by J.R.R. Tolkien
Tolkien's longest unfinished tale (now finished).
Having been a huge Tolkien fan in my youth, I decided to give the newly published Children of Húrin a try, being already familiar with the story from an incomplete version that had previously been published in Tolkien's Unfinished Tales. This new version has been made into a completed story by Tolkien's son and editor, Christopher.
The tale of The Children of Hurin is set in the First Age of Tolkien's Middle Earth. It centres around the exploits of Túrin Turambar, son of the cursed Húrin Thalion. It is a dark tale involving the destruction of elvish kingdoms, guerilla warfare, a thoroughly evil dragon, and the odd bit of unwitting incest. It would make a great film.
Unfortunately, if, like me, you've already read the version of the tale published in Unfinished Tales, this new version doesn't have an awful lot to add. It does feel a bit like money for old rope.
