Book Report: The Children of Hurin
Today, I finished reading an epic fantasy novel, The Children of Hurin, written by J.R.R. Tolkien, an author renowned for The Lord of the Rings. I have always been curious about Tolkien since I heard that he created his own language and adopted it into his book. Many authors have created languages and used them in their books, but what is unique about Tolkien compared to other authors is that he could express anything with that language. J.K.Rowling uses snake's language in Harry Potter, but cannot speak the whole language in ordinary life. However, Tolkien can. The languages of the Elf in his books are not created randomly but systematically, and he can talk in that language in ordinary life. This fact made me feel excited and pick up this book in a book store.
Turin is son of Hurin, the king of Hador. One day, Hurin and his allies fights against the Dark Lord, Morgoth, and they lose. Other kings are killed, Hurin is captured, and their countries are taken. On the way Hurin's family is taken to Morgoth, Turin escapes and swears to his mother, Morwen, that he will grow up strong and retrieve his country. Since then, for more than ten years, Turin wanders and explores Middle Earth. During that time, he fights against the Orcs whenever he sees ones. However, in spite of his great dedication of himself to win Morgoth, he loses to him and dies tragically.
This novel is different from typical fantasy novels in that the main character fails to achieve his goal and surrenders to the evil. Also, compared to its light content, there are many themes and rhetorical devices that people can look at. For example, the colours of black and gold are used repetitively throughout the book as symbols of king, power, and darkness. Tolkien's language that occasionally appears is another factor that makes the book enjoyable. The story and content are not difficult to follow, so to anyone who wants a light fantasy novel with important themes in it, I recommend The Children of Hurin.
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