From the Bookshelf of Sci-fi and Heroic Fantasy…

The Children of Húrin

J.R.R. Tolkien

Start date: January 21, 2016

Finish date: February 19, 2016

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Why we're reading this: Group Contemporary Novel Discussion January 2016
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What Members Thought

Dec 03, 2010 Jason Koivu rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Don't ask me to name any of the many gods, demons, peoples, and monsters that populated Tolkien's history book of his own fantasy world making. It's confusing and a second read will be necessary, but what I enjoyed were the tales. Following the heroic legends is like listening to a fireside tale told by a grandfather or an intriguing talk by a professor prone to long-windedness. You know it's good stuff and you wish you could stay awake during the endless narrative/lecture, but the old man will ...more

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May 08, 2009 Kevis Hendrickson rated it it was amazing

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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May 03, 2007 Ian rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is a fun, relatively short (for Tolkien :) ) story set long before the Lord of the Rings. It is the middle of the story of Beleriand, when Morgoth's power is rising. We follow the life of Turin, who is cursed by Morgoth because Turin's father Hurin stood against Morgoth.

For those who love Middle-Earth, this story will not disappoint. ...more

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Nov 06, 2007 Mat rated it really liked it

Reminded me of classical poems and epics like the Iliad. If you can skim the myriad of genealogical information and immerse yourself in the story it is another great novel by Tolkien.

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