There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
on September 6, 2015
As a fan of Tolkien I enjoyed the book. He remained true to his style. I found the book very dark in its writting and there never seemed to be a moment of happiness. I find it difficult to imagine a life where there is never a moment where you find happiness or at least some, small, period of satisfaction. Even so, I enjoyed the history of the time.
on June 1, 2017
This one is not for Tolkien beginners. It helps to have read at least part of the Silmarillion, the appendix to LOTR or other ancillary material.
on February 7, 2017
I liked the book, but this is not for the Tolkein uninitiated. If you're the kind of person that's read all the appendices to the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings and has read the Silmarillion more than once, then this is for you. Ultimately though, it's still an enjoyable story if you skip the introduction and the parade of names and places that, as stated above, if you're not a Tolkein-head, will just be gibberish to you. It's Tolkein and it's definitely worth the read.
on February 6, 2017
It is a very engaging story, these events thousands of years prior to the "One Ring". I was totally absorbed in the story-line and only reading The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, this piece was very interesting in regard to historical significance. I would recommend this read to anyone who like fantasy... after all J.R.R. Tolkien is the "father of fantasy" period... and all other came after him regarding a grand tale on an epic scale.
on April 28, 2007
The Children of Hurin is essential reading for Tolkien aficionados if ONLY for the scene where Glaurung the worm (the great dragon of Morgoth's creation) freezes Turin with his gaze and forces him to watch as the Elf maid Finduilas is carried off by a gang of orcs to suffer certain and indescribable torment. This scene is missing from the text of The Unfinished Tales; it is one of the most terrible, gut-wrenching visions Tolkien ever created--a powerful example of the pure evil and spectacular malice of the "fallen angel" Morgoth and his hatred of those who defy him. (Note: In response to another reader who said they thought they remembered the scene from Unfinished Tales...there is a lacuna in that work which omits the scene entirely. It might exist, however, in C. Tolkien's Book of Lost Tales series.)
This UPDATED review concerns the printing quality of the Deluxe Edition of The Children of Hurin. I am pleased to say that the Deluxe version is beautifully made. It was printed and bound in Italy by L.E.G.O. S.p.A. The cover image from the American Edition (Turin on the bluff) is the frontispiece of the Deluxe version. It's a heavy book "Quarter-bound in blue with gray boards, stamped in gold foil with a unique motif of the Helm of Hador created by Alan Lee, and housed in a matching custom-built slipcase." (Text from the one-sheet that is included under the book's shrink wrap.) The edges are laser cut in a crescent shape which is actually much easier to page than a deckled edge. There are no additional paintings, drawings or text differing from the regular dust jacket hardcover edition. This is a must-have for any dedicated Tolkien collector. It looks great next to my leather-bound Hobbit and Lord of the Rings and first editions of The Silmarillion and The Inklings. N. Smith, author of Stolen from Gypsies.
This UPDATED review concerns the printing quality of the Deluxe Edition of The Children of Hurin. I am pleased to say that the Deluxe version is beautifully made. It was printed and bound in Italy by L.E.G.O. S.p.A. The cover image from the American Edition (Turin on the bluff) is the frontispiece of the Deluxe version. It's a heavy book "Quarter-bound in blue with gray boards, stamped in gold foil with a unique motif of the Helm of Hador created by Alan Lee, and housed in a matching custom-built slipcase." (Text from the one-sheet that is included under the book's shrink wrap.) The edges are laser cut in a crescent shape which is actually much easier to page than a deckled edge. There are no additional paintings, drawings or text differing from the regular dust jacket hardcover edition. This is a must-have for any dedicated Tolkien collector. It looks great next to my leather-bound Hobbit and Lord of the Rings and first editions of The Silmarillion and The Inklings. N. Smith, author of Stolen from Gypsies.
on July 18, 2017
Perhaps my expectations were too high, but this book did not capture my imagination the way "the Hobbit", or the "Lord of the Rings" series did. Maybe this is because I read his other books when I was much younger, but I would not highly recommend "The Children of Hurin".
on June 18, 2014
SPOILERS!! SPOILERS!! SPOILERS!
I’m so excited for another Inklings post! Today we’re diving into one of Tolkien’s sagas of Middle Earth, but before we do, since this is a lesser read work, I want to officially warn you that there shall be many o’ spoilers ahead, so please no hollerin at me if you feel jipped! And I will say it’s very much worth reading!
First things first. The story was not at all, I mean, AT ALL what I expected. Being used to epic heroes and characters you love, it was an interesting twist to read a tale of woe and tragedy. My blogging friend Wesley may have said it best: it was like an episode of Game of Thrones. I don’t watch the show, but I knew exactly what she meant. People dying, curses thrown down and oh yeah, PEOPLE DYING. While it was very different, I still kinda liked it. It definitely evoked emotion and it expanded the Middle Earth universe in a different kind of way. Tolkien knows how to write a story that draws you in and this one most definitely did (you know, after the first few chapters of getting into the details and Middle Earth vibe), even if it ended rather tragic.
Random sidenote: If you read the intro, you may have seen this, but I loved how Tolkien himself described The Silmarillion (since it’s one of my favorites): Tolkien said of the tale of Beren and Luthien: “the chief of the stories of The Silmarillion” and “the story is (I think a beautiful and powerful) heroic-fairy-romance…” This makes me want to read it all over again!
Random Fun Facts and Thoughts
Middle earth was once called the Great Lands and rests between the seas of the east and west.
Lembas bread! Túrin the first man to eat it. Nom! Nom! I feel geekyishly cool knowing that fact.
The whole time I kept thinking donde esta Hùrin? Oh wait…he was released to find his family destroyed and his wife die in his arms.
One of Tùrin’s names, Turambar (Master of Doom) was such a fitting name.
Favorite Quote: “I do but follow my trade, which is Orc-slaying. I have no idea why, but it made me smile. I’m adding it to my resume.
Thoughts of Characters
Morgoth: Why hello satan! He plays dirty. Tolkien has such a way of epitomizing such things in characters. In Morgoth’s case? Pure Evil. This was a great quote about him as well: “Neither are you the most mighty; for you have spent your strength upon yourself and wasted it in your own emptiness.”
Andróg and his band of outlaws: I had flashbacks to last season on The Walking Dead and the loonies that Rick/Daryl/Michonne and Carl took care of. But they definitely redeemed themselves. Like Andróg? Times 50!
Túrin: I gotta admit, overall I wasn’t a huge fan of him. It doesn’t help that I had Aragorn on my mind. Early on, he was described as this: “…he learned to speak early and was slow to forget injustice or mockery; but the fire of his father was also in him, and he could be sudden and fierce. Yet he was quick to pity, and the hurts or sadness of living things might move him to tears…” His arrogance seemed to blind him (like from the true evil of Morgoth’s curse), but his tale is a most interesting one.
Beleg: He was such a true true friend! Like Samwise. He was probably my favorite of the book. I love the ideas and ways Tolkien displays friendship. Such strong and amazing themes. But what happens to him? HE DIES.
“Thus ended Beleg’s Strongbow, truest of friends, greatest in skill of all that harboured in the woods of Beleriand in the Elder Days, at the hands of him whom he most loved; and the grief was graven on the face of Túrin and never faded.”
Another great friend? Brandir. Too bad our buddy Túrin accidentally kills him as well. Cool.
Mîm: Shady McShady.
Niënor: I felt bad for her. I’ve decided those are my final feelings. When she finally entered the scene grown up, I thought her fate would liken to Éowyn or Arwen, but no. She did not. She died. By jumping off a cliff into raging rapids.
“Mourning you named me, but I will not mourn alone, for father, brother, and mother. But of these you only have I known, and above all do I love. And nothing that you fear nor do I.” At first I was excited to finally see more of her, but after everything that happened, homegirl, you should have stayed.
Glaurung the Dragon: He is evil. This quote is one of many examples. “The neighing of the horses and the cries of the riders came to the ears of Glaurung; and he was well pleased.” His love of destroying humanity was just creepy.
THINGS I NEED TO TALK ABOUT!
Remember that one time Túrin and Niënor, GOT BLOODIED MARRIED?? I mean WHA?? I thought I read it wrong or had their names mixed up. Nope. That sealed the deal that this story was 100% a tale of a cursed family. Tolkien wasn’t lying about Morgoth. Then when she finds out the truth, she jumps off a cliff and he kills himself with his sword. Twisted Morgoth. Twisted.
Oh and she was pregnant.
“To Brethil they brought their dark doom’s shadow. Here their doom has fallen, and of grief this land shall never again be free.”
Alright let’s discuss!
How would you rank Túrin against the other men heroes of Middle Earth history?
Did this book meet your expectations?
I need to brush up on my Middle Earth history, but when does Morgoth get the boot?
Since friendship plays such a major role, what’s one of your favorites in Tolkien lore?
The more I read of Tolkien and his tales of battles with men, the more I see how his WWI experience influenced his writings. I cannot fathom the horrors of surviving battle, but Tolkien’s tales pay homage to the brotherhood bonded in battle.
In case you missed the last announcement, we’ll be reading Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis next. The discussion is set for July 16, 2014. Hope to have you join us!
Originally posted at: [...]
I’m so excited for another Inklings post! Today we’re diving into one of Tolkien’s sagas of Middle Earth, but before we do, since this is a lesser read work, I want to officially warn you that there shall be many o’ spoilers ahead, so please no hollerin at me if you feel jipped! And I will say it’s very much worth reading!
First things first. The story was not at all, I mean, AT ALL what I expected. Being used to epic heroes and characters you love, it was an interesting twist to read a tale of woe and tragedy. My blogging friend Wesley may have said it best: it was like an episode of Game of Thrones. I don’t watch the show, but I knew exactly what she meant. People dying, curses thrown down and oh yeah, PEOPLE DYING. While it was very different, I still kinda liked it. It definitely evoked emotion and it expanded the Middle Earth universe in a different kind of way. Tolkien knows how to write a story that draws you in and this one most definitely did (you know, after the first few chapters of getting into the details and Middle Earth vibe), even if it ended rather tragic.
Random sidenote: If you read the intro, you may have seen this, but I loved how Tolkien himself described The Silmarillion (since it’s one of my favorites): Tolkien said of the tale of Beren and Luthien: “the chief of the stories of The Silmarillion” and “the story is (I think a beautiful and powerful) heroic-fairy-romance…” This makes me want to read it all over again!
Random Fun Facts and Thoughts
Middle earth was once called the Great Lands and rests between the seas of the east and west.
Lembas bread! Túrin the first man to eat it. Nom! Nom! I feel geekyishly cool knowing that fact.
The whole time I kept thinking donde esta Hùrin? Oh wait…he was released to find his family destroyed and his wife die in his arms.
One of Tùrin’s names, Turambar (Master of Doom) was such a fitting name.
Favorite Quote: “I do but follow my trade, which is Orc-slaying. I have no idea why, but it made me smile. I’m adding it to my resume.
Thoughts of Characters
Morgoth: Why hello satan! He plays dirty. Tolkien has such a way of epitomizing such things in characters. In Morgoth’s case? Pure Evil. This was a great quote about him as well: “Neither are you the most mighty; for you have spent your strength upon yourself and wasted it in your own emptiness.”
Andróg and his band of outlaws: I had flashbacks to last season on The Walking Dead and the loonies that Rick/Daryl/Michonne and Carl took care of. But they definitely redeemed themselves. Like Andróg? Times 50!
Túrin: I gotta admit, overall I wasn’t a huge fan of him. It doesn’t help that I had Aragorn on my mind. Early on, he was described as this: “…he learned to speak early and was slow to forget injustice or mockery; but the fire of his father was also in him, and he could be sudden and fierce. Yet he was quick to pity, and the hurts or sadness of living things might move him to tears…” His arrogance seemed to blind him (like from the true evil of Morgoth’s curse), but his tale is a most interesting one.
Beleg: He was such a true true friend! Like Samwise. He was probably my favorite of the book. I love the ideas and ways Tolkien displays friendship. Such strong and amazing themes. But what happens to him? HE DIES.
“Thus ended Beleg’s Strongbow, truest of friends, greatest in skill of all that harboured in the woods of Beleriand in the Elder Days, at the hands of him whom he most loved; and the grief was graven on the face of Túrin and never faded.”
Another great friend? Brandir. Too bad our buddy Túrin accidentally kills him as well. Cool.
Mîm: Shady McShady.
Niënor: I felt bad for her. I’ve decided those are my final feelings. When she finally entered the scene grown up, I thought her fate would liken to Éowyn or Arwen, but no. She did not. She died. By jumping off a cliff into raging rapids.
“Mourning you named me, but I will not mourn alone, for father, brother, and mother. But of these you only have I known, and above all do I love. And nothing that you fear nor do I.” At first I was excited to finally see more of her, but after everything that happened, homegirl, you should have stayed.
Glaurung the Dragon: He is evil. This quote is one of many examples. “The neighing of the horses and the cries of the riders came to the ears of Glaurung; and he was well pleased.” His love of destroying humanity was just creepy.
THINGS I NEED TO TALK ABOUT!
Remember that one time Túrin and Niënor, GOT BLOODIED MARRIED?? I mean WHA?? I thought I read it wrong or had their names mixed up. Nope. That sealed the deal that this story was 100% a tale of a cursed family. Tolkien wasn’t lying about Morgoth. Then when she finds out the truth, she jumps off a cliff and he kills himself with his sword. Twisted Morgoth. Twisted.
Oh and she was pregnant.
“To Brethil they brought their dark doom’s shadow. Here their doom has fallen, and of grief this land shall never again be free.”
Alright let’s discuss!
How would you rank Túrin against the other men heroes of Middle Earth history?
Did this book meet your expectations?
I need to brush up on my Middle Earth history, but when does Morgoth get the boot?
Since friendship plays such a major role, what’s one of your favorites in Tolkien lore?
The more I read of Tolkien and his tales of battles with men, the more I see how his WWI experience influenced his writings. I cannot fathom the horrors of surviving battle, but Tolkien’s tales pay homage to the brotherhood bonded in battle.
In case you missed the last announcement, we’ll be reading Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis next. The discussion is set for July 16, 2014. Hope to have you join us!
Originally posted at: [...]
on January 12, 2017
Biased as I am a huge fan of Tolkien and his style of writing. I was familiar with the story from reading the Silmarilion several times over the years. For me the story gives details on one of Middle earths truest hero's and the plight of his family when he defied Tolkien's Satan. It is a dark tragedy but moves quickly. You can see several themes that are classic in many stories throughout history. If you love Tolkien it's worth a read.
on November 26, 2016
Like many of the best fairy tales this story is tragic. It is a readable yet suitably archaic and epic expansion of the LOTR lore and universe. The introduction and appendices do a noteworthy job of placing this lore into the broader universe Tolkien created.
