The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún is a previously unpublished work by J.R.R. Tolkien, written while Tolkien was Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford during the 1920s and ‘30s, before he wrote The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. It makes available for the first time Tolkien’s extensive retelling in English narrative verse of the epic Norse tales of Sigurd the Völsung and The Fall of the Niflungs. It includes an introduction by J.R.R. Tolkien, drawn from one of his own lectures on Norse literature, with commentary and notes on the poems by Christopher Tolkien.
Praise for The Children of Hurin
"A tasty tapas to get new readers ready for the heavy-duty feasting provided by far more elaborate and lengthy books such as The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy." -- USA Today
"A bleak, darkly beautiful tale played out against the background of the First Age of Tolkien's Middle Earth . . . grand, epic storytelling and a reminder, if one was needed, of Tolkien's genius in creating an imaginary world that both reflects and deepens a sense of our own mythic past." -- Washington Post Book World
"There's plenty of lore for scholars, and plenty of dwarves and balrogs and mighty smiting for the casual fan. Just one warning: it's a dark tale with a flawed hero, full of ruinous accidents and bitter betrayals. You'll have to wait till the Third Age for a happy ending." -- Time
"THE CHILDREN OF HÚRIN is the book for which [Tolkien] readers have been longing . . . A coherent, vivid and readable narrative." -- Associated Press (picked up by CNN.com, ABC News.com, Yahoo News, and other outlets)
"Tolkien fans are sure to treasure this tale. . . Deftly balancing thrilling battles with moments of introspection, Tolkien's vivid and gripping narrative reaffirms his primacy in fantasy literature." -- PublishersWeekly.com, *starred review*
"Tolkien's legions of fans shouldn't be disappointed: it's gooood! . . . The old master delivers new depth to Middle-earth lore, which, by its sheer weight, arguably is modern literature's greatest mythology. . . The book is a beauty. . . A dark and brooding yet glorious addition to the Tolkien canon. Welcome back, old friend (and bravo Christopher for bringing it to fruition!). Highly recommended." -- Library Journal, *starred review*
"Tolkien's legacy is deepened in this posthumously published tale . . . THE CHILDREN OF HÚRIN is a gem -- one of Middle-earth's 'Great Tales,' as Tolkien called them, fully realized at last." -- Minneapolis Star-Tribune
"A full-fledged adventure yarn, complete with narrative urgency, fear of the unknown and recognizably human characters. . . THE CHILDREN OF HÚRIN does not require 'Silmarillion'-grade geekery. Any midlevel Tolkien fans with an appetite for the stranger, darker corners of his realm will rapidly be caught up in the fiery saga." -- Salon.com
"Strong echoes of the Finnish epic Kalevala, the tales of Robin Hood, Homeric epic and the matter of Wagnerian opera charge the text with complexity as well as vigor. A fine addition to a deservedly well-loved body of work." -- Kirkus Reviews
