The Children of HurinThe Children of Hurin
Score Modern
What it's about
Thousands of years before The Lord of the Rings, the dark lord Morgoth captures the great warrior Húrin and lays a curse on his family. Húrin's son, Túrin, grows into a fierce, proud hero, and wherever he goes, among elves, outlaws and the hidden city of Nargothrond, the curse follows him, while the dragon Glaurung plots his ruin.
Why it's worth reading
It hit #1 on the New York Times list. Tolkien worked on it all his life, and his son Christopher assembled it. It's the darkest, most tragic story of Middle-earth, a true epic.
You'll love it if you liked
The Lord of the Rings
The Hobbit
The IliadGood to know
It's a tragedy with no happy ending, including unknowing incest. The style is old and formal, like a saga. Alan Lee's illustrations are lovely.
By the numbers
- Readers58 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller64 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #157 of the 459 fantasy books we rank
- #549 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1057 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous, Thought-provoking, Epic
More by J. R. R. Tolkien
The Lord of the RingsThe Hobbit
The SilmarillionIf you like this, read next
A Deepness in the Sky
Parable of the Sower
Good Omens
Blindness
Doomsday Book
Making MoneyExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is The Children of Hurin worth reading?
Yes. It hit #1 on the New York Times list. It ranks #1,057 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 72.3 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Children of Hurin about?
Thousands of years before The Lord of the Rings, the dark lord Morgoth captures the great warrior Húrin and lays a curse on his family. Húrin's son, Túrin, grows into a fierce, proud hero, and wherever he goes, among elves, outlaws and the hidden city of Nargothrond, the curse follows him, while the dragon Glaurung plots his ruin.
How long does it take to read The Children of Hurin?
About 8 hours (320 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Children of Hurin?
If you liked it, try The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien or The Iliad by Homer.