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hevimieli's review against another edition
3.0
Slow moving tragic story. Complicated language for a non-native speaker.
sterlingprimerius's review against another edition
4.0
The Children of Hùrin, a tragic tale of Turin and Niënor the son and daughter of the great hero Hùrin, who was cursed by Morgoth for being a big pain in his ass. The curse extends to his family and it's effects are felt throughout this tale, which is one of the Great Tales of Middle-Earth, the other two being [b:Beren and Lúthien|41015249|Beren and Lúthien|J.R.R. Tolkien|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1533061452l/41015249._SY75_.jpg|53286704] and [b:The Fall of Gondolin|39798828|The Fall of Gondolin (Middle-Earth Universe)|J.R.R. Tolkien|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1535688410l/39798828._SY75_.jpg|61528638].
I struggled a little bit in the beginning and that was due to two reasons. Now note when I say in the beginning, I mean the beginning of the tale, because the book starts with an essay from Christopher Tolkien explaining some background on how this book came to be. The tale itself takes up about 200 pages of the just over 300 pages this book counts. Anyways, back to the struggle in the beginning.
I struggled because of the prose for starters, Children of Hùrin is written in a bit of an awkward prose that can be hard to follow. I got used to it after 30 or so pages, but the start was hard. I think the prose is not typical Tolkien prose, per say, though I see similarities with parts of the Silmarillion for sure. But as Christopher explains later on, the tale was pulled together from a variety of parts that Tolkien had written, the majority of it in poem form and not just any poem form, but the alliterative metre used, most famously, in Beowulf.
But the prose was not the only reason, in a fairly typical Tolkien fashion, the story begins with a big infodump on the family tree of Hùrin, describing a fair amount of his ancestors (Beren and Lúthien even pass by) eventually leading up to the birth and background of Hùrin and his brother Huor.
The end result is a tragic tale that has everything. Edgy heroes, strong mothers, beautiful sisters, vile dragons, curses, haughty elves, fair maidens, a dangerous sword, a lot of death and some Lannister action.
I heartily recommend this tale to everyone with an interested, or obsession, in the tales and history of Middle-Earth, which is still one of the greatest worlds created in fantasy today.
I struggled a little bit in the beginning and that was due to two reasons. Now note when I say in the beginning, I mean the beginning of the tale, because the book starts with an essay from Christopher Tolkien explaining some background on how this book came to be. The tale itself takes up about 200 pages of the just over 300 pages this book counts. Anyways, back to the struggle in the beginning.
I struggled because of the prose for starters, Children of Hùrin is written in a bit of an awkward prose that can be hard to follow. I got used to it after 30 or so pages, but the start was hard. I think the prose is not typical Tolkien prose, per say, though I see similarities with parts of the Silmarillion for sure. But as Christopher explains later on, the tale was pulled together from a variety of parts that Tolkien had written, the majority of it in poem form and not just any poem form, but the alliterative metre used, most famously, in Beowulf.
But the prose was not the only reason, in a fairly typical Tolkien fashion, the story begins with a big infodump on the family tree of Hùrin, describing a fair amount of his ancestors (Beren and Lúthien even pass by) eventually leading up to the birth and background of Hùrin and his brother Huor.
The end result is a tragic tale that has everything. Edgy heroes, strong mothers, beautiful sisters, vile dragons, curses, haughty elves, fair maidens, a dangerous sword, a lot of death and some Lannister action.
I heartily recommend this tale to everyone with an interested, or obsession, in the tales and history of Middle-Earth, which is still one of the greatest worlds created in fantasy today.
soupgirl9's review against another edition
5.0
GUYS WHAT THE FUCK THIS IS SO MUCH SADDER THAN IT IS IN THE SILMARILLION
brandoneckroth's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
4.25
My favorite of the great tales from The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales, finally told in full. Christoper Tolkien did a masterful job pulling together the remnants of this truly beautiful, albeit devastating story of adventure, family, loyalty, and heartbreak. Once you've read The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales, I'd highly recommend reading this next if you want to feel something.
joshkaine04's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
kashna83's review against another edition
2.0
(Review 2007) Quizá la sombra del Señor de los anillos es demasiado alargada, pero aunque entretenida a veces e interesante de vez en cuando, me pareció una historia solamente apta para los más fans de Tolkien.No me acabó de atrapar. Prescindible.
sunzreads's review against another edition
4.0
I watched The Lord of the Rings movie series and I thought why not give The Children of Hurin a try. It's my first Tolkien book. The names, events, and places that are too many for me to process make the book challenging to read. Even though it felt like reading a history book, the interesting storyline and characters motivated me to keep on reading. I was captured by the tale of the children of Hurin but their tragic fate left me with a heavy heart. The Children of Hurin got me curious about what's going to happen to Morgoth and other characters. To Tolkien enthusiasts, what should I read next?
dylan_roseburrough's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0