After long study of the various manuscripts that composed this early tale of Middle-Earth, Christopher Tolkien has constructed a coherent and epic narrative that composes a crucial part of his father?s literary oeuvre. In the great country that lay beyond the Grey Havens in the West following the great cataclysm that ended the First Age of the World, Morgoth?the first Dark Lord?dwelt in the vast fortress of Angband, the Hells of Iron. As he waged war against the lands and secret cities of the Elves, the tragedy of Turin and his sister Nienor unfolds. Their brief and passionate lives are dominated by the elemental hatred that Morgoth bears them as the children of Hurin, the man who had dared to defy and to scorn him to his face. Against them Morgoth sends his most formidable servant, Glaurung, a powerful spirit in the form of a huge wingless dragon of fire. Sardonic and mocking, Glaurung manipulates the fates of Turin and Nienor by lies of diabolic cunning and guile, and the curse of Morgoth is fulfilled. Unabridged and read by Christopher Lee?the actor who portrayed Saruman in the film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings trilogy?this is a gripping story of Elves and Men, dragons and Dwarves, and struggle and revenge.
Amazon.com Review The first complete book by J.R.R. Tolkien in three decades--since the publication of The Silmarillion in 1977--The Children of Hurin reunites fans of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings with Elves and Men, dragons and Dwarves, Eagles and Orcs. Presented for the first time as a complete, standalone story, this stirring narrative will appeal to casual fans and expert readers alike, returning them to the rich landscape and characters unique to Tolkien.
Adam Tolkien on The Children of Hurin
How did a lifetime of stories become The Children of Hurin? In an essay on the making of the book, Adam Tolkien, grandson of J.R.R. Tolkien (and French translator of his History of Middle-earth), explains that the Hurin legends made up the third "Great Tale" of his grandfather's Middle-earth writing, and he describes how his father, Christopher Tolkien, painstakingly collected the pieces of the legend into a complete story told only in the words of J.R.R. Tolkien. "For anyone who has read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings," he writes, The Children of Hurin "allows them to take a step back into a larger world, an ancient land of heroes and vagabonds, honour and jeopardy, hope and tragedy."
A Look Inside the Book
This first edition of The Children of Hurin is illustrated by Alan Lee, who was already well-known for his Tolkien illustrations in previous editions (see our Tolkien Store for more) as well as his classic collaboration with Brian Froud, Faeries, and his Kate Greenaway Medal-winning Black Ships Before Troy, before his Oscar-winning work as conceptual designer for Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings film trilogy brought him even greater acclaim. Here's a quick glimpse of two of Lee's interior illustrations for The Children of Hurin. (Click on each to see larger images.)
Questions for Alan Lee
We had the chance to ask Alan Lee a few questions about his illustrative collaboration with the world imagined by J.R.R. Tolkien:
Amazon.com: How much of a treat was it to get first crack at depicting entirely new characters rather than ones who had been interpreted many times before? Was there one who particularly captured your imagination?
Lee: Although it was a great honor to illustrate The Children of Hurin, the characters and the main elements of the story line are familiar to those who have read The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales, and these narratives have inspired quite a few illustrators. Ted Nasmith has illustrated The Silmarillion and touched on some of the same characters and landscapes. This was the first time that I ventured into the First Age; while working on The Lord of the Rings books and films--and The Hobbit--I've had to refer back to events in Middle-earth history but not really depict them.
I'm drawn to characters who bear similarities to the protagonists in myths and legends; these correspondences add layers and shades of meaning, and most of the characters in this story have those archetypal qualities. However, I prefer not to get too close to the characters because the author is delineating them much more carefully than I can, and I'm wary of interfering with the pictures that the text is creating in the reader's mind.
Amazon.com: The Hurin story has been described as darker than some of Tolkien's other work. What mood did you try to set with your illustrations?
Lee: It is a tragic story, but the darkness is offset by the light and beauty of Tolkien's elegiac writing. In the illustrations I tried to show some of the fragile beauty of the landscapes and create an atmosphere that would enhance the sense of foreboding and impending loss. I try to get the setting to tell its part in the story, as evidence of what happened there in the past and as a hint at what is going to occur. My usual scarred and broken trees came in handy.
Amazon.com: You were a conceptual designer (and won an Oscar) for Peter Jackson's film trilogy of The Lord of the Rings, which I think we can safely say had a bit of success. How does designing for the screen compare to designing for the page?
Lee: They both have their share of joys and frustrations. It was great to be part of a huge film collaboration and play a small part in something quite magical and monumental; I will always treasure that experience. Film is attractive because I enjoy sketching and coming up with ideas more than producing highly finished artwork, and it's great having several hundred other people lending a hand! But books--as long as they don't get moldy from being left in an empty studio for six years--have their own special quality. I hope that I can continue doing both.
Amazon.com: Of all fiction genres, fantasy seems to have the strongest tradition of illustration. Why do you think that is? Who are some of your favorite illustrators?
Lee: A lot of excellent illustrators are working at the moment--especially in fantasy and children's books. It is exciting also to see graphic artists such as Dave McKean, in his film Mirrormask, moving between different media. I also greatly admire the more traditional work of Gennady Spirin and Roberto Innocenti. Kinuko Craft, John Jude Palencar, John Howe, Charles Vess, Brian Froud ... I'll stop there, as the list would get too long. But--in a fit of pride and justified nepotism--I'll add my daughter, Virginia Lee, to the list. Her first illustrated children's book, The Frog Bride [coming out in the U.K. in September], will be lovely.
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Review of the Children of Hurin January 8, 2009 The coming holiday season, especially Yule, is a very appropriate time to enjoy The Children of Hurin, by J.R.R. Tolkien---the first complete book by Tolkien since The Silmarillion in 1977.
Tolkien had started the story before 1920 and made several revisions after, but did not finish it before his death in 1973. His son Christopher edited the manuscripts and was able to complete the tale.
The time of the story is from the First Age of Middle-Earth---before that of Frodo, Bilbo, Gandalf, The Hobbit and the The Lord of the Rings. Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, is trying to conquer Middle Earth, but is being resisted by the Elves and, eventually, Men. Hurin is the first Man to defy Morgoth, and for that, Morgoth places a curse upon Hurin and his family. This curse affects Hurin's son, Turin, and his daughter Nienor, and most of the book focuses on the struggles of his children.
This is a much darker tale than Lord of the Rings, and traits and concepts that seem forgotten in today's time, such as honor, luck, valor, loyalty, courage, and duty, play great roles in the story. Even the style of writing harkens back to a time long forgotten, yet is somehow familiar and elemental and right. Thus it is perhaps not a light reading, but one that is nevertheless very satisfying.
(reviewed by Kendall Giles)
Great book in perfect condition January 4, 2009 This book is in perfect condition. The book is also a very well written and entertaining. It provides extra background on the Lord of the Rings saga.
The Story of Turin in its Completest Form December 30, 2008 This is the latest book to be published under Tolkien's name. It is the story of Hurin and his family, and the curse laid upon them by Morgoth. It's one of the most tragic stories that Tolkien ever wrote, and it is appearing now in its most complete form, since its first appearance in The Silmarillion.
Hurin starts out as the lord of Dor-lomin, an enclave of Men in the north of Beleriand, but is captured by Morgoth after The Battle of Unnumbered Tears, who questions him about the whereabouts of the hidden kingdom of Gondolin, where he knew Hurin had been. When Hurin refuses to talk, Morgoth sets him at the top of Thangorodrim and curses him and his family. His plan is that Hurin should know all that his family suffers because of his defiance.
This curse follows Hurin's son, Turin, his wife, Morwen, and even his unborn daughter, Nienor for the rest of their lives. But it is not simply that Morgoth assails Turin and his family with war and pestilence. Tolkien ensures that the curse works in a much more subtle way: through the twists of fate, the rash decisions they make, and the very stubbornness of their natures. Because of all of these things, evil befalls all of them.
The book mainly follows Turin's adventures, as he becomes a great warrior, an outlaw, and a dragon-slayer. The black fate that follows him, as he seems to carry the brunt of Morgoth's curse, eventually consumes him and his family. It is said in some of Tolkien's other writings as they appear in The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales, that the sufferings of Hurin's family, particularly of Turin and Nienor are considered one of Morgoth's worst crimes, and that when the end of the world finally comes, Turin will be the one to defeat Morgoth in battle and finally vanquish him forever.
This book is a relief to many of Tolkien's fans, as it relates the story of Turin in an easy to follow narrative, as opposed to the broken writings of earlier publications. The illustrations by Alan Lee are beautiful, the writing is fluid, and the story is more realized than it has ever been. Now, if only Christopher Tolkien can do the same thing for the story of Beren and Luthien...
confusing December 16, 2008 i got confused several times as to what was going on. It did not hold my attention vary well.
A Tragic Tale from the Early Days of Middle Earth December 15, 2008 "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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How did a lifetime of stories become The Children of Hurin? In an essay on the making of the book, Adam Tolkien, grandson of J.R.R. Tolkien (and French translator of his History of Middle-earth), explains that the Hurin legends made up the third "Great Tale" of his grandfather's Middle-earth writing, and he describes how his father, Christopher Tolkien, painstakingly collected the pieces of the legend into a complete story told only in the words of J.R.R. Tolkien. "For anyone who has read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings," he writes, The Children of Hurin "allows them to take a step back into a larger world, an ancient land of heroes and vagabonds, honour and jeopardy, hope and tragedy." 
We had the chance to ask Alan Lee a few questions about his illustrative collaboration with the world imagined by J.R.R. Tolkien: 
