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

wonderful read

A great story of kin and curse. wonderful expansion of the world of middleeart! it really touched my imagination and heart.

Amazing Narration

Although slow paced, I felt as though Christopher Lee's voice was very impactful. The story itself, albeit fragmented from the start, felt hard to string together at times and a bit forced. Ultimately, pleased I finished it and definitely do not regret it.

Fantastic tragedy set in the Tolkien universe.

I loved it. It was a bit difficult to hang on in the beginning but it got alot easier a few minutes in.

The narrating by Christopher Lee was superb.

Majestic

Christopher Lee's performance reading Hurin is pretty much the best I've come across on Audible. Christopher Tolkien's rendering of The Children of Hurin is deliberately archaic in style compared to LOTR, but if you can get past that, this is a fantastic experience.

Excellent listen

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

This is an excellent listen and the story is on par with Lord of the Rings. Christopher Lee gives an excellent performance.

Which scene was your favorite?

The scene where Niniel and Turambar find out that they are brother and sister. It is tragic what occurs as the result but it is refreshing to read a story with an unhappy end once in a while.

Any additional comments?

It is a tragic tale but a wonderful story.

A must listen.

Christopher Lee should have been the only person allowed to narrate the works of Tolkien.

Christopher Lee was impeccable as narrator.

Lee made the story come alive for me. His talent gor imbueing each word with epic weightiness kept me on the edge of my seat.

Beautifully sad

A lovely narration by the man who played Sauramon himself in the LOTR movies. Christopher Lee does an amazing job, voicing all the various parts in this sad sad tale. But do not be discouraged. There is so much Tolkien wisdom in this story expanded from a chapter of the Silmarillion. It is just that. An expanded chapter from that book, but with more detail and more learning. It is sad that is true. But beautiful and so many lessons to be learned. Also if you love Tolkien, his writing is just priceless bullion. You have to read (listen) to the Silmarillion first before this though or you will be confused. Oh Tolkien. So lovely. The music in it at the beginning and end of each chapter is stunning and fir for the story with swells and fervor. Perfect touch. Loved this.

Narn

masterfully done by Sir Christopher Lee.
a book I've read many times and will now listen to many more

Absolutely Epic!

I have listened to this book 3 or 4 time in the past few years. While it does not have the typical happy ending of most stories, this tale is epic and now ranks in the top 3 of my favorite books. It is simpler and much shorter than the Lord of the Rings but just as good, if not better. The story has a surprising plot twist that makes you respect the villain in the story and sympathize with the hero.

My absolute favorite part of this audiobook is the late Christopher Lee's outstanding performance. His narration deserves awards. It is a shame that he is no longer with us. I would listen to any book narrated by him.