The Children of Hurin
by J.R.R. Tolkien
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Book Summary Information
Author: J.R.R. TolkienEditor: Christopher Tolkien
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-10-14
ISBN: 0547086059
Number of pages: 320
Publisher: Mariner Books
Book Reviews of The Children of Hurin
Book Review: A Tragic Tale from the Early Days of Middle Earth
Summary: 4 Stars
"The Children of Hurin" will hold an odd place in any Tolkien fan's library. It is much more readable than the "Silmarillion" but not as intimate a narrative as "The Lord of the Rings." This dark and often overly gloomy tale is reminiscent of the Icelandic sagas from the Middle Ages. Like the heroes of those tales, there is a tragic dignity to the protagonist Turin despite his many flaws. "The Children of Hurin" seems more the creation of Tolkien the professor of literature than Tolkien the creator of new worlds. There are subtle glimpses of "Beowulf" and "Gawain and the Green Knight" and not so subtle pieces of Greek and Germanic tragedy included in the work. The book has a number of charming illustrations and a useful summary and appendix. The only real question is how much of the book is J.R.R Tolkien and how much is his son and literary executor Christopher? That question may be of more concern to scholars than fans but it remains a legitimate one especially as, as Christopher Tolkien admits in the introduction, some of the book dates from very early in his father's career. The book flows too well and the narrative too unchanged; one is forced to concede some serious editing has been done and this raises some problems. Literary scholars were up in arms when they discovered how much editing was done with Thomas Wolfe's posthumous works ("You Can't Go Home Again" and, to a lesser extent, "The Web and the Rock") as well as Papa Ernest's ("True at First Light" being the chief example). If Tolkien is the great writer his advocates claim him to be, the same concerns should be raised here and, unlike some of his other works, Christopher Tolkien is not as upfront as he has been about the editing process. This raises come questions. Still, while not for casual readers (though better surely for them than say "The Silmarillion"), "The Children of Hurin" is a welcome addition to Middle Earth.
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