The Children of Húrin out today!

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Seretur

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Currently at #3 on both Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk (just behind the two versions of that pesky seventh Potter book), the final (and chronologically first) full story of Middle-earth sees the light of day today.

As a Croatian translator, I'm happily celebrating the day-and-date release of our edition at 2 PM local time, holding a small press conference, signing and all. And to share the joy, I'm also giving away a signed copy of the Croatian hardcover over at Shadow & Flame, so if you'd like one, just come over and enter.

Most importantly, though, I can't wait to be able to talk about the finished book with all of you guys. And as this date marks the end of the mandatory silence for me, if you have any questions about the book -- no matter how arcane -- I'll gladly answer them here. Or just, y'know, blabber about it incoherently.

:joy
 
Seretur said:
Currently at #3 on both Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk (just behind the two versions of that pesky seventh Potter book), the final (and chronologically first) full story of Middle-earth sees the light of day today.

As a Croatian translator, I'm happily celebrating the day-and-date release of our edition at 2 PM local time, holding a small press conference, signing and all. And to share the joy, I'm also giving away a signed copy of the Croatian hardcover over at Shadow & Flame, so if you'd like one, just come over and enter.

Most importantly, though, I can't wait to be able to talk about the finished book with all of you guys. And as this date marks the end of the mandatory silence for me, if you have any questions about the book -- no matter how arcane -- I'll gladly answer them here. Or just, y'know, blabber about it incoherently.

:joy

I can't wait to hear your reactions and other reactions to this book from Tolkien fans.

I also read today at Comingsoon.com that the movie rights to this book are being offered. With The Hobbit, The White Council and The Children of Hurin potentially being made into film we have a lot to look forward too in Middle Earth and I couldn't be happier!!!
 
I've got this book coming from Amazon. I'm looking forward to adding another piece of Tolkien and ME Lit to my collection.

As far as movie rights as long as PJ/NL can figure out a way to kiss and make up I want to see more movies.
 
Kookie said:
I can't wait to hear your reactions and other reactions to this book from Tolkien fans.

I also read today at Comingsoon.com that the movie rights to this book are being offered. With The Hobbit, The White Council and The Children of Hurin potentially being made into film we have a lot to look forward too in Middle Earth and I couldn't be happier!!!

What's the White Council ?
 
Vince said:
What's the White Council ?

The White Council was the Council formed in the Third Age by the chief among the Eldar (Elrond) and the Istari (Saruman) to combat the growing power of Dol Guldur. The Council was led by Saruman, until Gandalf discovered his treachery at the beginning of the War of the Ring.

I can't wait to get the book, unfortunatly I won't be able to read the book until school is over, in a month :monkey2 :monkey2
 
Actually both the Estate and the publisher said there is no interest in selling film rights at this time. One of the main reasons they recycled all of this previously published material into one book was to regain the spotlight that they feel was taken away from the books by the wildly successful films. Given that, it makes little sense that they would so quickly embrace a film sale before the book sales wane.
 
Cool, I'll have to get it, I'm sure my dad would be interested in it too.

Yeah, they don't want to sell the film rights this soon because they want the book to really be a good book rather than a way to make a bunch of money off of new material.
 
Can't wait to read it!! I ordered mine through Amazon as well...so I should have it in the mail today! :) YEAH!!!
 
I couldn't find it at Walmart or Hastings, but I finally had luck at Barnes & Noble. I'm really looking forward to it. I was also lucky enough to have not heard about it until about a week ago, so the wait wasn't bad at all! :D
 
yah, will be interested in hearing what everyone thinks. picking mine up tonight after class.
 
The libraryjournal.com review is indeed good -- not because it praises the book, but because it points out that it's "a family tragedy worthy of Shakespeare". Indeed. This is not a happy hobbity tale, it's not even a tale of heroism triumphing against unbeatable odds. It's a much darker tale, invested with all of Tolkien's musings on the nature of fate, or more properly doom, as reflected in the Northern literary lore he loved and cherished so much.

It's his own Beowulf, up to a point -- not only because the hero is a dragon-slayer, but even more because of the overall tragic, brooding tone.

And the Estate is right. CoH just might reclaim Tolkien as a writer in the popular opinion, and bring the spotlight back to his literary achievement. There's really no need to muddy the waters with a movie right now (and besides, do people really want to go and see such a devastating tragedy?), especially not when PJ and New Line have messed up the LOTR aftermath so masterfully.
 
Forbidden Planet are selling hardback copies signed by Alan Lee for £14.99.Can't wait to get mine.
 
Just a thought - Alan Lee seems to "bridge" the PJ film universe, and the Tolkien Estate. He is obviously respected by both, and I would guess enjoys a friendly relationship in both arenas. I wonder if he has done anything to increase C. Tolkien's tolerance of the adaptations, and appreciation for fans of that genre?
 
Got mine this morning. Awesome pics. Won't read this, until i buy another now. Very impressed. Now need to find out how good the story is LOL
 
spaceman said:
Just a thought - Alan Lee seems to "bridge" the PJ film universe, and the Tolkien Estate. He is obviously respected by both, and I would guess enjoys a friendly relationship in both arenas. I wonder if he has done anything to increase C. Tolkien's tolerance of the adaptations, and appreciation for fans of that genre?

He came to PJ from the literary side, and is now coming back to the fold. In a way, the bridging happens effortlessly -- the only major Tolkien work he hasn't illustrated is 'The Silmarillion', and now he's redressing this, up to a point.

But then, his illustrations for CoH are very much on the impressionist side -- he doesn't even depict Glaurung fully at any point. He's both following the text there, and enjoying the liberty to create atmosphere instead of the hard detail, as he did on the films.

Still, many of his designs in the book clearly bridge the two worlds. There's the Elven armor, and helmet designs that can easily predate those from the prologue to FOTR; there's the flet above the entrance to Menegroth that's right from Lothlórien (which is okay -- Galadriel lived in Menegroth for a while); there's his careful avoidance of the pesky matter of Elven ears altogether.

I suppose the Lee artwork ought to satisfy the fans of the movies for whom CoH will be the first Tolkien book they ever read. And the Estate, and CT, might have had that in mind, and there's nothing bad in that.
 
congerking said:
The White Council was the Council formed in the Third Age by the chief among the Eldar (Elrond) and the Istari (Saruman) to combat the growing power of Dol Guldur. The Council was led by Saruman, until Gandalf discovered his treachery at the beginning of the War of the Ring.

I can't wait to get the book, unfortunatly I won't be able to read the book until school is over, in a month :monkey2 :monkey2

I didn't exactly mean that.
I don't want to know what the White Council exactly is, although it's nice to know, thanks for the info. Something you read in Silmarillion ? I'm still busy on that one ...

But the other poster mentioned The White Council as it was some sort of book.
It was mentioned next to The Hobbit en the new book ...
 
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Seretur, I will definitely get the book and shell out bucks to get whatever deluxe edition will be offered. :)

My question: I have read the entire series of History of Middle-Earth (12 volumes). There's a lot of material in #11 or 12 on CoH, especially concerning the wanderings of Hurin. Is there material NOT covered in HoME? I personally don't see anything wrong with CT adding/bridging/editing his father's work. If there is anyone who can/could/should do it, it is him IMO.

Beren
 
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