Rating: 
Summary: An outstanding book for homeschooling parents. . .
Review: . . .and other concerned parents who want their children to read good literature.Mr. O'Brien does a great service with this book by demonstrating the secular and pagan influences in much of what passes for children's literature these days. He carefully explains the difference (for Christians) between acceptable and unacceptable fantasy in a clear and cogent manner (and he sets quite a high standard!) Portions of the book could have stood more detailed analysis. I agree with a previous reviewer who suggested that the "Pern" series was given short shrift. I also disagree with O'Brien's analysis of C.S. Lewis' "That Hideous Strength". But these are minor points. Of special interest to the homeschooler is the detailed appendix which provides literally hundreds of safe and age appropriate titles for readers of all ages. All in all, a remarkable and timely book.
Rating: 
Summary: Every Father Should Read This Book Once A Year
Review: An excellent and inspiring book. I use the word "inspiring" in the old fashioned sense of "it made me take action" not merely "it made me feel good."
I re-read this book every year or so, not only to dip into the wonderful appendix of recommended books, but to rekindle my courage and dedication to raising my sons. O'Brien writes in mythic tones as he recommends mythic literature. The old stories dealt with "powers and principalities" of good and evil, and O'Brien reminds us that it is ever so. Our children become flush-faced and wide-eyed at such stories, but we have allowed ourselves to be diluted and deluded into thinking that gray is the only reality. We lose not only black and white, but the primary colors as well!
O'Brien is a Catholic, a Christian - and is both unapologetic and unobtrusive with his convictions. That is, he makes clear the traditional rationale for his thinking, but the reader neither has to agree nor adopt those convictions to come to the same conclusions.
There are some books which one revisits again and again, and some authors you look forward to meeting and talking with. This book (and his Sojourners novels) and this author are in that category.
Rating:
Summary: Heartily Recommended!
Review: I found this book to be an eye-opening study on the effect and presence of neo-paganism found in pop culture and children's literature. Especially noteworthy is the section on Disney's animated films, in which O'Brien calmly and rationally analyzes and exposes certain trends in these films. This book will be particularly appreciated by parents, but it is also a fascinating read for students such as myself, and all those interested in culture and media.
Rating: 
Summary: Three words: what happened here?
Review: I not an "adult", howver, more sense comes out of my mind in a day than comes out of this mans head in a year. I am a Christian, I try to go to Church as often as possible, but this man makes me want to rethink what I tell people about myself. I am also conservative, and I (do I dare to say it) think Harry Potter might be the best thing to happen to literature since Heart Of Dearkness. Why? When was the last time you met a 14-year old who could read and understand Heart Of Dearkness, or The Plague? My point exactly. We may have stumbled upon a literaturic revolution here. Anyone who thinks this isn't about control is stupid, plain stupid. He is no Christian, he is a sad, pathetic man who will do anything to gain power. Typical Libral.
Rating:
Summary: seldom boring
Review: I'm a single twenty year old who has no children. I had read all of O'Briens fiction novels and was thirsting for anything by Michael O'Brien. So I bought A Landscape With Dragons and read it twice over completely enthralled with what I was reading. All of my sneaking suspicions and intuitions about the culture I basically grew up with were not only confirmed, but were enfleshed, and brought out in way that was spiritually horrifying yet courageous in Michael O'Briens sustaining, powerful, sinewy way. But again, as in all of O'Briens work, one is thankful that he doesn't simply do right-wing hugging. No, he convincingly calls us to prayer and implants succesfully, as always, that ferment and spear in our conscience. Chesterton is always for me, a huge formation in the way of looking. O'Brien is always for me, a huge formation in the way of seeking sanctity in order to be looked upon.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent resource for parents
Review: In this volume, Michael O'Brien has provided both and invaluable service to parents (like myself) who want their children to read, but who are also concerned about much of the reading material currently available. He has analyzed children's literature, concentrating especially in the genre of fantasy and fairy story. He has clearly and cogently demonstrated how neo-paganism has become the dominant worldview of many authors in this genre. Unlike many Christian authors, O'Brien has not made the mistake of throwing the baby out with the bath water. He does not lump all fantasy literature together in one category and toss it out. He carefully demonstrates the difference between good and bad fantasy literature, or, if you will, authentic and inauthentic fairy stories. I do have a few points of contention, but they are minor, and detract very little from the overall value of the book. 1)CS Lewis is identified correctly as an Anglican -- a member of the Church of England -- but incorrectly as a member of that church's Evangelical wing. Lewis, in fact, attended a "High Church" parish, and strongly resisted political factions within churches. 2)JRR Tolkien is correctly held up as the model by which modern fantasy and fairy story should be judged. Having said this, very little actual analysis is provided for Tolkien's writings. 3)Similarly, in the book's "blurb", Charles Williams is held up -- but then not analyzed in the text. An analysis of Williams would have made O'Brien's concerns about Lewis' novel "That Hideous Strength" make more sense. (I'd still disagree with O'Brien on this one, but his case would have been stronger and easier to sensibly defend.) 4)O'Brien's analysis of Anne McCaffrey's "Pern" stories needed either to be fully developed, or eliminated entirely. O'Brien is using the image of the dragon as a neo-pagan symbol as one of the cornerstones of his book, and tries to place McCaffrey's "good dragons" within this context. To me, it was unconvincing. Overall, an excellent book. As a final note to parents, O'Brien has helpfully added a lengthy appendix listing good (and usually available) books for children of all ages, arranged by level of difficulty and author. An extremely helpful resource for homeschooling parents.
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Summary: Fab Resource For Parents & Children's Lit Lovers
Review: Michael O'Brien presents a text written specifically for parents who are concerned or questioning what children should read. He creates a ranking system that can help guide a parent's thinking. He also gives numerous examples and details on how to rank books and to discern the content. O'Brien specifically address Christian and pagan influences in children's lit.
I am a divinity school student studying religion and literature, with a special emphasis on children's/teen's literature and spirituality. There is an abundance of children's lit that focuses on magic and pagan influences. There's also an abundance of children's lit that intricately mixes Christian and pagan worlds. O'Brien's book help his audience think about the complexities this can cause. And he does so in an objective and informed manner.
How do you decide what is good for your children? And, when/if you allow them to read something which clearly has some or a lot of Pagan emphasis, how do you talk with your kids about it? O'Brien does not shy away from giving his opinions, but he also does not just slam the door on the discussion.
Chapters one through three give PERSONAL reflections from a father's perspective and experiences of raising his children and struggling with various issues. Chapters four, five, and six really get into in-depth details and dilemmas. The latter chapters were most helpful to me as a student.
As a big fan of C.S. Lewis and Tolkien as well as J.K. Rowling, I am always on the lookout for good books that provide a solid critiques about fantasy literature and spirituality. O'Brien certainly makes a positive contribution to the field.
*NOTE* O'Brien's book was published in 1998. It'd be great for a new updated edition to come out and address Harry Potter as well as the Witch's Night Out series, which makes Harry Potter seem like the last thing to be concerned about. It does not particularly focus on the Harry Potter series, but identifies several books in children's lit and breaks their storyline down thoroughly.
I also think O'Brien's scale (Ranking books 1 to 4 in regards to Christian and Pagan trends) could be improved, but, with that said, O'Brien tackles a lot that others do not, so I can live with these needs for improvement!
Lastly, O'Brien's attitude towards dragons in literature is harsh. He limits the image of a dragon to personified evil, though he does so powerfully. IF you can particularly look over his personal reflections and focus on the meat of the book in the latter chapters, then this is a great book. It does not "ride the fence" like so many other books attempting to address Christian and pagan influences in children's lit.
Rating:
Summary: Trust a Father Who Writes Well.
Review: Michael O'Brien's work is all too rare. At first it is hard to believe that we and children are so vulnerable to the confusing attepmt to resymbolize good and evil in children's stories across the dominant media. However, the strength of our sleepy disbelief is simply wiped out by the delicate yet forceful sanity of his arguement, that of an experienced and gentle father, as well as, perhaps, the potentially historic writer of fiction he is in his own novels for all ages. He speaks with the moving poetic authority and conviction of the good, exciting and troubling real experience required to make any arguement as sound as his actually is.
Rating:
Summary: An Interesting Beginning, a Frenetic Execution
Review: Michael O'Brien, author of "Father Elijah," now turns his hand to the theoretical side of literature - of Fantastic Fiction, in particular, in his worthy book, "A Landscape with Dragons." Focusing on the image of dragon as evil incarnate, and modern society's movement towards "cutesying" of the dragon image, O'Brien touches on a very real and terrifying shift of moral view in our time. From "The Lord of the Rings" to "Dragonheart," O'Brien traces literature (and film) from its excellent Christian viewpoint to the neo-pagan inverse of morality. He also includes words of encouragement and means of discernment for the concerned parent, as well as many pages of recommended reading in the appendices. However, O'Brien falls short in two major areas. First, he attempts to absolutely equate theology with literature, which is a false and forced conclusion. Secondly, he spreads his argument too far and thus too thin - and leaves several gaps in his rationale, which make his critique a lesser force against the societal dragon. To begin with the first: O'Brien tends to lean, at least in this book and on this subject, more towards the ultra-conservative point of view, seeing all literature as basically black or white, evil or angelic. If the morals are bad then the literature is as well. However, this does not take into account the hundreds of completely a- and immoral books written supurbly next to the hundreds of excellently moral books written excruciatingly. He makes no allowances for literary merit apart from moral quality. Likewise, although he is justified in fearing and condeming magic in practice, he makes two distinctions between the use of "magic" in Fantastic Fiction - either miraculous or demonic. He makes no allowances, nor does he touch on "magic" which is inherent ("indifferent magic" as it were), such as the "magical" element of fairies, or singing swords, or eternal trees. His argumentation, too, was too widely dispersed. He did not limit himself to solely tracing the use of the dragon image through literature, but looked at several different images through at least two mediums, with several tangental lines into child-rearing, the state of society, and discernment of spirits. While all of these are good topics to speak of, and are handled fairly competently in the book, they have little to do with his thesis and weaken the argument. Because of the broader nature of his argument, several important works are not mentioned at all. The most notible gap lies in his critique of Disney films, wherein he completely ignores Disney's most blatantly "new age" film, "The Lion King." His critique of "Hunchback of Notre Dame" also left much to be desired, since from his comments it appeared that he had not read the original work. This is not to say that "A Landscape with Dragons" is a failure - quite the contrary. Merely, I should have liked to have seen it a bit more thought out, a bit more tightened up, a bit more focused. As an means of encouragement and support to parents who rightly mistrust the "Harry Potter" books, this is an excellent primer. But for those who have been reading in the genre and fighting for God's place back into this realm, his conclusions are often too hasty. Be that as it may, it is my ardent wish that "A Landscape with Dragons" may bring people to the Lord and spare a generation of children from the wrath of the dragon.
Rating:
Summary: A MUST READ for all parents, grandparents, and teachers!
Review: Mr. O'Brien explains what makes fairy stories good or bad. He doesn't tell you what to read or what to avoid, he tells you how to know yourself if a book is good or if it is to be avoided. If you have ever felt uneasy about something your children were reading or watching on t.v. but you weren't sure why you felt uneasy, YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK! Even if you have never felt that way, you need to read this book!
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