The Children of Hurin by J. R. R. Tolkien (2007, Hardcover)

Hurin is one of the most nobel of all humans and a close friend of the high elves. When the elves square off against Morgoth (Tolkien's name for Satan) in an attempt to finish him once and for all, the house of Hurin joins their banners to fight.

But Morgoth outwits the elves and, with the dragon Glaurung in the van, tribe by tribe of elves are slaughtered on the battlefield. Hurin offers to sacrafice himself so that the last of the elvish tribes can escape back to their sanctuary in Gondolin. But Morgoth is angered that a mere man would dare challenge him and he orders Hurin captured alive.

As punishment for defing his plans, Morgoth makes Hurin sit in a chair that sees all in Middle Earth and is given the curse of knowing and seeing what Morgoth knows. In addition, Morgoth curses Hurin's children Turin (son)and Nienor (daughter).

The rest of the story mostly follows Turin in his valiant but futile attempt to break the curse. Wherever he goes, his battle prowness brings temporary relief to those he joins, but eventually his pride brings utter destruction to those he swore to protect.

But Turin's efforts at breaking the curse does cause Morgoth much grief and fear of failure. In the end, Morgoth must send Glaurung forth to guarentee the curse does not fail. Although Turin finally defeats the dragon, Glaurung tells Turin a secret that no man of honor can bear.

The tragedy of Hurin's children is well known, published by Christopher in the Simrileon as well as the many histories of Middle Earth that have been published. What makes this version stick out is that, for the first time, Christopher is filling in the gaps that the original story had.

These previously published gaps, for those that don't know, are because JRR never finished them. Up to now, his son Christopher deciphered the confusing and cryptic notes that his father left behind, showing how the stories developed over time. Now, at long last, Tolkien fans can read of the fate of Hunin's house in a smooth, completed piece.

This is not an easy task. The story of Hurin and his family were smaller parts of a much larger collection of closely inter-related stories. Christopher not only had to tell the main story of Turin's troubled life, but he had to decide just how much to tell about the other stories. Too much, and it is no longer The Children of Hurin, but it becomes Simrileon II. Too little, and readers unfamiliar with the 2nd Age will become lost.

I feel that Christopher has done a marvelous job in achieving the delicate balance. The only point of contention I have is that I believe the death of Mim the Dwarf should have been mentioned. It is foreshadowed by one of Turin's followers, but the reader never sees it happen.

With this one exception, I found the book well written and entertaining. It is a wonderful addition to any Tolkien library.

John Holland-author of The Necklace of Terrersylvanous

Taking place in the distant past of the Middle Earth most people know from the "Lord of the Rings," the "Children of Hurin" is a poignantly beautiful gem from JRR Tolkien's literary world. Before great cataclysms that altered the very substance of Middle Earth, the High Elves were allied with three great Houses of Men in a proud and hopeless struggle against the original Dark Enemy. "The Children of Hurin" begins with the most disastrous defeat of Elves and Men in that war, and how Turin, son of the greatest warrior in the history of Men, tries to take up his father's responsibility and reverse the damage.
One of JRR Tolkien's greatest achievements was the world of Middle Earth itself, which contained endless layers of history and backstory that informed the origin and actions of its characters. What can be easy to miss in reading LOTR is that Middle Earth is a desolate shadow of what it used to be, before time and the mistakes of foolish pride wore down the greatness of Elves and Men to almost nothing. This book takes place in a part of Middle Earth that was later destroyed, to be remembered only in the sad songs and anecdotes that pop up here and there in the background of LOTR. This and the book's maps may initially confuse fans of LOTR, but the journey into unfamiliar territory is more than worth it: "The Children of Hurin" is great all by itself, but will do a lot to help you understand the world of LOTR in general. Fans who have trouble with the drier, historical tone of the "Silmarillion" might be better served with this fleshed-out piece of its story. If you have ever wondered why the Elves are such a small, sad, and reclusive bunch in LOTR, you'll see a bit of the answer here, and did you know the great Sauron was once just a servant of the true and original Dark Enemy? You'll meet the dark god Melkor here, and understand why Sauron was just carrying on a legacy. Be prepared also for the diabolical Father of Dragons, Glaurung. If you enjoyed the combination of guile and physical might that Smaug brought to the table, you'll get more than you bargained for from this dragon.
"Children of Hurin" may also surprise fans that are used to the "plain Hobbit sense" and sober steadfastness of more well-known Tolkien protagonists. The central character, Turin, is in many senses the complete opposite of a Hobbit: a great and proud warrior, born for leadership, but doomed to make poor, rash decisions in the heat of emotion. You might be reminded a bit of Boromir, and rightly so. Turin struggles with moral choices and his pride often gets the better of him. Whereas you could trust the Bagginses to use logic, see the big picture, and keep their heads cool enough to defeat despair... or even the cunning wits and words of a dragon... you'll be horrified to see Turin falter. He's the essence of a tragic hero, and although he'll frustrate you, you might see more of yourself in him than in the nearly-unbreakable Hobbits.
It's altogether a different flavor from LOTR or the Hobbit, but it's no less great, and anyone interested in the world of Middle Earth should give it a go.

The Children of Hurin is the first complete book by J.R.R. Tolkien published in three decades - since The Silmarillion in 1977. This story is presented for the first time as a complete, stand-alone story (it elaborates upon the story of the man Hurin from The Silmarillion). This elaborate narrative will appeal to casual fans and Tolkien fanatics alike, returning them to the rich landscape and characters unique to Tolkien's Middle Earth.

The story of The Children of Hurin is organized very much like a Greek Tragedy (Oedipus Rex by Sophocles and Medea by Euripedes come to mind). The hero, Hurin, defies Morgoth (the master of Sauron) and invokes his wrath. Hurin is captured by Morgoth and in his anger, the Dark Lord curses Hurin's descendants. The story then turns to Turin and Nienor (his son and daughter).

After Hurin was thus bound, Turin goes to the kingdom of Doriath and grows up in Menegroth, with the elf-King Thingol, who claims him as "foster-son". There Turin is taught the language of the elves, hunting, and fighting. He rapidly becomes a great warrior, as agile and quick as an elf yet with the great strength of a man.

He accepts the Dragon-helm of his father from Thingol, and fights against the Orcs (the Orcs fear the dragon-helm). There is a conspiracy to discredit Turin with Thingol and as a result Turin leaves, believing that he has lost the favor of the king. Yet, Turin is prideful, and he believes that he has been wronged and rejects all ties to Doriath (avoiding the summons of Thingol for the rest of the book). The story continues through the various adventures of Turin as he encounters one despair after another. This is not a happy story, but it is written in the best traditions of many ancient and modern writers who focus on the fallen man and human characteristics which lead to that downfall.

If you are a Tolkien fan, you need this!

WARNING: Non-Tolkein fans should obviously steer clear of this book. If you haven't read The Lord of the Rings Trilogy or if you have and you didn't enjoy it, then you will not enjoy this book anymore.
Even after J.R.R. Tolkein's death his authorship and deep and focused writing is still showing up thanks to his son Christopher Tolkein. The Children of Hurin tells a story that mainly deals with his son Turin who was an important character to Tolkein in his world of Middle-Earth. The thing about Tolkein's writings that always impressed me and still impresses me with this book is he has great story ideas but he doesn't just throw them into some random fantasy world but he actually creates the world itself from scratch. The entire land of Middle-Earth is completely and solely from the late mind of Tolkein, everything from it's detailed and epic history to its own mooncharts!
This book begins a bit like Silmarilion does only because of the fact that it feels a bit like reading a history textbook, but once you jump into the story it grabs you and pulls you into a living breathing world that really feels as though it actually exists. That is the wonder of Tolkein and his writing, it's real and for all you know that world really is only a plane ride away. He proved his superior talent when he released The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and Christopher Tolkein helped him prove it again now after his death with The Children of Hurin.

The Children of Húrin is about a curse. Christopher Tolkien tells us in the Introduction (p.18) that JRR Tolkien's proposed alternative title was Narn e-'Rach Morgoth, The Tale of the Curse of Morgoth. The curse "works," not because of some quality within Middle-Earth. but because of who Morgoth is. "Morgoth is not 'invoking' evil or calamity on Húrin and his children, he is not 'calling on' a higher power to be the agent: for he,'Master of the fates of Arda' as he named himself to Húrin, intends to bring about the ruin of his enemy by force of his own gigantic will." (Ibid.)

The lives of the Children of Húrin end tragically, which may cause some Tolkien fans to ask "Where is the eucatastrophe? Where is the Recovery and Consolation Tolkien speaks of in "On Fair Stories"? The quick answer is that The Children of Húrin was not intended to be a Fairy Story. In his letter to his editor quoted in the Second Edition of The Silmarillion, Tolkien describes what was in his mythology. The story of Beren and Lúthien is, he says, a "heroic-fairy-romance,&qu​ot; while The Children of Húrin is a "tragic tale," admitting that it is "derived from the elements in Sigurd the Volsung, Oedipus, and the Finnish Kullervo."

Tolkien lovers who have struggled through the History of Middle-earth series edited by Christopher will be delighted to know that the story is presented uninterrupted by notes and commentary. Tolkien scholars will, on the other hand, be pleased that an Appendix is included giving a detailed history of the manuscripts.