The Children of Hurin

By: J. R. R. Tolkien

Narrated by: Christopher Lee

Length: 7 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

There are tales of Middle-earth from times long before The Lord of the Rings. The story told in this book is set in the great country that lay beyond the Grey Havens in the West: lands where Treebeard once walked, but which were drowned in the great cataclysm that ended the First Age of the World.

In that remote time, Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, dwelt in the vast fortress of Angband, the Hells of Iron, in the North; and the tragedy of Túrin and his sister Nienor unfolded within the shadow of the fear of Angband and the war waged by Morgoth against the lands and secret cities of the Elves. Their brief and passionate lives were dominated by the elemental hatred that Morgoth bore them as the children of Húrin, the man who had dared to defy and to scorn him to his face. Against them he sent his most formidable servant, Glaurung, a powerful spirit in the form of a huge wingless dragon of fire.

Into this story of brutal conquest and flight, of forest hiding-places and pursuit, of resistance with lessening hope, the Dark Lord and the Dragon enter in direly articulate form. Sardonic and mocking, Glaurung manipulated the fates of Túrin and Nienor by lies of diabolic cunning and guile, and the curse of Morgoth was fulfilled.

The earliest versions of this Tolkien story go back to the end of the First World War and the years that followed. But long afterwards, when The Lord of the Rings was finished, he revised and greatly enlarged it, enhancing complexities of motive and character. It 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.

©2007 J. R. R. Tolkien Copyright Trust and Christopher Reuel Tolkien (P)2007 HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, London, UK

Great listen

Great book, it’s even better being read by Christopher Lee! It is most enjoyable to listen to.

Great Story!

Christopher Lee is great on his performance and the book story is just amazing and tragic!

One of the most tragic story I have ever heard.

An absolutely amazing performan of Sir Lee and a masterful peace of Tolkien. nothing could go wrong with this audiobook.

The legend building

I liked the story...I've always been a Tolken reader. The legends of old cultures is well developed in kind as his other work.

Persistance Pays Off

This book requires the listener to be patient and skim over the alien sounding names. Eventually you gain an understanding of the characters and the story line. I have to admit it was a lot easier to listen to than to actually read as pronunciation was handled by the reader. Christopher Lee did a stirling job and presented a wonderful story in a appropriate and entertaining tone.

Loved it

An excellent embellishment of one of the best tales from the silmarillion. I Liked Christofer Lee's narration, and i wouldn't change a thing. I hope some more of the tales from the silamrillion are given the same treatment.

Another great story of Middle Earth History

Another great story from the history of Middle Earth. Wonderful yet heartbreaking & worth the read for any lover of Middle Earth history. Sir Christopher Lee narrates it beautifully. His reading style made me feel the joys of the triumphs, & the heart wrenching sorrow at their tragedies. It was a hard book to put down, & I easily would have willingly listened to it in a single sitting if I had the time.

Christopher Lee is great

The Children of Hurin is a sorrowful tale brought to life with Christopher Lee's reading. Would like to hear Sir Christopher read of "The Silmarillion".

Saruman reads Tolkien

You probably cannot go wrong having Christopher Lee reading anything, but having him read any of Tolkien's work just seems right. Excellent performance, with only his characterization of Mim the dwarf being off because his voice just couldn't go any deeper.

1 star off for story as the character is not the most likeable protagonist paired with a lot of tragedy. It's a 5 for me, but people should really know this is not a happy tale. It is also not the easiest read/listen, but is well worth the effort for any fan of Tolkien.

Audible 20 Review Sweepstakes Entry

great book, really enjoyed it

ties into the lord of the rings so be sure to get them as well.