An author’s talent may never be more obvious than when they continue to release new works after they’ve died. Many authors’ works continue to be sold after their deaths, but the fact that a book never before seen can be released after the departure of its author was a thought entirely alien to me until I realized that one of my favorite authors seemed to have published from the other side of the grave.
Thirty-four years after J.R.R. Tolkien died at the age of 82, his son published an edited version his work as The Children of Húrin. Christopher Tolkien writes, “In this book I have endeavored to construct, after long study of the manuscripts, a coherent narrative without any editorial invention.”
The Children of Húrin is the most recently published member of a family of tales that take place in J.R.R. Tolkien’s mythic Middle-earth. A more abbreviated version of the story is found in The Silmarillion in the form of a single chapter entitled "Of Trin Turambar." This newest book adds layers of details, depth, and development through the expansion of the tale from a thirty-five page chapter to a two hundred fifty-nine page novel.
Like Tolkien’s other works, it is a tale of lore involving men, elves, dwarfs, and dark forces. That being said, The Children of Húrin is very different from its predecessors in both focus and theme. Whereas works like The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings draw into focus the epic struggle between good and evil wherein good ultimately prevails, Tolkien chose in this novel to focus on the dismal plight of a brother-sister pair in a time thousands of years before the shadow of evil was to be lifted.
The Children of Húrin is incontestably a tragedy. It recounts the lives of Túrin and Niënor, offspring of Húrin, who is held in bondage by the Dark Lord Morgoth. In an attempt to break his will, Morgoth sends a curse upon Húrin’s two children that follows them throughout the pages of Tolkien’s novel.
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Article comments
1 - Alan Jordan
Yes. I find that there are an increasing number of published-after-death books. Also, people like Clive Cussler are building a legacy with their children, who will continue the tradition.
This is an excellent review, and I'd be delighted if you would consider reviewing The Monster on Top of the Bed. Alas, I'm still alive.
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2 - Gray Hunter
Trevor,
Nice work with this review. The Children of Hurin is outstanding. The last scene in this book with Hurin and Morwen made this unforgettable. Middle-Earth is a great place.