The Children of Hurin

Despite being a self admitted Tolkien fanboy I always begin reading one of his works with the thought "well surely this one won't live up to the hype. All of his works can't be that good" and once again I'm forced to admit it is that good. I would recommend this to lovers of mythology or those who have an interest in Tolkien's extended writings but found the Silmarillion unappealing.

In this work Tolkien succeeds at emulating the very myths and legends that inspired much of his writing. With this one pulling from the doomed heroes of European mythology, specifically Sigurd and Kulervo, from the Volsung and the Kalevala respectively.

The story is told in an overview style, as if it were being recounted. At times this can be grating as it fragments the narrative, giving you the information piece meal over the course of several years. However in this instance its somewhat diagetic in that it puts the reader in the same situation as Húrin, trapped on the peak of Thangorodrim, bearing witness to the doom of his kin yet unable to intervene.

Tolkien scholars have often debated to what extent could Morgoth's curse effect Húrin and his kin. It's feasible that Morgoth commanded the orcs to raid and pillage the region and the easterling occupation of a major settlement. As well as the unleashing of Glaurung on Beleriand. Beyond that, all the misery that befell Túrin was by his own hand. He has his mother's pride and his father's passion without any temperance. You could say that its Túrin's belief in his doom that makes it so. It raises an interesting question. How much does our outlook dictate our fate? If Túrin had kept a positive outlook he would have had faith in King Thingol, who up until that point had treated him as his own son, instead of going into self imposed exile before even facing judgement. He chose to only see the world for all its misery and none of its beauty, turning his curse into a self fulfilling prophecy. This ties back into one of the greater themes of Tolkien's works. Although there will always be darkness we must not despair. If we live with hope in our hearts and believe in the goodness of the world we can have a brighter tomorrow.