I agree very much with everything Pitchwife has written!
Whereas the style of "Of Tuor and his coming to Gondolin" reminded me more of the LotR, the CoH seems even more modern, with those morally ambiguous characters, rogues, and close characterisations.
In Doriath we meet Elves that are not only good and wise. (Saeros is a thoroughly disagreeable character, and Nellas very naïve)
Túrin is infuriatingly stubborn in his refusal to go back to Doriath with Beleg. "He strove with his pride" and again, pride kept the upper hand. And how could he expect the Elf to stay with him among the outlaws?
What also puzzles me is the fact that he apparently couldn't even remember Nellas!
I feel very sorry for Mîm! It must be terrible to be forced to share his home with the murderer of his son! And even if Túrin had promised not to "raise his hands against Elves or Men" he is not above pressing ransom from a Dwarf who hadn't done him any harm.
It's quite a while since I had read this part of U.T., and I didn't remember that there were such large gaps in the story - the sudden jump from the Mîm chapter to the Return to Dor-lómin is rather irritating.
Reading about Túrin's disastrous rashness and fit of temper in Brodda's hall is almost painful - poor Labadal! But I love Aerin - here is a true heroine with no false pride, doing quietly good without renown.
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Yes! "wish-fulfilment dreams" we spin to cheat
our timid hearts, and ugly Fact defeat!
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