The Children of Húrin – Book Review

Posted by Samuel Walters

Like any J.R.R. Tolkien fan, I was absolutely thrilled to learn that, in April 2007, there would be a new book, titled The Children of Húrin, on the shelves. It was a chance to return to Middle Earth, to learn more about the world that Tolkien so meticulously created. It wouldn’t be another Hobbit Tale, or even a tale of the great Sea Kings of Númenor. But it was a return to a familiar story – briefly told in Chapter XXI of The Silmarillion, titled “Of Túrin Turambar” and once again in The Unfinished Tales. And being a big fan of Tolkien, needless to say, I was primed to enjoy this book. Unfortunately, the finished product is both underwhelming and overbearing. Indeed, the main plot is so pointless that there is only one reason to read this book – to learn more about the ancient history of Middle Earth, which is presented only tangentially to the main story.

The story is set in the First Age of Middle Earth, long before the Shire and Gandalf, in a place that would eventually be consumed by the sea. The First Age saw a great conflict between the High Elves (of which Rivendell and Lothlorien are but mere shadows) and Morgoth – a being of supreme evil. As a measure of the power of Morgoth, consider the fact that Sauron was but a lieutenant in Morgoth’s vast armies that were comprised of legions of orcs, balrogs and dragons. The titanic conflict between the Elves and Morgoth also ensnared Dwarves and Men. Some men sided with Morgoth, others with the Elves.

The novel begins with a man, named Húrin, who was a great hero among the Elves and Men in the First Age of Middle Earth. His deeds, during the battles of Beleriand, earned him great renown. Following the battle of Nirnaeth Arnodediad (the battle of Unnumbered Tears), he was captured by Morgoth. Húrin defied Morgoth’s attempts to learn the location of the Kingdom of Gondolin, the last great stronghold of the Elves. Enraged, Morgoth cursed Húrin’s children, saying, “Wherever they go, evil shall arise. Whenever they 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 to ensure Húrin’s suffering, Morgoth chained the man to a mountain so that he could see the curse follow his children’s footsteps.

The main story, then, follows Húrin ‘s son, Túrin who grows up as an orphan in the Elvish kingdom of Menegroth, under the care of King Thingol. As the novel unfolds, we see Morgoth’s curse arise again and again, driving Túrin from despair into despair. No matter what he does, no matter where he goes, he is never free from tragedy – the worst of which being his unsuspected marriage to his sister, and the child their cursed union brings about. Of course, Túrin is wholly unaware of the curse and, worse still for the book, much of Túrin’s tragedy is the result of his own choices. Aside from his physical prowess in battle, Túrin is far from a heroic character. Instead, he is arrogant, prideful, hateful, petty, deceitful – all manner of traits that make him a character unworthy of respect, let alone heroism.

The problem with this approach is that it confuses and muddles the story. Is Tolkien trying to say that Túrin’s traits are, simply the result of the curse itself? That otherwise, Túrin would have been a happy-go-lucky (or, at least what went for happy-go-lucky in the First Age) guy? Is Tolkien trying to show us the resiliency of Túrin’s character, to go on in spite of an endless stream of tragedy? To have us learn from those who make poor choices, even if that person is fundamentally (either by choice or by curse) an idiot What is Tolkien’s point? Tolkien cannot have it both ways – either Túrin was a detestable character by choice (in which case he is not at all heroic because his choices are always wrong), or Túrin was detestable because of the curse (in which case he is not heroic because he has no choice over his actions).

If it’s tragedy for tragedy’s sake, that is certainly Tolkien’s choice. But why make it into a novel when it already appears in the Silmarillion? Put simply the more detailed journey of following Túrin does nothing to either inform the character or to provide an insight into the human condition. And really, what’s the point of creating a main character who is so mindlessly stupid? Túrin never makes a good choice, never makes a good decision, and has utterly no moment of redemption. If it really is tragedy for tragedy’s sake, read the Silmarillion – it’s the same story without the endlessly regrettable choices. It is almost entirely unreadable. So what good is there in reading The Children of Húrin?

Middle Earth.

If for no other reason, The Children of Húrin is worth reading simply because it puts us right back into Middle Earth, from a detailed perspective we have not seen before. There is the sweeping history and majesty of the Elves and their kingdoms, the “Petty-dwarves,” Orcs and, above all, the Great Dragon Glaurung. It’s unfortunate that the story of Túrin is so poorly constructed because the journey through Middle Earth is wonderfully captivating. Tolkien’s work in creating his canvas is still quite strong. As such, Middle Earth literally leaps off the pages. And for fans of Middle Earth, whether it is the Hobbit or Lord of the Rings or the Silmarillion, this kind of exploration is definitely worth the prices of having to endure Túrin’s story (but just barely).

Overall Grade: D+

If you read The Children of Húrin purely for the information it provides about Middle Earth, you can overcome the excruciating story of Túrin. Otherwise, if you’re looking for a good tale, you might want to go somewhere else. While the language of The Silmarillion is denser than that of The Children of Húrin, the format allows for a greater breadth (though, not depth) of story-telling. And it is as good at the broad brush strokes of Middle as Children of Húrin is at the small brush strokes. Also, check out The Unfinished Tales, which are another source of stories and details of Middle Earth. Bu as a novel, The Children of Húrin, much like its main character, is a tragic disappointment.

Rating: 5.0/5 (1 vote cast)

Rating: +1 (from 1 vote)

Topics: Book Review, Literature
Filed under: Middle Earth