The Children of Hurin
I read it last week. Most of it.
I did not like it.
I have seen good reviews of it and I can't argue with them. I think it was well crafted; I was not disappointed in the way the story was told.
Mild spoilers follow.
I don't care for the story.
I suppose it illustrates the perils of hubris and of having a powerful and malevolent enemy. And considering the difficulty in getting some townspeople I know to work together, I am really glad I don't have to work with some of these story characters in real life. Wouldn't have survived long enough to get to that point, anyway.
It is definitely not a feel-good story.
One is reminded of Wilde's "One must have a heart of stone to read the death of little Nell without laughing." I didn't feel like laughing, but it was hard to take the story seriously. (OK, there were high elves and dragons and Morgoth, oh my - but I could suspend my disbelief for them, but the story downturns just kept hammering away.)
So. I am not saying it is a bad book.
I'm just saying, for a good time, don't read The Children of Hurin.
I did not like it.
I have seen good reviews of it and I can't argue with them. I think it was well crafted; I was not disappointed in the way the story was told.
Mild spoilers follow.
I don't care for the story.
I suppose it illustrates the perils of hubris and of having a powerful and malevolent enemy. And considering the difficulty in getting some townspeople I know to work together, I am really glad I don't have to work with some of these story characters in real life. Wouldn't have survived long enough to get to that point, anyway.
It is definitely not a feel-good story.
One is reminded of Wilde's "One must have a heart of stone to read the death of little Nell without laughing." I didn't feel like laughing, but it was hard to take the story seriously. (OK, there were high elves and dragons and Morgoth, oh my - but I could suspend my disbelief for them, but the story downturns just kept hammering away.)
So. I am not saying it is a bad book.
I'm just saying, for a good time, don't read The Children of Hurin.