The Book Stacks

Hello, and welcome to the first meeting of the Book Stacks Book Club, Cover to Cover. Today we are discussing The Children of Húrin by J.R.R. Tolkien. No, you don’t need to have read it completely ‘cover to cover’ to participate. The Children of Húrin has a sizable Appendix in the back, after all. I would like to begin the discussion with the following question:

1. Did you enjoy the book?

That’s the big question isn’t it? For my part, I enjoyed the way it was written, and I enjoyed the language of the book, but…it was frickin’ depressing. It was like a train wreck that you couldn’t look away from. I kept wanting to smack Túrin upside the head. Every way he turned, every choice he made turned to ashes. If he had only listened to one little bit of counsel along the way. There were *so* many opportunities to turn back. What’s that they say? Pride goeth before a fall? (Yes, I know that in some ways it was his doom acting upon him, but come on!) So: well written, beautiful language, and full of tragedy. In other words: too depressing for me. Do you agree? Do you disagree?

2. Alan Lee provided several illustrations for this volume, including some in color. Do you feel that they supported the narrative?

Definitely. I particularly enjoyed the chapter heading drawings and, for some reason, the lembas on page 120. It is always nice to have illustrations in a book containing this level of written imagery. Illustrations by Alan Lee are good in any book, in my not so humble opinion.

3. What lesson can we take away from this book?

Consider carefully the advice of others wiser than yourself? Anyone else have a better one?

4. Does this book remind you of any other book?

The beginning reminded me of The Silmarillion as it moved rapidly back and forth in the timeline. Otherwise…Oedipus Rex? Not quite the same, obviously, but it contains many of the same elements. Many legends have similar elements, actually.

5. Did you have a favorite character?

Favorite character…hmmm…Nellas. Yes, I choose Nellas. For all that she was forgotten, she faced her fears to defend Túrin in the great hall. Good on her.

I feel like some sort of heretic disliking a book by Tolkien. I love The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. I’ve even read some of The Silmarillion. And yet, for all that the language moved me and got me to continue reading, the storyline left me cold. This book was crushingly depressing. I knew the basic storyline going into it, but Tolkien described Túrin’s path with such skill that I felt even worse about what was going on. Sigh. So…What did you think?

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And now, the book which we will be discussing next time is: Mars Needs Moms! by Berkeley Breathed. Labeled “controversial” for its depiction of motherly love, we will discuss Mars Needs Moms! on June 8, 2007.

Book Stacks Book Club, Cover to Cover, The Children of Húrin, J.R.R. Tolkien, Mars Needs Moms!, Berkeley Breathed