It is the fruit of 30 years labor by Christopher Tolkien, the author''s son, who has devoted much of his life to editing and publishing the work his father left behind. By meticulously combining and editing the many published and unpublished versions of the tale, he has produced at last a coherent, vivid and readable narrative.
The
story unfolds in a region far to the west of where Frodo and Samwise would later roam, in a land destined to be swallowed by the sea in the cataclysm that would end the first age of Middle-earth. But even then, it was an ancient land, filled with legends and half-remembered histories.
As the tale begins, Morgoth has destroyed a vast army of elves and men and taken one of its leaders, Hurin, prisoner. The dark
lord tries to bend Hurin to his will, but the
great man defies him. So Morgoth pronounces a
curse on Hurin''s
children, Turin and his sister Nienor.
The first chapter resembles "The Silmarillion," dense and confusing enough to discourage casual readers. But stick with it and the story soon becomes readable and engaging.
Don''t expect an uplifting ending like the one to "The Lord of the Rings," however. This is a gloomy tale -- Hurin''s children doomed to failure by Turin''s hubris and, of course, the curse.
The story is told in the archaic style to which Tolkien fans are accustomed, from a man who admired old Anglo-Saxon and Norse sagas. A sample:
"In this way, before the summer had passed, the following of Turin had swelled to a great force, and the power of Angband was thrown back. Word of this came even to Nargothrond, and many there grew restless."
The story is short by the standards of "The Lord of the
Ring," covering just 259 pages. I suggest all those who like "Lord of the RIng" should get hold of this book too , they will enjoy it immensely.