View Full Version : Children of Hurin
I just got 'Children of Hurin' from the library yesterday, and I was wondering who else here has read it. I'm sure I can't be the only one here interested, so what do you all think? So far it's not as difficult as I expected, although my expectations may have more to do with the discussions I read about this book before getting my own hands on it. :cool:
April40
09-09-2007, 09:29 PM
I have never heard of it. :(
I have never heard of it. :(
Amazon has it http://www.amazon.com/Children-H%C3%BArin-J-R-R-Tolkien/dp/0618894640/ref=pd_bbs_2/102-4061734-9380107?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189384524&sr=8-2
Troy McClure
09-10-2007, 01:01 AM
I read The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales, but they weren't the same. Those books didn't have any flow. There were some nice stories, but I knew that they weren't really all that good.
Being a Tolkien nerd, I tried to read others like the books in his son's The History of Middle Earth series where it was clear I was reading nothing but a bunch of assembled notes.
Onnotangu
09-10-2007, 11:18 AM
i read it but I remeber very little about it
BeerAd
09-10-2007, 12:04 PM
Its available for torrent download, hehe
Some day I'll get around to reading the LOTR series.
Onnotangu
09-10-2007, 01:52 PM
Some day I'll get around to reading the LOTR series.
make sure to pack a translator for ye olde english and singalongs.
I read The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales, but they weren't the same. Those books didn't have any flow. There were some nice stories, but I knew that they weren't really all that good.
Being a Tolkien nerd, I tried to read others like the books in his son's The History of Middle Earth series where it was clear I was reading nothing but a bunch of assembled notes.
Sounds about the same as my thoughts. I was determined that I would read The Silmarillion, so I went through it the first time reading slowly, a lot of it not making sense, then the second time through was a lot better. I tried the HoME series as well, but gave it up as a lost cause except for referencing certain passages here and there. So far CoH makes a lot more sense, and I'm enjoying it the first time through. I'm not sure if this is just me or a common reaction, but when I read about Turin stripping Saeros, then chasing the naked elf around with his sword, I couldn't help laughing! :lol:
Its available for torrent download, hehe
What isn't? :P
What makes these books so confusing? And if it is confusing, why would you want to read something so poorly written?
JPatrick
09-10-2007, 04:58 PM
What makes these books so confusing? And if it is confusing, why would you want to read something so poorly written?
I think most of them were assembled from JRRs notes after his death, so theyre not really a cohesive story. More like a jumble of shorts that all relate.
Sarcasmo
09-10-2007, 04:58 PM
I read the Hobbit once, long ago. What a whimsical little tale.
Sarcasmo
09-10-2007, 05:02 PM
If people weren't so gay about 'sticking to the lore' they'd be much better. Basically if Tolkien didn't expressly write it, no one is allowed to explore it to any extent. No elaboration, no made up details, nothing. Middle Earth is like the Islam of fantasy in that regard, which means it has a tendency to suck or be irrelevant because Tolkien didn't write that much about anything. For example you can't talk about the language of the dwarves since he only ever wrote about 30 words in dwarvish. This might not be so detrimental if the dwarves weren't arguably his most interesting characters.
His son Christopher should grow a pair, hire some amazing talent, and flesh out some new Middle Earth stories. Lore and lore nerds be damned.
What makes these books so confusing? And if it is confusing, why would you want to read something so poorly written?
LotR was not confusing to me, it's the HoME series that drives me crazy. Reading The Silmarillion was in response to a challenge that I was brave/crazy enough to accept.
I think most of them were assembled from JRRs notes after his death, so theyre not really a cohesive story. More like a jumble of shorts that all relate.
That's why it took me a while to make sense out of The Silmarillion, I expected a single unit like LotR or The Hobbit, and that is not what it is. The histories were worse, which is why I gave it up.
If people weren't so gay about 'sticking to the lore' they'd be much better.
Well, there is a lot of fanfic out there. :P
Troy McClure
09-10-2007, 07:14 PM
If people weren't so gay about 'sticking to the lore' they'd be much better. Basically if Tolkien didn't expressly write it, no one is allowed to explore it to any extent. No elaboration, no made up details, nothing. Middle Earth is like the Islam of fantasy in that regard, which means it has a tendency to suck or be irrelevant because Tolkien didn't write that much about anything. For example you can't talk about the language of the dwarves since he only ever wrote about 30 words in dwarvish. This might not be so detrimental if the dwarves weren't arguably his most interesting characters.
His son Christopher should grow a pair, hire some amazing talent, and flesh out some new Middle Earth stories. Lore and lore nerds be d*mned.
It really confuses me because these were just notes. The guy lived a very long life, so I'd have to imagine these notes weren't published because he didn't want to. Barring some work in progress at the time of death, I don't see the point of publishing notes other than as a nice "here's what he was thinking" piece for the fans. I agree that the family should let other authors flesh out the history. There is a lot of room for some good works in a world very familiar to a large audience. This family stranglehold on the story is harmful in the long run.
Arátoeldar
09-13-2007, 09:09 AM
I need to buy it. However I have not had the time to do so. :O:(:mad:
I need to buy it. However I have not had the time to do so. :O:(:mad:
What? You haven't read it yet?! :eek: I am soooooo disappointed in you...hehe, not really. :heart: I haven't finished it yet, only a little over half through, there just isn't enough time to read nearly as much as I would like.
Arátoeldar
09-13-2007, 09:28 PM
What? You haven't read it yet?! :eek: I am soooooo disappointed in you...hehe, not really. :heart: I haven't finished it yet, only a little over half through, there just isn't enough time to read nearly as much as I would like.
I have not been able to get it from the library. Since it is supposed to rain this weekend I should be able to get it. Besides I have been on a WWII-2nd/506th Echo Company kick lately.
Arátoeldar
09-13-2007, 10:57 PM
So wait, is this new?
It came out sometime in July.
Arátoeldar
09-14-2007, 03:43 PM
It came out sometime in July.
Actually it was April 16, 2007
Reason For the bump The History of The Hobbit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_History_of_The_Hobbit) box set come out September 21, 2007. :cool:
Onnotangu
09-14-2007, 05:28 PM
I have not been able to get it from the library. Since it is supposed to rain this weekend I should be able to get it. Besides I have been on a WWII-2nd/506th Echo Company kick lately.
try the Axis of time series by John Birmingham.
Actually it was April 16, 2007
Reason For the bump The History of The Hobbit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_History_of_The_Hobbit) box set come out September 21, 2007. :cool:
Right, back in April, and every damned time I was at the library (once a week) since then it was checked out until this past week! :eek: Wish I knew who the other Tolkien fans in my area are, but that whole library confidentiality thing makes that difficult.
Right, back in April, and every damned time I was at the library (once a week) since then it was checked out until this past week! :eek: Wish I knew who the other Tolkien fans in my area are, but that whole library confidentiality thing makes that difficult.
Just tell them youre a member of the government. :rolleyes:
wanko80
09-16-2007, 11:40 AM
Right, back in April, and every damned time I was at the library (once a week) since then it was checked out until this past week! :eek: Wish I knew who the other Tolkien fans in my area are, but that whole library confidentiality thing makes that difficult.
Can you not reserve books at your library?
b_sinning
09-17-2007, 01:47 AM
I want to read it.
Just tell them youre a member of the government. :rolleyes:
The librarians know me too well to get away with that.
Can you not reserve books at your library?
Only after a 'new' book is no longer considered new, a time frame which varies depending on how popular the book is-at least that's my local library's policy.
Well, I finally finished it this past weekend...and it was worth the wait. :cool:
vBulletin® v3.7.4, Copyright ©2000-2009, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.