The Children of Hurin released today!

[jammi567]

Today, the Children of Hurin was released (Tuesday 17th April 2007), and it is set to be one of the most hyped things within the Tolkien community since we heard that movies were going to be made of the books, as it will finally allow us to view a masterpiece, that has previously been fragmented, as one complete story.

A link to a report on the book: http://www.glyphweb.com/ARDA/default.asp

I have ordered the book, and should hopefully arrive tomorrow. Once i have a chance, i will write a book report on it, and post it on this wonderful site first.

[Earniel]

I admit going shopping today with (aside from a few other things I needed) the new book in mind. Of course I realise that releasing the book does not equal getting the book on the shelf the same day. So I did what I have never done before and reserved a copy, which should be available somewhere this week. (The guy from the shop definitely was a fan too.) I don't think I'll read it immediately, though.

It's probably going to take a massive reorganisation of my book shelves to get this book with the other Tolkien books and the Children of Húrin's not my favourite silmarillion story. But like hell am I going to miss out on this. :p

[The Gaffer]

Cool, jammi, look forward to reading your review.

Not sure if I'll buy it as I already have Unfinished Tales, which has much of Narn i Hin Hurin in it.

[jammi567]

Yeah, but it also uses other elements from the History's, so it will be fuller and much more detailed then that (in fact, at a last count, someone said that the actual story is about 200 pages, not including the intoductions and appendices).

[Rían]

I'll wait for the reviews here - I'm pretty sure I have all the various versions already, and it's not one of my favorites, either.

I wish there was more on Gondolin ... :(

[jammi567]

There's always hope.... (although, saying that, it's the least favorite of the three greats, with Beren and Luthien being second).

[brownjenkins]

Well, it's my favorite! :D

Turin was one of the more "real" characters and, while I've read Unfinished Tales, this one sounds as if it's a bit more polished.

[tolkienfan]

I'm going to Barnes and Nobles today to get it too! (Among other things, such as reserving Harry Potter 7!)

[Rían]

Well, it's my favorite! :D


Then you should definitely take a look at HoME III, The Lays of Beleriand, and read The Lay of the Children of Húrin.

Here's a bit from where Túrin is forced to leave his mother:

... Then in Túrin leapt
his awakened heart, and he wept blindly,
calling 'I cannot, I cannot leave thee.
O Morwin, my mother, why makest me go?
Hateful are the hills where hope is lost.
O Morwin, my mother, I am meshed in tears.
Grim are the hills, and my home is gone.'
And there came his cries calling faintly
down the dark alleys of the dreary trees,
and one who wept weary on the threshold
heard how the hills said 'my home is gone.'

[brownjenkins]

I've read all the HoME books a few times, so this is all that's left. :D

[Nurvingiel]

I have to admit it will take me a while to get around to reading this.

But here's (http://www.cbc.ca/arts/books/story/2007/04/17/tolkien-hurin-book.html) another article on it from the CBC.

[Lief Erikson]

Christopher Tolkien spent 30 years studying his father's manuscripts and putting this together. I'm certainly quite curious :).

I'm looking forward to hearing the opinions of all here who read it, when you're done.

I'm pretty slow about buying things, because I have a routine that doesn't include buying, and I don't tend to change my ways quickly. Pretty lame, but that's me. I'll probably get around to it eventually though, if folk here give it strong reviews.

[jammi567]

I got the book today! However, i haven't read the actual story yet, only the introduction, and some of the appendices. The introduction is really good, as it allows a newcomer to understand the contex in which the story is being set. The appendices, for those interested in it, have a detailed summery of how the work because the form it is today, as well as the changes made from the Narn to the actual book.

[Valandil]

The bookstore finally had it out - I just picked it up tonight.

I'll start reading it on my commute tomorrw. Don't worry - I'm taking the el, not my car. :p

[frodosampippinmerry]

What is Children of Hurin? Is it a "remake" of the Silmarillion? will I be buying something I already have by buying it with the Silmarillion

[Peter_20]

What is Children of Hurin? Is it a "remake" of the Silmarillion? will I be buying something I already have by buying it with the SilmarillionThere is indeed a chapter of this tale in The Silmarillion, but The Children of Húrin tells the tale in full, with details, whereas the chapter in The Silmarillion is told very, very briefly.

This is exactly like buying The Lord of the Rings after reading the chapter "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age" in The Silmarillion.

[BeardofPants]

The BF bought it for me today, and I've read the first chapter, plus preface & intro. How exciting to see my favouritest tolkien story brought to light like this! Weeeee!!!! :D

*is SUCH a Turin fangirl. :o

[The Telcontarion]

Got it today, just finished reading the intro. To siked right now...

[Rosie Gamgee]

I'm about a third of the way through the book--which I think I said once I would not read.. but.. "doth not the appetite alter?" :o

I like it so far. It's very descriptive; not as engaging as LoTR in the writing style, but still very interesting. It makes the world of that Age come to life in a way that the abbreviated version in the Silly doesn't do. Very cool.

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Oh, poo-poo you people. I love this story. It's so tragically beautiful, and tragedy touches me like few other things can. Oh, the catharsis! ;)

[Rían]

Oh, poo-poo you people. I love this story. It's so tragically beautiful, and tragedy touches me like few other things can. Oh, the catharsis! ;)
The tragedy's fine, and I agree about how it touches you. It's Turin's prideful thickheadedness that starts to bug me! :eek: ;) Give me his cousin any time!

[The Gaffer]

Couldn't resist this:
Henceforth shall I remain a derivative Wagnerian hero and wander mindlessly through the realms of Middle-Earth on a quasi-symbolic quest and, Children of the Eldar, resolve only to talk in sentences of unspeakable leadenness, punctuated by manifold parentheses

From: http://books.guardian.co.uk/digestedread/story/0,,2064264,00.html

Snigger.

A nicer one in the Observer: http://books.guardian.co.uk/reviews/generalfiction/0,,2067804,00.html

[Rosie Gamgee]

Just because those reviewers don't appreciate good writing doesn't mean it's not a good book. If nothing else, I like it for the purity of language; not many people can write in sentences as whole and fine as that any more. In fact, I can't think of one.
Just because it lacks the grit of a modern novel, doesn't mean it's not a great read.

Finished it last night, btw. I really did like it; like I said, it's hard these days to find a story written as well as that. It's almost harder to find people who are patient enough to struggle through the ignorance ingrained in this generation to appreciate a work of literary art.

[The Gaffer]

Of course. Glad you liked it.

As you probably know, JRRT gets a bit of a slagging from literary types because of the style. I had to laugh at that parody.

How does it compare to the Sil version?

[Taril]

Still waiting for my copy, the wait is killing me!!

[Valandil]

Valandil's "Quickie" analysis of "Children of Hurin":

* I always want to say Hyurin and Hyuor, but I guess it's really Hoorin - though Hyuor is right. For their kids, I would say both Toorin and Too-or, but in that case, Toorin is right, but it's Tyuor. So... I had half of them right with the correct pronunciation.

* Many, many, MANY people died. You did not want to be IN this story. Your odds of making it through would not be very good.

* Turin had many, MANY woes, which I will endeavor to list at another time.

* Turin had many, MANY names, which I will endeavor to list at another time.

* Three of those names Turin took to himself - upon arriving at each of the last three places he lived (see next point).

* There were five major places where Turin lived: Dor-lomin, Doriath, Amon Rudh/among the outlaws, Nargothrond and Brethil. Going back never did him much good.

* Turin had three lame friends: Sador, Gwindor and Brandir - each of whom is portrayed as giving wise counsel, each of whose counsel Turin disregards, and each of whom dies - in large part (perhaps) because Turin didn't listen to their counsel.

* Brandir and Turin were second cousins, which finally occured to me on seeing the family tree in this book. Interestingly (oddly?), the book makes no direct mention of it - yet Turin should know it all along, and Brandir should know it once he finds out who Turin is.

* Ironic how Niniel/Nienor tells Brandir that he's like a brother to her, but that she loves Turambar/Turin... when in fact Turin IS her brother.

* Turin slew two friends - one in confusion (Beleg), one in anger (Brandir).

* Interestingly, upon slaying Glaurung, Turin recalls of his sword, Anglachel/Gurthang, that the saying said about it at its forging is true, that it will slay whatever it has once bitten. Does he not remember that he was once pricked by that sword?... when Beleg did so accidentally while cutting him loose from the Orc bonds (when he then rose up and slew Beleg). And just a few pages later... the sword takes his life as well.

* Talking sword... cool! :p ;)

* Having just recently re-read "The Silmarillion" and the UT version of the Turin story, MUCH of the material was already presented in either one or the other. I was well into the book before I read something I was sure was unfamiliar.

* Again that question... if Turin had been able to resist the words of Glaurung, and hastened after the Orcs to attempt a rescue of Finduilas, would he have somehow escaped the curse of Morgoth thereby? And... if he didn't love her, as he seems to not have so much at Nargothrond... why does he behave as he does on finding that she died in Brethil? Maybe he felt more for her than he ever let on there...

[whatsername]

You lucky people^^
I'm probably going to have to wait another year till they get it over here(Egypt) :(

[The Telcontarion]

Finished reading it last week. Like Valandil said, most of the info could be found in the sil and elsewhere, but it was still interesting enough to read.

[jammi567]

And one of the main reasons for me getting it was because it allowed for the story to be officially complete and whole, instead of reading fragments and incomplete stories elsewhere.