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Summary: Simple good vs evil can build bridges.
Review: My father's and my taste in literature rarely concur, as I love horror and he is partial to Civil War adventures. One day many years ago when I had snubbed a suggestion of reading material he proffered-he came back later and handed me Prince Ombra. After I had turned him down I thought I'd be magnanamous and give this one a go. I read it in one sitting. I loved it. And since that day, my father and I are more openminded about one anothers suggestions. We both recognized and appreciated the tale of good vs evil. This book has everything a story should have . It took us both away and yet it gave us something in return-the simple realization that love is all-important and everything else will come out the way it is supposed to, in its own time. And Life does go on.
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Summary: Favorite of Three Generations
Review: My mom and I absolutely loved this book when I was a kid, and I'm now introducing it to my son. What a treat to revisit this story and to share it among three generations!
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Summary: One of the Best
Review: Prince Ombra has appeared in the world a thousand times in the form of the greatest and most evil foes of history. And a thousand times, a special person has been born into the world to attempt his defeat. These stories are well known: David and Goliath, King Arthur, etc. However, Roderick MacLeish tells a less memorable story of one such warrior who is only 8 years old. The tale is set in modern times. The child is hunted by a lunatic with a gun. His "Merlin" is a doctor. The dangers and perils are not so grand, and the form that Prince Ombra takes isn't very fantastical. The idea behind the story was interesting, but it could have been developed better. Yes, I suppose it was entertaining, but what kept the pages turning for me was knowing I could get on to a better book when I finished this one.
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Summary: Too comtemporary to be compared to Tolkien & Star Wars
Review: Prince Ombra has appeared in the world a thousand times in the form of the greatest and most evil foes of history. And a thousand times, a special person has been born into the world to attempt his defeat. These stories are well known: David and Goliath, King Arthur, etc. However, Roderick MacLeish tells a less memorable story of one such warrior who is only 8 years old. The tale is set in modern times. The child is hunted by a lunatic with a gun. His "Merlin" is a doctor. The dangers and perils are not so grand, and the form that Prince Ombra takes isn't very fantastical. The idea behind the story was interesting, but it could have been developed better. Yes, I suppose it was entertaining, but what kept the pages turning for me was knowing I could get on to a better book when I finished this one.
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Summary: An overstated yet haunting tale of good and evil
Review: Prince Ombra seems to based upon the concept that all stories, especially folk-tales and legends, are in fact one story with small differences. It is supposed to be a heroe myth for our time. The book was fairly interesting but overstated. It kept pounding home that all stories are one and showing small differences between them. The main difference with this heroe is he knows what heroes have come before him, what he must face, and that he is only eight years old. Still the writing has a haunting effect that can make it hard to put it down and the plot is well thought out. Even though the reader knows what is coming in a general sense, there are enough plot twists and changes to create suspense and drama
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Summary: Have Yet to Read It, But...
Review: Since my name is Ombra, and I am living in a house with 5 & 7 year boys who love Harry Potter, I am ordering this book to read first and see if it is suitable to read to them. I am greatly curious - it is odd to see my name in print, so I hope the book is worthy of nighttime storytime!
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Summary: Prince Ombra - Stunning
Review: Stunning... That's all I can say about this book.Comparison to Tolkien seems off base to me, though MacLeish is every bit as good a writer as Tolkien. Rather, this book is stylistically a contender with the very best of Ray Bradbury -- I'm thinking about "Something Evil This Way Comes". The use of language is deft and powerful, the characterizations are compelling despite their simplicity, and the thematic content left me contemplating the elemental stuff of existence. When I started, I was not aware this book was supposed to be child's literature. At age 32, I found it absolutely gripping. Despite the mature themes -- and in part perhaps because of them -- I would like to read this book to my son (now age 4), chapter-style at bedtimes, when he is 8 or 10.
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Summary: A Junian fantasy.
Review: The teachings of Carl Jung turned into a parable. A fine read. Other books on the same vein Kings The Talisman, & Bradbarrys' Something Wicked This ay Comes.
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Summary: A Masterpiece of Myth Making
Review: There are few books that stand alone amidst fantasy literature, and anyone who is reading a book so focused on the Eternal Hero, is going to see Jung and Cambell here. But for children who don't yet have their perception of heroism so transformed by academia and experience, this book conveys the essential battle of good and evil as greater than mere moments of conflict, and furthermore shows that heroism is not so obvious, nor so predictable as many tales suggest. This is a complex book, and no doubt the criticisms of it not being appropriate for children are well meant, but the things this book teaches about handicaps, about self-esteem and its value, and about the reality of heroic sacrifice, are more valuable than sugar coated Disney Fantasy. This is really an essential piece of fantasy literature. It is honed and unshirking in its duty to dig into what it means to be heroic even in these unheroic times. It is strange to me how few people seem to have read it. I hope this encourages you to join us. Enjoy!
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Summary: Interesting Story About the War Between Good & Evil
Review: This book takes place in the late 20th century in a town on the northern coast of America, called Stonehaven. Here a bright, slightly crippled 8-year-old boy (Bentley Ellicott) has been chosen before birth to combat the evil in this world, like so many heroes before him. With him are two friends who will help prepare him for his destiny--Slally Drake, a 7-year-old "mute" girl who is Bentley's rememberer (a person who passes on history to weaken Prince Ombra's power on Earth), and Dr. Dietrich Kreistein, an old German psychologist who teaches Bentley through myths and stories how to defeat Prince Ombra. Out of all the characters in this book, Dr. Kreistein has to be my favorite. As one reviewer on the back of this book wisely put it, Prince Ombra is "a combination of Tolkien and Stephen King". Although I've never read anything by Tolkien, there is a sense of fantasy and magic in this story. As for King, this book reminded me of Needful Things with the intertwining of small-town life. So, if you're a fan of either writer, then I highly recommend this book. It's a very interesting look at the continuous struggle between good and evil--and the overwhelming power of hope.
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