It has been over 30 years since we last saw a “new” novel written by J.R.R. Tolkien, but that changes today, as “The Children of Hurin” goes on sale at your local bookstore.
What is the “The Children of Hurin”?
Well…it’s a new novel from J.R.R. Tolkien….or his estate, at least. Yahoo News has more info:
Already told in fragmentary form in “The Silmarillion,” which appeared in 1977, the new book is darker than “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings,” for which Tolkien is best known.
“It’s not
Harry Potter,” said David Brawn, director at Tolkien publisher HarperCollins, a division of News Corp.The story is set long before “The Lord of the Rings” in a part of Middle-earth that was drowned before Hobbits ever appeared, and tells the tragic tale of Turin and his sister Nienor who are cursed by Morgoth, the first Dark Lord.
The Tolkien estate assures us this is not an attempt to “cash in” on the Tolkien name, but instead, an attempt to bring the focus back on Tolkien as a writer, not just the guy who came up with the story for those movies that came out.
You can probably find the book in any major bookstore.
Here’s a link to my review of the book.
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6434315.html
Got it with me right now. It’s a beautiful book, the artwork is great. The spacing would seem to indicate it’ll be done and dusted within a few days – but that’s fine.
The story itself is supposed to be a greatly expanded and more detailed version of the same one laid out in part in both The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales. I’m looking forward to reading it (but I need to finish re-reading The Silmarillion first)
Thank You
Phenomenal book…finally published in the way it should have been all along: complete, sans editorial commentary. Christopher Tolkien does a great job of editing the text into a single, fast-paced volume.
The Children of Hurin is perhaps the most “mythological” feeling of Tolkien’s novels, and characters’ dooms hover over the pages like a black shroud. This is not a book for those looking for a pleasant, happy tale.
More info at:
http://www.tolkien-online.com/the-children-of-hurin.html