If Achilles was the greatest warrior to have ever walked the face of this Earth, Turin Turambar would be the second greatest. Turin was the baddest man in Middle Earth. And now he is featured in JRR Tolkien’s new book Children of Hurin published in May of this Year. The book was compiled and edited by his son Christopher Lee.
For years Turin was forced to languish in the obscure and tedious history of M.E. entitled The Silmarillion. Only the most die-hard Tolkien fan would appreciate The Silmarillion and luckily I fit into that category. The book details the history of just about everything in Middle Earth including the weaponry. It features the Elves attempts to regain their sacred jewels (silmarils) which have been stolen by the dreaded Morgoth. But the book can be a bit tedious to read. However “Of Turin Turambar” and the story of Beren and Luthien are two of Tolkien’s most highly renowned literary works. Both of these were featured in The Silmarillion.
And now Children of Hurin has been published in JRR Tolkien’s own words in prose very similar to that found in The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings. The work was only edited in a few spots for clarity by Professor Tolkien’s son, Christopher Tolkien. I cannot say how excited I am to read this novel. I have peaked at it a few times (it reads so well) at the bookstore but so far I have lacked the funds necessary to purchase it.
The book is illustrated by renowned Tolkien artist Alan Lee who was influential in the creative portion of the Lord of the Ring’s movies. Many of the creatures and sets were based off his artwork.
The story of Turin Turambar is one of my most favorite works aside from The Iliad. For Turin’s glory on the battlefield is always what inevitably leads to his downfall. It represents the cruel irony of life, that sometimes even great glory can be turned into tragedy. There are twinges of Achilles and the Oedipus Myth intertwined in Turin’s story but it remains a unique story all to its own. I hope that you will order Children of Hurin and I also hope that you will enjoy it. If any of you have read it please email and tell me what you think. My email can be found in the author’s bio on the sidebar.
