Hurin is one of the most nobel of all humans and a close friend of the high elves. When the elves square off against Morgoth (Tolkien's name for Satan) in an attempt to finish him once and for all, the house of Hurin joins their banners to fight. But Morgoth outwits the elves and, with the dragon Glaurung in the van, tribe by tribe of elves are slaughtered on the battlefield. Hurin offers to sacrafice himself so that the last of the elvish tribes can escape back to their sanctuary in Gondolin. But Morgoth is angered that a mere man would dare challenge him and he orders Hurin captured alive. As punishment for defing his plans, Morgoth makes Hurin sit in a chair that sees all in Middle Earth and is given the curse of knowing and seeing what Morgoth knows. In addition, Morgoth curses Hurin's children Turin (son)and Nienor (daughter). The rest of the story mostly follows Turin in his valiant but futile attempt to break the curse. Wherever he goes, his battle prowness brings temporary relief to those he joins, but eventually his pride brings utter destruction to those he swore to protect. But Turin's efforts at breaking the curse does cause Morgoth much grief and fear of failure. In the end, Morgoth must send Glaurung forth to guarentee the curse does not fail. Although Turin finally defeats the dragon, Glaurung tells Turin a secret that no man of honor can bear. The tragedy of Hurin's children is well known, published by Christopher in the Simrileon as well as the many histories of Middle Earth that have been published. What makes this version stick out is that, for the first time, Christopher is filling in the gaps that the original story had. These previously published gaps, for those that don't know, are because JRR never finished them. Up to now, his son Christopher deciphered the confusing and cryptic notes that his father left behind, showing how the stories developed over time. Now, at long last, Tolkien fans can read of the fate of Hunin's house in a smooth, completed piece. This is not an easy task. The story of Hurin and his family were smaller parts of a much larger collection of closely inter-related stories. Christopher not only had to tell the main story of Turin's troubled life, but he had to decide just how much to tell about the other stories. Too much, and it is no longer The Children of Hurin, but it becomes Simrileon II. Too little, and readers unfamiliar with the 2nd Age will become lost. I feel that Christopher has done a marvelous job in achieving the delicate balance. The only point of contention I have is that I believe the death of Mim the Dwarf should have been mentioned. It is foreshadowed by one of Turin's followers, but the reader never sees it happen. With this one exception, I found the book well written and entertaining. It is a wonderful addition to any Tolkien library. John Holland-author of The Necklace of TerrersylvanousRead full review
When I first saw the image of the deluxe edition, it looked very plain: the cover and box are a subdued grey-blue with apparently no cover picture/design on the outside. I thought at the time, "What makes this one better than the regular HC version?", which had a very impressive cover artwork by Alan Lee. Fortunately the seller had placed many photos including pics of the inside pages and colour plates. There was one pic that was so beautiful and Tolkien-esque, that I realised this was a whole new Tolkien experience and I wanted to experience with not just any book with a typical glossy cover and big title, but a Tolkien-esque book, with a hard cover inside a solid box and with its distinctive Elvish helmet design emblem in pale gold on the front cover of the book and the outside of the box. The book also has the iconic JRRT logo on the back cover and the spine of the book. I was not disappointed when I unpacked it and felt the weight and solidness and bookishness of it! And there was something else. The smell. It had the same wonderful distinctive smell of some hard-cover Dungeons and Dragons books of my childhood and instantly took me back to memories of goblins, dragons and guarded treasure! So not only does it look Tolkien, but it even smells Tolkien! I was deligted also to find the Alan Lee illustration used for the cover of the regular edition, is presented as the first colour plate on one of the title pages upon opening the book. So, what at first glance, didn't grab the attention, has actually proved to be a gorgeous and very impressive Tokien edition. The Children of Hurin is one of Tolkien's unfinished works, that has now been reconstructed and completed by his son, Christopher Tolkien. It is a stand-alone piece that is entirely separate to The Lord of the Rings, although it is also about a world of elves, men and a dark lord. I have not had the chance to read it yet, but at a quick perusal, is looks like if Lord of the Rings was about good heroicly vanquishing evil, then Hurin seems to say, "Well, sometimes it doesn't". I can't wait to plunge into this new Tolkien world.Read full review
The Children of Hurin takes place during the early ages of Middle-earth, long before the events told in The Lord of the Rings come to pass. Elves fight against the strength of Angband, the fortress in the north where Morgoth sits, and the race of Men is only newly-arisen. One of the great men of early ages is Hurin, who dares to defy Morgoth to his face. Morgoth curses him and his descendants and sets Hurin in a high place where he can witness all the tragedy that will befall his line. The main character in this book is Turin, Hurin's son, who will eventually take his place alongside his father as a man whose name will be remembered. The story begins with Turin as a young boy watching his father march off to war against Morgoth. The combined forces of Elves and Men meet defeat in the north and Hurin is taken captive. Eventually, Turin's homeland becomes unsafe and he is forced to seek refuge with the Elves. Turin grows to manhood under the Elves' guidance, but flees from them after being falsely accused of murder. He then takes up with a band of outlaws in the forest and soon rises to leadership. When his band is eventually slaughtered by the Orcs, Turin finds refuge with the Elves of Nargothrond. After a combined assault by Orcs and the wingless dragon Glaurung, Nargothrond is sacked and Turin flees to Brethil to join the Men there. He unwittingly marries his sister Nienor, who is under the spell of Glaurung and unable to recognize Turin as her brother. Turin eventually kills Glaurung but both he and Nienor take their own lives, victims of the curse laid on Hurin and his line by Morgoth. I'll read anything written by Tolkien, and this book is one of his best. The early ages of Middle-earth hold a certain fascination for me, and the story of Turin is one of the most interesting and tragic of that time. Being used to Tolkien's lengthy books, I was somewhat disappointed to find that The Children of Hurin is actually quite short by comparison. That's the only fault I can find in it, however. I bought it because it was one of the few Tolkien works that was missing from my collection.Read full review
One of my very own list on Tolkien masterpiece. Come in really good price..
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Came with slight wear but still in good condition.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
As I was looking for some great books to read i decided to see what Tolkien had to offer besides the Lord of the Rings. I was very impressed with this book, but I recommend that you read the Hobbit and the Lord of the rings before you get into this one as it will make more sense. Definitely a must read.
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