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The first complete book by J.R.R. Tolkien in three decades--since the publication ofThe Silmarillionin 1977--The Children of Húrinreunites fans ofThe HobbitandThe Lord of the Ringswith 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 onThe Children of Húrin
How did a lifetime of stories becomeThe Children of Húrin? In an essay on the making of the book, Adam Tolkien, grandson of J.R.R. Tolkien (and French translator of hisHistory of Middle-earth), explains that the Húrin 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 readThe HobbitandThe Lord of the Rings," he writes,The Children of Húrin"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 ofThe Children of Húrinis 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-winningBlack Ships Before Troy, before his Oscar-winning work as conceptual designer for Peter Jackson'sLord of the Ringsfilm trilogy brought him even greater acclaim. Here's a quick glimpse of two of Lee's interior illustrations forThe Children of Húrin. (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 illustrateThe Children of Húrin, the characters and the main elements of the story line are familiar to those who have readThe SilmarillionandUnfinished Tales, and these narratives have inspired quite a few illustrators. Ted Nasmith has illustratedThe Silmarillionand touched on some of the same characters and landscapes. This was the first time that I ventured into the First Age; while working onThe Lord of the Ringsbooks and films--andThe 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 Húrin 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 ofThe 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 filmMirrormask, 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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Dark powerful Tolkien It's difficult to know exactly how to write this review. Sixteen years ago, when I was eight years old, I read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings for the first time. I've read them both at least once a year since then. I read them first as a child, loving the playful narrator in the Hobbit, assuring me through foreshadowing that Bilbo would survive his difficulties. I loved the epic scope of The Lord of the Rings, a war against evil eventually victorious. Eventually I encountered the Silmarillion, and although my appreciation of it was slower to grow I love it too. I love it's stark historical voice, a time of legendary wars and characters who made Frodo and Sam seem contemporary.
Though a fair portion of The Children of Hurin was published in the midst of The Silmarillion it is altogether a different book. Stylistically it blends the lush prose of LotR with the ancient archaic voice of The Silmarillion. It reads like a legend, as though there were an ancient bard telling a story long handed down, embellishing it with flashes of brilliance when least expected.
It is a dark tale. Many reviewers have of course noted that it's not what fans of only LotR and The Hobbit will expect and that is true. Sadly I imagine that many readers will be disappointed when they pick it up, finding little familiar and depressed by the dark nature of the characters and their fate. It is a story about evil in a way that Tolkien's earlier works cannot rival, a story about vast forces manipulating a man's life even as his own self-destructive nature strikes down any who dare to love him.
There is no happy ending here, no bright light as when the Eagles swept down upon the Battle of the Five Armies or when Gollum, the ring bright in his grasp fell into the pit of Doom. There is no cataclysmic struggle tearing Middle Earth asunder as when Melkor was finally overcome. There is instead death and despair and all those dark emotions that most people at some point in their lives must confront. The Children of Hurin is a mature story in strikingly powerful way.
I read through The Children of Hurin this afternoon. It is not a long book, and Christopher's Introduction ought to set the scene relatively well for those unfamiliar with the mythology of The Silmarillion and The Book of Lost Tales. There has been some uncertainty as to how much of the work ought to be attributed to Christopher Tolkien as opposed to his father and his explanations of the textual sources assuaged my own doubts. Although we cannot know for sure The Children of Hurin seems very much like a story Tolkien may have published if he had been spared more time to work on his mythology. Christopher is in his eighties, and has spent many long years bringing his father's work to us in various incarnations, and The Children of Hurin seems a marvelous capstone to those efforts. Some have voiced hope that the other two Great Tales of Middle Earth will receive a similar treatment, yet I am satisfied with what we have received.
The Children of Hurin seems to me to be J.R.R. Tolkien finishing one last story from the grave, and if it is darker that his other works it is also evidence of the profound variety and skill that he possessed. Although I doubt it will spur a great popular interest in his mythology, I hope that it will at offer a chance for the critical community to reexamine their neglect of this powerful author.
I can't promise that you will enjoy this book. I imagine many people won't, although I hope that they will at least give this work the chance that it deserves. It is certainly not a modern novel, yet it is a unique work. A powerfully dark tale of a time beyond the reach of history and yet exploring human nature as it still exists today.
A Well-Told Tale (Call It A Prequel) This seamless story weaves background into some of Tolkien's other works, notably the Middle Earth sagas. Beautifully illustrated and crafted with the same care evident in Tolkien's existing catalog. Kudos to son Christopher for capturing the "feel" of the author's work most accurately. Very well done!
Dr. David Frisbie Author of [[ASIN:0736917640 Moving Forward After Divorce: Practical Steps to * Healing Your Hurts * Finding Fresh Perspective * Managing Your New Life]]Answers to questions, and a man misplaced in time THE QUESTIONS To address the questions that most people have:
* This is an easier read than The Silmarillion. * Reading The Silmarillion is not necessary, although if you have read it, you'll be glad for it. * It is told in a narrative voice. * The narrative voice is archaic. * The so-called archaic voice falls somewhere in between The Silmarillion and LOTR in style. * Hurin is a great hero amongst men. * His son, Turin, is whom this story is chiefly about. His daughter Nienor makes a late, but significant, appearance. Significant enough for this book to be called The Children of Hurin. * You will recognize a few names from LOTR, but don't look for furry-footed Hobbits. A Balrog makes a brief appearance, as does a nasty, smelly dragon. * There is only one footnote in the entire narrative, and it doesn't interrupt the flow of the story. It could have been left out, frankly, but the information was nice to know. * There is an Index of Names at the back of the book to help the reader keep track of who is who. * As always, a well detailed map is included. * Read the Introduction. Christopher Tolkien does a wonderful job preparing the reader who hasn't read The Silmarillion for what is to follow.
I can't emphasize the last point enough. One reviewer noted that you wouldn't know who Melkor was, and that this was detrimental to the reading of The Children of Hurin. Not so! Melkor (known to the Valar as Morgoth) is discussed in the Introduction. In the event that you ignore my advice, Morgoth is the original Dark Lord, for whom Sauron was but a mere Lieutenant. Think on the malevolence of Sauron, and imagine him serving something far more powerful and foul. That is Morgoth. Indeed, "malice that wakes in the morning is the mirth of Morgoth ere night."
Between the Introduction and the first chapter, you have everything you need to know. Regarding the first chapter: it starts slow. It feels biblical: "Gloredhel wedded Haldir son of Halmir, lord of the Men of Brethil; and at the same feast his son Galdor the Tall wedded Hareth, the daughter of Halmir. Galdor and Hareth had two suns, Hurin and Huor..." But for those who are confused by names, that's the worst of it, and as noted above, there is an Index in the back to help you keep track if necessary.
THE STORY Hurin was a great warrior of Men, and fought with the elves against Morgoth in the Fifth Battle of Beleriand, called Nirnaeth Arnodediad in the Sindarin tongue of the grey-elves, meaning The Battle of `Unnumbered Tears'. It is aptly named, for many lords - elf, dwarf, and man - died that day. Hurin, though, was captured, for Morgoth wanted more than his life. He demanded from Hurin the location of the hidden city-kingdom of Gondolin, the last great stronghold of the elves. But Hurin defies Morgoth, mocking him, and in his wrath Morgoth places a curse on his children: "Wherever they go, evil shall arise. Whenever the speak, their words shall bring ill counsel. Whatsoever they do shall turn against them. They shall die without hope, cursing both life and death." And as final punishment, he binds Hurin in a chair high above the kingdoms of Men, so that he may look down "upon the lands where evil and despair shall come upon those whom you have delivered to [Morgoth]."
After Hurin was thus bound, Turin was sent to Doriath and grew up in Menegroth, with the elf-King Thingol, who claimed him as "foster-son". There Turin was taught the craft of those who would live in the woods, the language of the elves, how to hunt, and how to fight. He quickly became a great warrior, as lithe as an elf yet with the great strength of a man. He accepts from Thingol the Dragon-helm of his father, and fights against the Orcs in their skirmishes in the marches of Doriath. Many came to love him, and the Orcs fear the Dragon-helm, but as he is Hurin's son, Morgoth's curse followed follows him. Envy soon finds its way into the councils of Thingol, and Turin leaves, believing that he has lost the favor of the king; but ever prideful, he believes that he has been wronged and refuses all ties to Doriath.
(A word about Orcs. They are the twisted creation of Morgoth. Many believe they are directly descended from the Quendi [elves], whom Morgoth imprisoned and then bent to his will, filling them with his malice and hatred of light.)
The tale follows Turin as he goes from place to place: taken in with a band of outlaws; their encounter with the "Petty-dwarves"; Turin's time in Nargothrond (a great elven kingdom); his love of the fair Niniel; and his great battle with Glaurung, father of and greatest, perhaps, of all the dragons. And where Turin goes, so does the curse of Morgoth follow, leaving only despair in its wake.
SOME COMMENTS One criticism of Tolkien is that he plays softball, whereas other authors - Stephen R. Donaldson in the late 70s and early 80s, and more lately George (the other R.R.) Martin - play hardball. One interpretation of this metaphor is that Tolkien didn't put his characters through "the wringer" like Donaldson did with Thomas Covenant, and he didn't kill off any of his main characters, something that Martin seems to have devilish fun doing. (There are other interpretations, but I'll just address this one.) Obviously, anyone making this claim never read any of Tolkien's posthumous work or given any real thought as to what Frodo endured as the ring-bearer. Anyone reading this review knows that the cute little hobbit that was Frodo left Middle Earth from the Grey Havens with a broken, shattered soul. When thinking of Turin, think more along the lines of Frodo's ending, and less Sam Gamgee's. Morgoth's curse is heavier than Frodo's burden.
Many will ask, "Should this have been published? Is it good enough to stand next The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, etc.?" A very loud YES to both. It's the only complete narrative of Tolkien's that hasn't been published, and that alone means that it should be published. That said, Tolkien was never satisfied with his own work, and was constantly editing and rewriting. What would *he* think? If it were possible for him to be looking down on this, my hunch is that he is wincing, and dying to edit the daylights out of this book (pun intended?). It's not a perfect work. Some passages feel uncomfortable, a few are out of place, but overall, I'll take Tolkien's imperfect work over virtually every other writer of fantasy's BEST work.
Reading the appendices, I was struck that Tolkien was, perhaps, a man misplaced in time. For all of his lays, alliterative verse, prose - uncompleted, his works rival, if perhaps they do not exceed, the depth and quality of any who have come before him. Imagine him as a commissioned scribe, or someone who, like Martin or Jordan or Rowling today, made enough money from their work to do it full time. So much of what Tolkien left us is unfinished. Would that it were not so. We would be the better for it.
How did a lifetime of stories becomeThe Children of Húrin? In an essay on the making of the book, Adam Tolkien, grandson of J.R.R. Tolkien (and French translator of hisHistory of Middle-earth), explains that the Húrin 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 readThe HobbitandThe Lord of the Rings," he writes,The Children of Húrin"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:
