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Download The Children of Hurin Audiobook (Unabridged)

Extended Audio Sample The Children of Hurin (Unabridged) Audiobook, by J. R. R. Tolkien
3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 3.00 (20,702 ratings) (rate this audio book) Author: J. R. R. Tolkien Narrator: Christopher Lee Publisher: HarperCollins Format: Unabridged Audiobook Delivery: Instant Download Audio Length: Release Date: September 2007 ISBN:
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There are tales of Middle-earth from times long before The Lord of the Rings. The story told in this book is set in the great country that lay beyond the Grey Havens in the West: lands where Treebeard once walked, but which were drowned in the great cataclysm that ended the First Age of the World.

In that remote time, Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, dwelt in the vast fortress of Angband, the Hells of Iron, in the North; and the tragedy of Túrin and his sister Nienor unfolded within the shadow of the fear of Angband and the war waged by Morgoth against the lands and secret cities of the Elves. Their brief and passionate lives were dominated by the elemental hatred that Morgoth bore them as the children of Húrin, the man who had dared to defy and to scorn him to his face. Against them he sent his most formidable servant, Glaurung, a powerful spirit in the form of a huge wingless dragon of fire.

Into this story of brutal conquest and flight, of forest hiding-places and pursuit, of resistance with lessening hope, the Dark Lord and the Dragon enter in direly articulate form. Sardonic and mocking, Glaurung manipulated the fates of Túrin and Nienor by lies of diabolic cunning and guile, and the curse of Morgoth was fulfilled.

The earliest versions of this Tolkien story go back to the end of the First World War and the years that followed. But long afterwards, when The Lord of the Rings was finished, he revised and greatly enlarged it, enhancing complexities of motive and character. It became the dominant story in his later work on Middle-earth. But he could not bring it to a final and finished form. In this book, Christopher Tolkien has constructed, after long study of the manuscripts, a coherent narrative without any editorial invention. Download and start listening now!

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Listener Opinions

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Jon Becerril | 2/15/2014

    " Really good book. The only bad part was the ending. Christopher Tolkien probably wrote it. :) "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Tori | 2/10/2014

    " A good gateway into reading The Silmarillion. A sad tale about fate that is reminiscent of the tragic heroes of Greek and Roman myth. "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Kailey | 1/18/2014

    " Sad tale, but heart warming in bits as well. "

  • 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Jean | 1/17/2014

    " This book is really depressing. Not at all like the usual Tolkien stories of hope at the end of all those leagues the characters must travel on horseback. "

  • 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Richard Inman | 1/17/2014

    " A great story of how pride and fate can overcome a man. "

  • 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Bryce Lowry | 12/20/2013

    " This book mystifies me. Tolkien wrote it perfectly. As a master of languages, both old and (very) new, Tolkien was able to create a novel that feels like it comes from a long ago era. Rife with tragedy and struggling heroes, this is a book that won't fail to deliver powerful emotional impact as you read it. "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Sparrow | 12/1/2013

    " I liked this. It was a good tale and I liked the different personalities of the elves. "

  • 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Jacob | 11/18/2013

    " I thoroughly enjoyed this book. However, I am biased toward all of J.R.R. Tolkien's works. The syntax is a bit tricky at first, and the way the story is told is dry, in spite of these reservations I would recommend the book. "

  • 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Katie | 10/9/2013

    " I'm glad I read it, as another window into Tolkien's world. However, it was terribly depressing and I don't think I'll be reading it again. It depicted a world without a benevolent God in which a man's fate is shaped by a malevolent deity. "

  • 1 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 5 Brian Sterzer | 8/7/2013

    " Couldn't get into it. Might be better further on, but I finally put it down. "

  • 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Adrian | 7/5/2013

    " All I can say is that it would be a favorable thing to remember... "

  • 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Emily | 10/13/2012

    " Tolkien has always been a good author, but he's good for more things than just the Lord of the Rings. This book was abolutely genius!:) "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Linda Owens | 8/31/2012

    " If you're a fan, you're a fan of all things Tolkien. "

  • 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Mom | 5/22/2012

    " The story is really a sad one because of the dragon's curse. It is worth reading because of all the references made about Hurin in The Lord of the Rings. "

  • 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Proser | 4/14/2012

    " not bad very similar to the silmarillion "

  • 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Veronika Walker | 1/3/2012

    " INCREDIBLE. Actually better than Lord of the Rings? "

  • 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5 Bronwyn | 12/15/2011

    " Didn't add much to the better classic novels. "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Casey | 11/15/2011

    " Um... I listened to this via audiobook read by Christopher Lee. So, I'd say it was pretty okay. "

  • 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Brandon Cochran | 11/8/2011

    " Probably one of the lesser-known Tolkien classics, this book definitely belongs right up there with The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. I absolutely loved this story! "

  • 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Lenora | 9/20/2011

    " This book was exactly what I needed right now. Dear Tolkien again you have saved my heart and my mind from itself "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Sue Silverman | 8/1/2011

    " I liked this book a lot, but I'm into the history of the Eldar and Edain. If you know what I'm talking about there, then you should probably read this, but if you don't, then you should probably stay away. "

  • 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Frederik | 5/27/2011

    " Hearthbrakingly beautiful! Passion, tragedy, loss,... it's all here. Yet beware! You should have read (and liked) the Silmarillion to fully grasp the depth of this tragedy. "

  • 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Krystyna | 5/23/2011

    " Like the plot, but DAMN Tolkien, stop giving your characters fifteen names in one novel! "

  • 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Farhana | 5/19/2011

    " Wonderful read!
    There wasn't as much detail/character development as I would have liked, but overall I enjoyed the story. "

  • 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5 S. | 5/11/2011

    " Not bad. Had I read this in a vacuum, I probably would have liked it less than I do. But as filler for Lord of the Rings and Hobbit fans, it is entertaining. "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Aaron | 5/5/2011

    " Hard read but very good. "

  • 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5 Eric | 4/25/2011

    " I wasn't overly impressed with this book. I had a hard time following it due to the way it was written and the name changes for the main character helped to keep me confused also.

    "

  • 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Buqet | 4/24/2011

    " Sonu yüzündendir ki genelde kimse begenmez ama bence ne kadar ''happy ending'' sevsem de bazen bu tür sonlar en iyi seçenektir. Bende bu yüzden bu kitabi ayri bir severim. Huri'nin çocuklari , harika bir hikaye bize sunuyor. "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Sophie710 | 4/10/2011

    " This is good, but the ending was a bit sudden. "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Sean | 3/18/2011

    " Awesome story. Minus 1 star for being one of the most depressing things I've ever read. "

  • 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Andrea | 3/17/2011

    " Quite dark, no happy ending to this one. I was expecting something with a much happier ending, akin to LOTR, but it was not to be. "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Cyrus | 3/14/2011

    " Good. But its written like the bible so its kind of hard to understand. "

  • 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Proser | 3/14/2011

    " not bad very similar to the silmarillion "

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About the Author

J. R. R. Tolkien (1892–1973), beloved throughout the world as the creator of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and other tales of Middle-earth, was a professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford, a fellow of Pembroke College, and a fellow of Merton College until his retirement in 1959. His chief interest was the linguistic aspects of the early English written tradition, but even as he studied these classics he was creating a set of his own. His books have been translated into more than fifty languages and have sold many millions of copies worldwide.

About the Narrator

Christopher Lee is the author and editor of over twenty books and has written more than fifty radio dramas for BBC Radio 4, including The House and Colvil and Soames. Lee was the first Quartercentary Fellow in Contemporary History at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. While holding this post he researched the historical origins of post–World War II foreign and military policy making.

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