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

Incredible Story Telling

Any fan of Tolkien’s Middle Earth will love this book. Christopher Lee gave a masterful performance reading it, and the production was excellent as well. I had only read the shorter version of this story before in the Silmarillion, so hearing an extended version was really fun. I will say that you should read the Silmarillion first to get some context for where the story picks up.

Also, be warned that the story is a tragedy in every sense of the word.

Here is my required heading.

the story is enjoyable just like all of Tolkiens work. the voice actor did a great good job of setting mood and conveying emotion. my only suggestion would be to get a female voice actor for female dialog. got confused on who was talking at points due to that.

Great Book, Great Narration

Where does The Children of Hurin rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Definitely one of the best. My favorites are often humorous titles, but I'm a big Tolkien fan, and this one didnlt disappoint. Christopher Lee was the perfect narrator.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Children of Hurin?

I fond the ending very powerful and moving. Much the darkest Tolkien tale I have read.

Have you listened to any of Christopher Lee’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No. I'd love to listen to him reading more Tolkien though.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, I listened over three sessions. It grew on me as it went on. It was pretty short and didn't overstay its welcome.

Any additional comments?

Highly recommended for the Tolkien fan. If you have read the Hobbit and Lord of The Rings, you should then try the Silmarillion, which is much harder going, especially the first few chapters. I tried reading it when I was younger and couldn't manage it. I tried again a few years ago and absolutely loved it - oce you get past the beginning it really picks up. Anyway, if you enjoyed the Silmarillion you will love this one too, with it's more detailed tale of the exploits of Hurin's son Turin and his confrontation with the dragon Glaurung.

fabulous trip back to Middle Earth

I cannot emphasize enough this is a must for Middle Earth fans. Sir Christopher Lee was a wonderful choice to narrate! His talent adds to this incredible story. You will not be disappointed. Tolkien's writing is flawless as is the story and narration!

Amazing!!

Absolutely loved this story and the narration by the late Christopher Lee is amazing!! Sound quality is excellent, he does different voices for different characters and it's great. His narration allows the listener to easily immerse in the story and visualize the story in ones mind.

an immortal classic read by an immortal talent.

Christopher Lee brings this to life in a way that no one else could. A must for Tolkien fans.

Great but sad

Great book. Hit my like a train at the end. My jaw dropped at how sad it gets at the end

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Everything in this story is incredible from the writing and editing to the masterful performance by the late great Sir Christopher Lee.

Christopher Lee is Amazing

The story is great. It has a different flavor than other Tolkien stories but it is nice that the ending is not predictable.

The reading performance by The Great Sir Christopher Lee is fantastic. One of the best voices in history. You can tell he is also very invested in the story and his performance. Some of Tolkien’s languages can be hard to pronounce and others can butcher them, but Sir Lee did his homework and is spot on. Bravo!

A must listen/read for any Tolkien fan!

Christopher Lee???

Christopher Lee, the legend himself, brings this heartbreaking tale to life. So good! He is magical!