien books that have been published since his death, although I am still a big Silmarilion fan.

[Curtis]

If you liked the Silmarillion, you should enjoy this.

[Abi]

its an okay book I find the beginning really slow

[Marco]

It is an awesome story. If you love Tolkien and his Middle Earth you will love this. But more here than in any of his other stories it has a darkness to it and the story is tragic. Great read...

[Mohamed]

I liked it much , i even loved the intro and prologue more !
It explains a lot for those who didn't read the history of the middle earth or the silmarillion..

I am even trying to translate it to arabic :)

[Dakota]

I loved The Children of Hurin. It just goes to show that Tolkien could write a good story of any kind. His attempt at a tragedy doesn't disappoint. In fact, it's one of the better tragedies I've ever read. That being said, if you're not familiar with all the mythology and backstory surrounding Tolkien's world it might get a bit confusing.

[Rich]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and gave it 5 stars. Pure Tolkien!

[Marco]

I would see the movie(s) as well...

[Mathew]

It is a rather tragic tale... but well worth a read

[Steve]

Other than LOTR, this is my favorite story. It's dark, it's tragic, but absolutely kick ass. It is an expanded version of the Turin story from the Lost Tales, and well worth the read. It reads NOTHING like the Bible. The Silmarillion does, in the early chapters, but not Children of Hurin. It's a coherent fantasy story written by the best fiction writer in history, and set in the First Age of Middle Earth.

[Naomi Ruth]

I read it and liked it well enough. I think, like someone else said, if you read and like the Silmarillion you'll like this one. However, I was a little disappointed because I don't think Tolkien would be happy it was published. I don't think it matches his writing style. I don't think he had enough time to edit it the way he would've wanted. But, I'm probably one of the only people who actually thinks that. Still, it's an enjoyable read.

[Kamaron]

I really love this book. I specially love how it's written. The passion that the language conveys is so powerful. I'd recommend owning the printed version with Allan Lee's illustrations. A piece of art.

I TOTALLY agree with Kyle.

[Hannah]

It's absolutely wonderful! Read slowly to be sure you get all the names straight but after that you should be good. I just finished it last month. Definitely a favorite Tolkien story.I agree the illustrated version is beautiful and really makes the story. So imaginative!

[Luke]

Beautiful story. Also very sad. Turin battles an evil that is far too strong and evil wins. Yet the tragic nature of the story is also mysteriously compelling. I also find Tolkien's archaic writing style to be phenomenally affecting, as if you are living in a mythic narrative. His archetypes are also extraordinarily powerful. Morgoth, like Sauron in LOTR, is evil given form and always an ominous threat even though he only briefly appears in person. Glaurung the dragon isn't charmingly villainous like Smaug, he is just malicious. Turin is a flawed character and yet noble to the end. His parents and sister also stick in your mind long after the story has ended.