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Summary: The most mysterious book of the Chronicles
Review: "Taran Wanderer", the fourth in "The Chronicles of Prydain" is very different from the other books in the series. One obvious difference is that Eilonwy does not appear in the book (except in the thoughts of the other characters). Another is that this book does not contribute to the ongoing battle between Taran and his friends and the forces of Arawn of Annuvin. This book is Taran's adventure of self-discovery, as he traverses the land of Prydain in search of his roots, a search which takes him from the Marshes of Morva, through the kindom of Smoit, and on to the land of the Free Commots.
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Summary: The Most Meaningful Book I've Ever Read
Review: I read it at six. I read it at sixteen. I read it at twenty-six. I read it at home. I read it wandering. At all times and all places, I have identified with Taran Wanderer more than any other literary character. I'm not excluding Shakespeare, the classics or modern novels. Taran is a boy trying to become a human (it applies to girls just as much.) This is the beginning of all great mythology, as the late Joseph Campbell would have agreed. This boy travels through a world of magic swords, undead warriors and medieval villages. It is an escape. Or is it? Taran deals with truth, the true worth of himself and others, the search for meaning in a career and in life, the excitement and high price of violence and love. I AM Taran in 1997, as much as he is in an imaginary world. I bet a lot of you are, too. Alexander never talks down to you, whether you are young or old. It is fun and meaningful. This fourth book of a wonderful five-book series is an excellent encapsulation of the entire series. This is not a book for adults or children. It is a book for people. A great one.
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Summary: The best series of children's fantasy literature
Review: A friend of my father's brought me a box full of used books when I was 9 or 10. Tucked away in the bottome was The High King, actually the last in the Prydain Chronicles....it sat for quite awhile in my bookcase before I picked it up and began reading. What an experience it turned out to be! The adventures of Taran (Assistant Pig- Keeper), Eilonwy, Gurgi, Prince Llyr, and all the other charming charaters in their quest to beat the evil Horned King opened my eyes to the wonderful world of fantasy in children's literature. Indeed, after reading the High King I ran out and spent all my allowance (preciously saved) on the rest of the 5-book series. Lloyd Alexander writes with a refreshing and unpretentious stye, neither speaking down to kids nor falling into any of the cliched storylines or dialogue of many writers of fantasy literature. Indeed, I believe many authors of modern adult fantasy would greatly benefit from studying Mr. Alexanders writing style. I credit this series for the beginning of my 25+ years of affection for Celtic, Gaelic, and Welsh mythology and would strongly recommend this series for any lover, young and old, of fantasy and mythology.
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Summary: Book 4 of the Prydian Chronicles
Review: In this volume Taran decides to search for his heritage. Taran finds his way hard due to his desire to have noble blood (in order to marry Eilonwy who is, after all, a princess). He has to face his fears, prejudices and the prejudices of others before he finds the truth. Of course, truth is relative and Taran doesn't get a totally satisfying answer. My favorite part of this book are Taran's interactions with the Free Commots, people at ease with themselves and each other, who allow Taran to be whoever/whatever he wants to be. In Wanderer, Taran becomes a man, leaving behind most of his more childish ways. He finally returns home to Caer Dallben just in time to join in the final push against Arawn.
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Summary: Taran becomes a man
Review: One of the great joys of Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles series is the steady progression from lighthearted children's fantasy to more adult themes and a grimmer tone, allowing the reader to grow along with the characters. By the end, you feel as if the characters have taken a lifetime of journeys, learning from them as they went. This is very much front and center in "Taran Wanderer," a sad, lonely tale of Taran's quest to find out who he truly is. While appropriate for all ages and sure to be enjoyed by young readers, older readers will find the harrowing decisions Taran has to make gripping and heart-wrenching. Because Alexander draws his stories from ancient myth and legend, the themes and situations here will feel familiar, like stories you've read many times before. Yet that never comes across in a tiresome way. It's a story that operates in a welcome comfort zone, nice in a time when so many books try so hard to be different solely for the sake of being different. The story told in "Taran Wanderer" is a timeless tale because of its familiarity and will engage readers for many years to come. The focus here is more strongly on Taran than in any other volume, though the rest of the cast of characters returns: Eilonwy the stereotypical spoiled princess, Gurgi the crazed Gollum-like creature, and Fflewddur Fflam the hapless bard who is prone to exaggeration. Others from the past also rear their heads. The pacing in this, the fourth of five books, is more deliberate. Some would say slow, but this being the type of story it is, that would be an unfair description. Rather, it lingers in Taran's quest and Taran's sadness and uncertainty. "Taran Wanderer" and the rest of the Prydain Chronicles are recommended reading for anyone who enjoys fantasy, especially classic children's fantasy, walking the fine line between being accessible to young readers and being appealing and engaging enough for adults to enjoy.
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Summary: The search for the past
Review: Taran Wanderer is perhaps the most personal of all the Prydain Chronicles, as the story focuses on Taran searching for his lineage. Taran is an orphan, raised by the wizard Dallben, and he wondered for a long time who his parents really were. Now he has an intense urge to find out if he is of noble line, because he wants to marry Eilonwy, enchantress and princess of Llyr. Of course he didn't tell her his feelings, as he is not sure that he worthy to ask and also because Eilonwy is not in Prydain throughout the story of Taran Wanderer. As a result, this Chronicle has a distinct feel from the other Chronicles. Taran roams around Prydain, looking for clues and having his own personal adventures, and the book really shows that he is clever and intelligent. There's a part that ties the third Chronicle in very good with this one. Taran finds out many different things about himself, but what he set out to look for yields surpising results. A good book, but a bit slower than the others in the series. It has many life lessons though, and it's still interesting despite not having large battles; it has personel encounters and small skirmishes. However, Lloyd Alexander more than makes up for that in the last Chronicle, The High King.
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Summary: Amazing Story of Courage,Friendship and the Search for Truth
Review: Taran Wanderer was not given the Newbery Award like it's successor The High King; nor was it awarded a Newbery Honor medal such as it's predecessor The Black Cauldron. However, Taran Wanderer is the most complete book in the Chronicles of Prydain. Lloyd Alexander deftly tells the tale of Taran's quest to find his parentage in hopes of being decendant from noble blood. Gurgi, Taran's faithful sidekick journeys with him through far off parts of Prydain. Along the way, old friends and faces reappear such as Fflewwder Fflamm the bard/king, Doli of the fair folk, Kaw his hijinxing bird, Llyan the giant cat who Fflewwder now rides as his mount and King Smoit whose army rescued Taran and his companions at the end of The Black Cauldron. Taran's journey to find himself takes him to a number of different trades such as metallurgy, weaving, farming and pottery. He also meets his fair share of adventure and enchantment along the way. At 254 pages Taran Wanderer is the longest book in the series but it reads the fastest because there is so much action and uncertainty in what Taran will finally find out about himself. The Chronicles of Prydain still stand as some of the greatest fantasy stories ever written and Taran Wanderer is the BEST book in the Chronicles of Prydain. Highest Recommendation.
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Summary: A classic, whatever your age
Review: Taran Wanderer, the fourth book of the Prydain chronicles, is, in my opinion, the best book in a wonderful series. All four books focus on the character of Taran of Caer Dallben, an orphan who is raised by a wizard (Dallben). The plot of Taran Wanderer focuses on Taran's quest to find out who his parents were. Taran hopes that he will find that he has the "noble" blood that he believes would give him the right to ask the Princess Eilonwy to wed him. Needless to say, he does not have an easy time, wandering the length and breadth of Prydain searching for parents he does not know, who can barely remember him. The book's joy, however, does not lie only in its plot, but also in the development that Taran undergoes through the course of the book. In Taran Wanderer, more than any other book, Taran grows into manhood. The trials he passes through temper and shape him, as he journeys through both familiar and strange lands. His experiences teach him lessons, but he learns even more from the people he meets. Make no mistake. This is not a pure novel of character. Taran travels from one end of Prydain to the other, meeting kings and wizards, and also farmers and tradesmen. Along the way, he has many adventures and faces many hardships. As said earlier though, the solid plot is not the highlight of this book. The characters are. The myriad of people Taran meets in his travels provides a welcome break from the pattern of the other Prydain chronicles, where almost everyone seems to be either a king, a bard, or a magician (or some combination of the three). After so many books walking the heights, Taran finally returns to earth. For those who have read the earlier books, you will see many familiar faces, including faithful Gurgi, the (not quite) bard Fflewddur Fflam, King Smoit, and even three old friends from the Marshes of Morva. You'll also be intrigued by new characters, some of whom have had hidden influences on characters you already know. And through it all, the beautiful tapestry of plot that Lloyd Alexander has woven will captivate you. Taran Wanderer is a great book. I recommend it to readers of all ages.
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Summary: a boy becomes a man
Review: Taran, who we met as a boy in The Book of Three and whose splendid adventures we breathlessly followed in The Black Cauldron and The Castle of Llyr, decides to find himself and his past in the fourth marvelous Prydain Chronicle by gifted storyweaver Lloyd Alexander. An orphan raised by the wise Dallben, he has none of the history and connections that come from parents and family. Now, he off alone to find some answers - hopefully noble ones - so he can be "worthy" of his royal love. If you're like me, you didn't love Taran automatically - he could occasionally be sullen, petty, and prickly during his "growing up" phases in Books 1 to 3 (necessitating Eilonwy's great put-downs and quips). Continuing his growth, Taran Wanderer marks his first journey into adulthood. This is the one where my respect for this character solidified and I really began to care for him. This is the least "heroic" of the books, and yet, I believe this is one where Taran is most admirable. He explores the land he has been fighting for by connecting to the common people as well as kings and wizards. We are introduced to more excellent characters (besides some old ones) and a deeper understanding of Prydain with the intricate ties that bind all of them together. On a quest for the Mirror of Llunet, Taran roams old and new territory from the Marshes to the Free Commots doing everything from making pottery to facing off against kingly challenges. The change is how he sees the world, with its ugliness and beauty, as he searches for his place in it. Along the way, he learns about himself: humbly, intelligently, honestly, and courageously. As it closely builds on the last book in particular, and is in general an evolution of his maturity, reading the books in order is strongly recommended. (Considering how wonderful the others are, this is no chore.) It's a relatively quiet book compared to the rousing chases of the previous ones, but Taran Wanderer is ultimately more powerful and moving.
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Summary: The best of the series
Review: The Chronicles of Prydain is my favorite series of young adult writing. I highly recommend this series to any child or adult who likes Harry Potter or any other series of fantasy fiction. Taran Wanderer is my favorite of the series because it brings into view the changes the main character has made in the three previous books and sets the stage for the final episode. A wonderful book about the journey to find 'self'.
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