12 Comments

Thanks Eric for the much more exhaustive response here. I recall picking up CoH right after finishing Silmarillion. I think at the time I was disappointed because I was wanting more tales, but was sad to discover it was only a fleshed out version of things I already knew. If I were to re-read Silmarillion, I would insert these three books in place of those Silmarillion chapters.

Have you seen Atlas of Middle Earth by Karen Fonstad?

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Heard of? Yes. Been able to spend time with? No. What do you think of it?

And I see what you mean. If I’d just finished Silmarillion and turned immediately to this, Id also perhaps be disappointed.

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Really enjoyed your review and analysis here, Eric. I’ve never read the full version of this story, but based on your essay, it sounds quite different from Tolkien’s other work. I’m really wanting to read it now!

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Right? That’s the idea! Thanks Keyon.

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Jun 15·edited Jun 15Liked by Eric Falden

It’s fun. Chock-full of maps, routes of characters, how the landscape changes between wars, etc. very entertaining to peruse and re-live events through the maps (and timelines).

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This is the best review of the book I’ve ever read. I have it on my shelf, but I’ve held off reading it for years because I feel like I would have to go back and re-read the LOTR to follow the plot. But this sounds like it does stand as an independent tale. I may give it a go now. Thank you for this!

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It absolutely does. The first chapter is very dense and I had to refer to the map in the back a LOT, but once I got my bearings a bit it was very easy get through

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Nin a hin Hurin was a tragic tale. I devoured it in the original Silmarillion and kept wondering what happened. When I got the updated version, I read it slowly and carefully, getting in turn angry, upset, angry again, and sad at the end. To me, it was the story of a complete loss of innocence.

If you haven't read Beren and Lithuen, you should read it. If you have, then definitely read the Fall of Gondolin." It a good story.

If you want a really good book to read, I'd suggest Homer's Illiad and Odyssey.

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Thanks for the rec, Joseph. Maybe I will pick up Fall of Gondolin next. And the classic epics are of course fantastic. I’ve read the Odyssey at least four times…

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Great analysis. CoH is one of my favorite Tolkien works. It certainly proves his 'it's all so two dimensional, black and white' critics wrong! And I love the doomed heroism of the Battle of Unnumbered Tears so much. There's an audiobook version read by the late Christopher Lee that you should try and track down if you can. I think it's available on Audible. He does a magnificent job with the material.

You probably know this, but just in case, the other two published Great Works of Tolkien aren't the same as The Children of Hurin - they're a collection of various forms of the stories in varied states of completion, not a reconstructed single narrative like it and The Silmarillion.

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Thanks, Paul. I absolutely agree that CoH cuts through any argument that Tolkien is somehow held back by his belief in goodness and transcendence. He’s written a better tragedy than any grimdark edgelord I’ve come across.

And I did not know that about B&L or Fall of Gondilin. That’s really good to bear in mind. I’m glad you said that.

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No problem at all, sir.

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