New Tolkien epic to be released in April

CBC Arts ^ | March 26, 2007

[Caleb1411]

An unfinished book by J.R.R. Tolkien that was completed by his son will be published April 17 in Canada, New Zealand, the U.S. and the U.K.

Christopher Tolkien, son of the man who wrote the Lord of the Rings trilogy, has completed The Children of Hurin, a book his father started in 1918 and later abandoned.

J.R.R. Tolkien, shown in a 1967 photo, left notes and an outline for The Children of Hurin, a novel finished by his son and to be published in April. (Associated Press) Publisher HarperCollins is not releasing details of the book, but describes it as "an epic story of adventure, tragedy, fellowship and heroism."

The younger Tolkien previously drafted The Silmarillion and History of Middle Earth from drafts of his father's work.

The Children of Hurin will be illustrated by artist Alan Lee, who won an Oscar for art direction on Peter Jackson's film The Return of the King.

Lee has provided 25 pencil sketches and eight paintings for the book.

Parts of the text of The Children of Hurin, which takes place in Middle Earth before the events of Lord of the Rings, have appeared in History of Middle Earth.

Tolkien said he has worked on the book for 30 years based on unfinished pieces and outlines done by his father.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy has sold more than 50 million copies worldwide.

[Cicero]

The word I heard about it is that it is much darker than the LOTR and much more sexually explicit, including incest. Tolkien was a professor of linguistics and Old English. He also knew the Scandinavian mythology. I would guess that some of this would be based on mythic materials that Wagner adopted in Der Ring Des Niebelungen. Siegmund and Sieglinde committed incest, and the whole tale revolves around a stolen ring that ends up with the Gotterdammerung--the War of the Gods and the End of the World.

Tolkien made use of this mythology--and other tales of dragons, dwarfs, and so on--but I am sure he would do so in a way that should not offend his readers.

[300winmag]

Are you listening, Peter Jackson?I don't think we need to worry about Peter Jackson. It's the suits at New Line, and whoever gets chosen to film "The Hobbit" (Sam Raimi?!?!?!?!) that need convincing. Apparently billions of dollars in profits still doesn't speak loudly enough.

Jackson is the only director who has proven he can take $300 million, several years worth of work from several thousand people, and turn out three movies that are the best, if imperfect, adaption of Tolkien possible.

[yatros from flatwater]

As in our own history - light and dark contend with each other - and like Hurin's children, the Eldar, and Men we have to choose how we will deal with our own quests.

[gate2wire]

"not sure. i am a star trek:tng guy so i am usually called a nerd."


Yeah, you're a nerd.

[gate2wire]

"I have the Lord of the Nazgul, on horseback, tattooed on my arm, above the Ring Inscription, and below the Lidless Eye, wreathed in flame. Guesss that makes me a "Ringer", too."

Yes.

[MS.BEHAVIN]

PING!!!
Ms.B

[Old Sarge]

{{{{{ MISS BEEEE!!! }}}}}

Are you feeling ANY better?

[Old Sarge]

Ah, such magnificent dialogue, from a old favorite movie of my youth!

[an amused spectator]

Well, to make a long story short, the incest was not intentional or forethought.

I always opined that it was pretty much Melkor's doing - a good example of him wasting his gifts on the trivial...

[Chewbacca]

"One of the best stories in The Silmarillon, “the children of Hurin” is mainly about Turin and Glaurung. The story also pirouettes around the Fall of Gondolin, the story of Beren and Luthien and is the begining of the end of the gray Kingdom that was protected by the enchanted Girdle of Melian and the Wise rule of Thingol the Gray elf and contains Glimpses of the original Dark Lord- Melkor or Morgoth. Combining elements of Tragedy, heroism and self sacrifice, this is one story that should translate well in to the silver screen! Are you listening, Peter Jackson?"


Better yet, it would make a great 8-hour TV mini series.

[Starter]

They actually did a documentaty on LotR fans a few years ago.

I've got a copy, but I've never made the time to actually watch it.

[Starter]

"We are the champions, my friend..."

BTW, if you pick up the recent DVD release of this, do *not* watch the pilot for the proposed TV series. It might be the worst sitcom that I've ever seen.

[arderkrag]

I believe the correct term is "geek". Correct.

Blessed are the geek, for thy shall inherit the earth.

[arderkrag]

I believe the correct term is "geek". Correct.

Blessed are the geek, for they shall inherit the earth.

[Billthedrill]

Good heavens - I had to look it up to refresh my memory but Children of Hurin is a pretty grim piece of work, to be honest. We'll see what Christopher Tolkien has made of it in thirty years' labor. His father wrote about it (from Wikipedia) -

There is the Children of Húrin, the tragic tale of Túrin Turambar and his sister Níniel – of which Túrin is the hero: a figure that might be said (by people who like that sort of thing, though it is not very useful) to be derived from elements in Sigurd the Volsung, Oedipus, and the Finnish Kullervo.

I have never developed a taste for Nordic tragedy, to be perfectly honest. In this particular version the upshot of the curse of Morgoth reminds me more of Oedipus than anything else, so there's the Greek element of ineluctable fate as well as the decidedly bloody gloom of the Germans and Finns. Turin strikes me as the sort of fellow best admired from a safe distance.

On a purely silly note, think of what would have happened if Luke had married Leia in Star Wars and shudder...