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| The Children of Hurin | 
| Author: J.r.r. Tolkien
Creators: Christopher Tolkien, Alan Lee
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Category: Book
List Price: $26.00
Buy Used: $2.49
You Save: $23.51 (90%)
New (69) Collectible (12) from $3.95
Avg. Customer Rating:  258 reviews
Sales Rank: 2518
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 320
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.9 x 1.2
ISBN: 0618894640
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.912
EAN: 9780618894642
ASIN: 0618894640
Publication Date: April 17, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Acceptable condition. May contain marks, writing, scuffs, and edge wear. Orders processed and shipped within 24 hours. Choose EXPEDITED for fast delivery.
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| Customer Reviews:
 One of my favorite stories of all time July 1, 2008
First and foremost I'm a Tolkien fan. I've read mostly all his writing, and I like all of it, (though I haven't read Roverandum or Leaf by Niggle or whatever they're called). His fantasy, in my opinion, is top notch. So that should give you some idea of my personal biases. But on to the present book.
If there could be any criticism on Lord of the Rings, it would be one of two things - either the book is too long (or, as some of my friends have said who have tried to read it and didn't like it, "Tolkien spends 2 pages writing about scenery!!"), or the author is too "kind" to his characters. Personally, I think Tolkien's writing style is pleasing to read. I enjoy the descriptions of Middle Earth, since Tolkien is such a good writer, but I can see how it can wear on readers who are more interested in dialogue or characters. As to the second criticism, I also understand, although I like the way Lord of the Rings ends.
Anyway, those "problems" or "criticisms" or whatever you want to call them are absent in The Children of Hurin. The book is completely, more than any other book I have read I think, character driven. It is a relatively short read, though packed full of story - there are no 2 to 3 pages of fluff (though, as I said, I would have no objection).
The book is about the life of Turin, the son of Hurin, a man who has been captured and his family cursed by (drumroll...) "The Dark Lord" Morgoth. Throughout his life, Turin experiences many sorrows - encountering death, driven out of his village, surviving alone, warrior, betrayer, unjustly accused, broken hearted. His fate is doomed by Morgoth's evil will. Wherever he goes, sadness follows him. BUT, Turin's strength of will is remarkable, and the transformations he undergoes are interesting. I will not say the book ends happily, but I will say the story ends beautifully. I'll put it this way. You may read the book and feel sad at the end, but you won't feel cynical. You won't feel pessimistic or depressed (at least I don't think the book gives that affect). Instead, you'll feel that, though you just read a sad book, it really illuminated some very good things about life. By being sad, it adds value to happy things.
I actually think this book gives us a better understanding of how good of a STORYteller Tolkien was. Sure, everyone knows he can write well, but, if there were any doubts about his talents as a creater of complex, compelling, original tales, those are undoubtedbly dispelled in this book.
Never before have I read a book of such an appealing length (being not too short or not too long), dealing with so much going on, written so well, filled with such classic scences.
Certainly one of my favorite stories.
Fantasy-tastic.... June 19, 2008
After getting in to this book (it is NOTHING like LOTR, more like Silmarillion) I was sad when it ended.
I really hope that Chris can put together the rest of his fathers notes and bring us another story.
It's better than lord of the rings June 6, 2008
It's very depressing but once I began reading I couldn't stop. There are
bits where I saw huge chances for the characters to have a good life; it's a pity they didn't. when Beleg died I almost couldn't bear to even pick up the book, but after I finished I just had to read it all over again. Children of Hurin is the best book in the world. I really swear.
Heart Felt Epic in a Long Lost History June 2, 2008
A complete and fluid epic has finally arrived from the history of Middle Earth. Strong and sad characters pitted against a bitter fate. Just, another heart breaking lay as only the elves could write. The story of Hurin's children is put together in a flowing narrative form that traces over many of the other great stories of the early ages of Middle Earth.
My only negative is that the story left me wanting to know more about the times prior to and leading up to the war of the Ring. I guess that most of that history is lost in a fantastically imagined realm we will never fully comprehend.
 Disappointed by the lack of engaging characters April 29, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
What made me love the original Lord of the Rings trilogy was the people. The characters of the LOTR were mesmerizing to me - so well articulated, so believable and deserving of my empathy. The Children of Hurin, on the other hand, felt like a dry non-fiction text book on the ancient history of Middle Earth. After a few too many chapters spent almost entirely on recounting the lineage of various families and geographies, I couldn't push on and was forced to stop reading. While I understand the need (and for some the appeal) of lengthy historical background material, it is not engaging enough to sustain me as a reader.
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