Children Of Hurin, The

Description: Painstakingly restored from Tolkien's manuscripts, this is the first complete, standalone Middle-earth book by J.R.R. Tolkien since The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. It is a legendary time long before The Lord of the Rings, and Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, dwells in the vast fortress of Angband in the North; and within the shadow of the fear of Angband, and the war waged by Morgoth against the Elves, the fates of Turin and his sister NiA"nor will be tragically entwined. Their brief and passionate lives are dominated by the elemental hatred that Morgoth bears them as the children of Hurin, the man who dared to defy 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, in an attempt to fulfil the curse of Morgoth, and destroy the children of Hurin. Begun by J.R.R. Tolkien at the end of the First World War, The Children of Hurin became the dominant story in his later work on Middle-earth. But he could not bring it to a final and finished form. In this book Christopher Tolkien has constructed, after long study of the manuscripts, a coherent narrative without any editorial invention.

Review: "I hope that its universality and power will grant it a place in English mythology" Independent on Sunday "The darkest of all Tolkien's tales. Alan Lee's illustrations complement the writing splendidly" Times Literary Supplement "A masterpiece!an extraordinary book. As in The Silmarillion you feel yourself in the presence of a personal genius." A.N. Wilson, The Telegraph '"Deserves to eclipse all his other posthumous writings, and stand as a worthy memorial to the imagination of Tolkien" The Times 'For those in search of a soulful, seamless read the rehabilitation of this sober tale will be gratefully received!a worthy addition to one of the most cherished mythologies in English literature.' The Observer 'Christopher Tolkien has brought together his father's text as well as he can. It has a strange atmosphere all of its own.' The Guardian "A bleak, darkly beautiful tale played out against the background of the First Age of Tolkien's Middle-earth ... grand, epic storytelling and a reminder, if one was needed, of Tolkien's genius in creating an imaginary world that both reflects and deepens a sense of our own mythic past." - Washington Post Book World 'The final episode, in which an incestuous passion and a battle with a great dragon enfold each other, has a power quite unlike anything else. When Hurin is released from captivity, and makes his way to his children's graves to meet, one last time his wife, the result is a coda more moving than I'd have thought Tolkien capable of creating.' The Daily Telegraph 'The language is authentically Tolkien. Its aim is to tell a good story, and it does so. It is well crafted: Christopher Tolkien has skilfully pieced the fragments together.' The Economist 'It is dry, mad, humourless, hard-going and completely brilliant. My ten-year-old read it in a day and a half and has not shut up about it since. Tolkien is always dismissed as a conservative, but what's striking about this book is how modern it seems. It comes with lavish and lovely artwork by Alan Lee.' The Independent 'This is the darkest of all Tolkien's tales. Alan Lee's illustrations complement the writing splendidly.' TLS

Author Biography: J.R.R. Tolkien was born on 3rd January 1892. After serving in the First World War, he became best known for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, selling 150 million copies in more than 40 languages worldwide. Awarded the CBE and an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Oxford University, he died in 1973 at the age of 81. Christopher Tolkien, born on 21st November 1924, is the third son of J.R.R. Tolkien. Appointed by J.R.R. Tolkien to be his literary executor, he has devoted himself to the publication of his father's unpublished writings, notably The Silmarillion and The History of Middle-earth. He lives in France with his wife Baillie.