Hurin Marketed As Book For Kids - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Lalwendë · 07-26-2007, 04:40 AM

I had an e-mail from Amazon a few minutes ago that pointed me to this page and what is on there but a trailer for Children of Hurin! Now the trailer was very nice indeed so I'm not gripin', but ought this to be marketed as a book for children?

Would children be disturbed by it? Would they understand it? Would they even enjoy it? I don't doubt bright teenagers would find it a fabulous read, but children?

Do you, as an adult, find it insulting or are you not bovvered?

Eomer of the Rohirrim · 07-26-2007, 04:46 AM

Children are too soft these days. We need to feed them more violence, more adventure, and way, way more evil dragons. So I'm all for it.

Of course, this is just the old 'Fantasy/Tolkien for kids' line. I think suggesting this book for children is more likely to be due to ignorance rather than agreement with my above proposal.

Estelyn Telcontar · 07-26-2007, 05:13 AM

Oh, today's kids are used to violence alright, so that aspect probably wouldn't even cause an eyelash to bat. But why would they market a book in which incest is a main theme for kids?!

Oh, I have it - the word "children" in the title does it! It just has to be a children's book!

Hookbill the Goomba · 07-26-2007, 05:44 AM

Perhaps Children need to learn that not all fantasy books are about 'chosen' kids with magic and hilarious side-kicks.

I don't know how you would try to make it appeal to children. Its such a tragic tale and very little good happens not to mention the writing style is very complicated for those not used to it. although it is also interesting that, according to the people who work at my bookshop, The Hobbit is now generally advised to be put in the older children's section, usually about 16 upwards. Are children getting less able or less willing to read?

Okay, enough of the social commentary.

the guy who be short · 07-26-2007, 06:19 AM

Well, the average IQ in Britain at least has fallen over the last 10 years, so pretty soon all books will be in the 16+ section.

I am not insulted as an adult because I'm not an adult. But then I'm not a 'child' in the sense of the age group children's books are aimed at either. I have no point here.

So... no, I don't think it's a good idea to let children read about incest and despair. But does it really matter? Children are growing up faster these days, maybe they can cope with the subject matter. However, I don't think they'll be able to cope with the language... after all, complete language acquisition is only at 10 years of age. An 11 year old isn't going to be able to deal with all the complex grammar and archaic vocabulary.

And even if they could, the book is too boring to interest them.

Lalwendë · 07-26-2007, 08:39 AM

There's certainly plenty of violence in fairy tales - even though so many have been Bowdlerised the gore still pops through, as do those underlying messages about sinister men and so on

Yet we'd think nothing of giving a child a fairy tale to read. Religious texts can also be extremely violent and adult - I used to wonder what on earth the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah had done, as I just couldn't conceptualise it when a kid!

However the most throughly depressing thing I ever read in my life was one of the books in the spare bedroom at my Nan's house. She obviously thought it was OK for a child or she wouldn't have left it there - it was an autobiogrpahy by a ballerina who had survived Polio and lived in an iron lung - complete with gloomy pictures and gloomy cover art (I'll see if I can find it later as I still have it...). I'm a pretty gloomy old curmudgeon...did it damage my childish sunny outlook on life? Would Hurin do the same?

07-26-2007, 04:40 AM	#1
Lalwendë A Mere Boggart Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: under the bed Posts: 4,737	Hurin Marketed As Book For Kids I had an e-mail from Amazon a few minutes ago that pointed me to this page and what is on there but a trailer for Children of Hurin! Now the trailer was very nice indeed so I'm not gripin', but ought this to be marketed as a book for children? Would children be disturbed by it? Would they understand it? Would they even enjoy it? I don't doubt bright teenagers would find it a fabulous read, but children? Do you, as an adult, find it insulting or are you not bovvered? __________________ Gordon's alive!

07-26-2007, 04:46 AM	#2
Eomer of the Rohirrim Auspicious Wraith Join Date: May 2002 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 4,859	Children are too soft these days. We need to feed them more violence, more adventure, and way, way more evil dragons. So I'm all for it. Of course, this is just the old 'Fantasy/Tolkien for kids' line. I think suggesting this book for children is more likely to be due to ignorance rather than agreement with my above proposal. __________________ Los Ingobernables de Harlond

07-26-2007, 05:13 AM	#3
Estelyn Telcontar Princess of Skwerlz Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles) Posts: 7,500	Oh, today's kids are used to violence alright, so that aspect probably wouldn't even cause an eyelash to bat. But why would they market a book in which incest is a main theme for kids?! Oh, I have it - the word "children" in the title does it! It just has to be a children's book! __________________ 'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...' Last edited by Estelyn Telcontar; 07-26-2007 at 05:16 AM.

07-26-2007, 05:44 AM	#4
Hookbill the Goomba Alive without breath Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: On A Cold Wind To Valhalla Posts: 5,912	Perhaps Children need to learn that not all fantasy books are about 'chosen' kids with magic and hilarious side-kicks. I don't know how you would try to make it appeal to children. Its such a tragic tale and very little good happens not to mention the writing style is very complicated for those not used to it. although it is also interesting that, according to the people who work at my bookshop, The Hobbit is now generally advised to be put in the older children's section, usually about 16 upwards. Are children getting less able or less willing to read? Okay, enough of the social commentary. __________________ I think that if you want facts, then The Downer Newspaper is probably the place to go. I know! I read it once. THE PHANTOM AND ALIEN: The Legend of the Golden Bus Ticket...

07-26-2007, 08:39 AM	#6
Lalwendë A Mere Boggart Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: under the bed Posts: 4,737	There's certainly plenty of violence in fairy tales - even though so many have been Bowdlerised the gore still pops through, as do those underlying messages about sinister men and so on Yet we'd think nothing of giving a child a fairy tale to read. Religious texts can also be extremely violent and adult - I used to wonder what on earth the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah had done, as I just couldn't conceptualise it when a kid! However the most throughly depressing thing I ever read in my life was one of the books in the spare bedroom at my Nan's house. She obviously thought it was OK for a child or she wouldn't have left it there - it was an autobiogrpahy by a ballerina who had survived Polio and lived in an iron lung - complete with gloomy pictures and gloomy cover art (I'll see if I can find it later as I still have it...). I'm a pretty gloomy old curmudgeon...did it damage my childish sunny outlook on life? Would Hurin do the same? __________________ Gordon's alive!

07-26-2007, 06:19 AM	#5
the guy who be short Shadowed Prince Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Thulcandra Posts: 2,343	Well, the average IQ in Britain at least has fallen over the last 10 years, so pretty soon all books will be in the 16+ section. I am not insulted as an adult because I'm not an adult. But then I'm not a 'child' in the sense of the age group children's books are aimed at either. I have no point here. So... no, I don't think it's a good idea to let children read about incest and despair. But does it really matter? Children are growing up faster these days, maybe they can cope with the subject matter. However, I don't think they'll be able to cope with the language... after all, complete language acquisition is only at 10 years of age. An 11 year old isn't going to be able to deal with all the complex grammar and archaic vocabulary. And even if they could, the book is too boring to interest them.