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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: $1.50
You Save: $24.50 (94%)
New (99) Collectible (8) from $4.35
Avg. Customer Rating:  263 reviews
Sales Rank: 7073
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
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| Customer Reviews:
A new take on the old stories August 3, 2008
This book is a must for LOTR fans for the artwork alone, but besides that, the reorganization of the stories of the previous ages makes for easier reading and understanding in light of the action of the Great Years. We must all be grateful to Christopher Tolkien for the tireless work he has put in over the years on his father's practically illegible manuscripts. He has produced an invaluable body of literature with the History of Middle Earth volumes and now with The Children of Hurin.
 Another great tale July 25, 2008
This book is placed in a setting that is thousands of years before the lord or the rings, but after the similarion, the foreword really places this book well and gives you adequate background information so the similarion does not have to be read before this book.
Its an exciting action packed story that follows the lives of Hurins two children all set in a very dark atmosphere of death and destruction. I wont say more because I do not want to spoil this great read.
This hardcover comes with an illustrated jacket, a fold out map of the lands, as well as a few fantastically drawn images which are full color and monotone dispersed within the pages and chapter beginnings. Its really a great package and helps you visualize the story as well.
Written with the aide of his father's massive amounts of unfinished works and notes this story was artfully pieced together and reads smoothly, its one of those that you start at night and are still reading by sunrise books. your going to like this!
One of my favorite stories of all time July 1, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
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.
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