The stories of the Children of Hurin are far and away my favorite stories of Middle-earth, and as such, when I read complaints about the story, I tend to take them personally.
I dig into them and see if I think they are valid criticisms. Most often, I come to the conclusion, fairly or not, that they didn’t read it closely enough or misunderstood the context.
One issue I’ve heard is that this story does not progress the larger story being told in the Silmarillion.
If the story is of the origin of evil in Middle-earth being Morgoth through the end of evil, the vanquishing of Morgoth and the evil he infused in the world with the reshaping of Arda as it was meant to be, then this is the central story.
Consider the roles of the Valar in the story.
Before the Children of Iluvatar even awoke, Varda, who Melko feared more than any other of the Valar, placed the Heaven-Swordsman in the stars. This served two purposes. First it was to warn Melko of the Last Battle when he is slain by Turin according to the prophecy of Mandos. Second, it served as a symbol of hope for the Elves that good would prevail over evil in the end. The Elves awoke seeing these stars in the sky and the hope remained as evidenced when Frodo meets Gildor, the clouds clear and Menelmakar shines down on them.
Mandos declares in prophecy that it will be Turin who slays Morgoth in the Final Battle to avenge all of mankind and it is said that Turin alone of men remains behind and shines as a god.
Manwe was the most powerful of the Valar and brother of Melko, who was not counted among them, and the birds acted at his bidding. It was eagles who came to Hurin and Huor and took them to Gondolin. Their family lines shaped Middle-earth, from Turin’s ultimate end to Huor’s family line of Tuor, Earendil, Elros, and Elrond, culminating with Arwen and Aragorn reuniting the lines at the beginning of the Fourth Age.
Ulmo used his power to create the mist that protected Hurin and Huor by hiding them from the orcs until the eagles took them to Gondolin.
These are four of the most powerful Valar. Additionally, Aule is involved from the perspective that he created the dwarves and the dragons were long at odds and fought with the dwarves as surrogates for Melko’s enmity toward Aule. However it is always a man who kills a dragon, which indicates Iluvatar in having man destroy evil in the form of Morgoth, he would also have man destroy the embodiment of Morgorh in his dragons.
Therefore it can be seen that the Children of Hurin is critical by virtue of the engagement and will of Illuvatar and the Valar.
Resilient Seeker Coaching | Ross Raymond Nunamaker 