SWG Re-Read - "Of Túrin Turambar" Discussion Post

[oloriel]

Of Túrin Turambar

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Welcome this fortnight's chapter discussion!

Important: This is not a spoiler-free zone. It is hard to discuss any chapter in depth without referring to things that happen in later chapters. Proceed at your own risk! Furthermore, it’s perfectly fine to jump in, even if

Comments

[hhimring]

Turin's decision not to return to Doriath makes slightly more sense in the longer versions, if I remember correctly. He's developed emotional ties and feelings of responsibility for the outlaws, who he can't bring along, if he goes to Doriath. They have become a sort of substitute for the Hadorians of Dor-lomin to him. Turin is successful among Elves, but perhaps not all that comfortable among them, except with those he regards as real friends like Beleg

[oloriel]

I have to admit that I liked Túrin, too. At the moment, though, I feel extremely annoyed - comes from reading too many versions of the angst-fest he gets himself into (or is cursed into, or both), I suppose. I really sympathise with Túrin normally, but at the moment, all I can think is "Oh why don't you just stab yourself and spare us further drama?" Unfair, I know!

Excellent point about the Nirnaeth, and that Orodreth may have felt guilty about not taking part, thus making him open to Túrin's "heroics"!

[hhimring]

Well, I can understand that!
I haven't even managed to read Children of Hurin all in one go--since it is essentially all material that I had read at some point or other in HoME already, just all packed together. I've erratically skipped back and forth in it instead.
Which is why I missed that bit about Gwindor's lost hand suddenly having become canonical, until I saw a discussion of it.
I thought it was one of Tolkien's less good ideas myself--I have difficulty believing he would manage to survive in that state until he met Beleg and afterwards he has to take care of Turin as well--but other people seem to think it is an acknowledgement of Gwindor's heroic status, because it puts him on a par with Maedhros and Beren.

[oloriel]

Hey, there's 25% previously unpublished material in Children of Húrin!
I actually enjoy CoH more than the corresponding Silm chapter. I think because it's taking more time to tell the story, you also have more time to understand the characters, while the Silm chapter basically reads like a list of Stupid Guy Doing Stupid Things. ;)

I have to admit that I'm not a fan of Gwindor's lost hand either, not even because of any reality concerns, but because seriously, he's the third guy with exactly that happening? Sort of reads like a hand is the standard price for a ticket outta Angband. Well, at least they're not charging a hand and a foot... If he'd lost an eye, or a couple of toes to frostbite, or had a limp because of a badly healed broken leg... fine. But yet another hand? :P
OK, so how about this one: Maedhros, Beren and Gwindor walk into a Second Hand-Shop...

[hhimring]

So Gwindor is the most second-hand one of the second hands? Or, indeed, third-hand? Oh dear.