Has anybody read The Children of Hurin


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http://www.amazon.com/Children-Hurin-J-R-R-Tolkien/dp/0618894640/ref=pd_bbs _sr_1/102-5160889-5868135?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1176418464&sr=1-1

Its from JRR Tolkien's son and mined from his notes the same way some other of the late professor's work made it to print.

I was interested in the quality of the work therein.


I got the book as my 30th birthday present from my fellow D&D players a month ago. I'm about halfway through. The story has a slow start but after the beginning I have enjoyed it quite a bit. Beware that the introduction and table of contents contain spoilers! I wouldn't have read them if I had known...

I can't really comment on the writing, because I haven't read other works by Tolkien in english before. I guess the writing is comparable to Silmarillion.

The text contains a LOT of references to places and people. I was a bit confused until after reading about 100 pages, I found a map neatly folded inside the last page :-)

Scarab Sages

I enjoyed the book. In my own opinion, Christopher Tolkien did a decent job.

Liberty's Edge

No to anger die-hard Tolkien fans, but I found everything that took place before "The Lord of the Rings" to be about as easy as trying to read badly effaced cuneiform. It was just ...slow.

Liberty's Edge

I have to agree, in part, with Mr. Shiny. The other books can be really thick in prose. I have to point out that they're still good, but they need time. Just nurture them.

As for Children of Hurin, I liked it a lot. Definitely easier on the brain than Silmarillion, probably because it's more prosey than Silmarillion, which is basically a prose version of a timeline. I'd suggest getting the book wholeheartedly.


I still havnt, so try not to spoil it all. It sounds auful gloomy. I also havnt read the Similimion (or whastever--its impossible to spell as well as pronounce!). I started it, but I didnt like where it was goin. Happy Halloween!


It is rather gloomy and can be a somewhat time-consuming read but I enjoyed it.


The Eldritch Mr. Shiny wrote:
No to anger die-hard Tolkien fans, but I found everything that took place before "The Lord of the Rings" to be about as easy as trying to read badly effaced cuneiform. It was just ...slow.

Yeah -- Christopher Tolkien's work is definitely for die-hard fans. It can be rough going otherwise.

If you are a fan, it's great :)

Liberty's Edge

Kobold Cleaver wrote:
I still havnt, so try not to spoil it all. It sounds auful gloomy. I also havnt read the Similimion (or whastever--its impossible to spell as well as pronounce!). I started it, but I didnt like where it was goin. Happy Halloween!

SIL - ma - RIL - le - un. Silmarillion. S - I - L - M - A - R - I - L - L - I - O - N. Silmarillion.


Kobold Cleaver wrote:
I still havnt, so try not to spoil it all. It sounds auful gloomy...

The Tale of the Children of Húrin is the most tragic thing I've ever read -- Elric's got nothing on him.

I loved it :)


Tatterdemalion wrote:
Kobold Cleaver wrote:
I still havnt, so try not to spoil it all. It sounds auful gloomy...

The Tale of the Children of Húrin is the most tragic thing I've ever read -- Elric's got nothing on him.

I loved it :)

Yup- it's refreshingly tragic- just shows that that kind of ending carries weight- happy endings just don't carry the same oomph.


The Eldritch Mr. Shiny wrote:
Kobold Cleaver wrote:
I still havnt, so try not to spoil it all. It sounds auful gloomy. I also havnt read the Similimion (or whastever--its impossible to spell as well as pronounce!). I started it, but I didnt like where it was goin. Happy Halloween!
SIL - ma - RIL - le - un. Silmarillion. S - I - L - M - A - R - I - L - L - I - O - N. Silmarillion.

SOOM-ulla-non-oroin. Sumullinoroin. SOOM-ulla-non-oroin. Soomullanonoroin.

Duh.


So it is an expanded retelling of the stuff which was in Unfinished Tales?

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