The Book of Three

Rating:
Summary: It was awsome
Review: I am about halfway through. This is great for Harry Potter fans. Even though it has hard words it is still a fantastic book!

Rating:
Summary: Hopes of Glory
Review: When a little boy unintentionally leaves home, he hopes that his dreams of heroic deeds will come true. He finds that the life of a hero is much more cold and uncomfortable than he thought, and it even includes an encounter with the grim Horned King! Taran begins his adventures and makes friends with a would-be bard, a chatterbox princess, and whatever it is that a gurgi is.

Rating:
Summary: Original, Not Derivative -- and Wonderful!
Review: When Taran, Assistant Pig-Keeper of Caer Dalben, sets out to rescue the oracular white pig, Hen Wen who has been stolen by the Horned King, servant of Arawn Deathlord, he has no idea of the eventual end of the path on which he is taking his first, hesitant steps, nor of the life-long friends and companions he will meet.

Many believe that Alexander's "Prydain" books are derivative of J.R.R.Tolkien -- they aren't.

Rather, to a great extent, both derive from the same source, the ancient Welsh legends of the Mabinogion.

Personally, i prefer the use that Alexander has made of the material -- it is more human and alive, focused tightly on the characters rather than concerned primarily with a grand narrative sweep.

I was 26 when i came to these books; i'm 51 now, and in the intervening twenty-five years i have given away about eight or ten sets of them to family, friends and even chance acquaintances.

After twenty-five years, i still believe that there have been Very Few better works of children's/YA fantasy than these books... and not a lot even as good, for that matter.

If Harry Potter has left some young person you know with a hankering for the Good Stuff -- here it is.

Rating:
Summary: Introduction to Prydain
Review: While I first heard of the Chronicles as a young boy, I nevergot about to reading the series. A small card by the copies of bookssaid that in Sometown, Somestate stated that some parents wanted TBOTbanned from schools because the book was "filled with black magic and evil incantations" or something like that. After buying and reading the book, I realized that those parents obviously hadn't read the book. They made up garbage and probably thought that a skulled warrior on the cover certainly meant bad news for the mentality of their kids. Had they read it, I'm sure they would have found that they were sorely mistaken about their accusations and would have wanted to complete the series themselves. Lloyd Alexander has created a great tale about a boy who longs to be a hero, but he has glorified perceptions of what a hero is. Alexander made belivable characters, filled the novel with humor, and created another mythical region. Taran and the supporting characters have thoughts and feelings that everyone can relate to, and he wrote this book and the rest of the series in easy language. But this book is not just for 9-12 year old kids. As seen from the other reviews, people of all ages have read the Prydain Chronicles, as newcomers or for bringing back some memories of childhood. When this book is finished, you know you have to finish the series. Why any parent would want this book banned is beyond me. This book make you thimk of what false perceptions you may have once had, and how finding out the truth made made you a better person. Definetly recommended. END

Rating:
Summary: My Review
Review: I have only read halfway through this book and have already fallen in love with it. many people who have read the chonicles of Prydain agree with me that Lloyd Alexander creates the perfect blend of and Welsh fantasy and universal mythology, creating what fanasy fans like myself love.

Rating:
Summary: buy this book
Review: buy this book! you know you want to, or else you wouldn't be here. HA HA, so now I know your secret. you're a Prydain Cronichles lover. Admit it. Come on you know you want to. PLEASE? and one more thing. to who ever that six-year-old kid was who only gave this book one star you better hope my friend who is even more a Pridain Cronichles lover than me (yes folks sad but true it is possible) never gets her hands on you. I pitty you and I crush your head (inside joke don't take it literaly.)

Rating:
Summary: Another hit in the Pydrain series!
Review: I have now read all of the books featureing Taran and his companions. I have loved them all, but this one is probably my favorite. (it's so hard to choose) I have always loved adventure/fantasy stories, this combines a mixture of both with delightful characters and excellent settings. The villains are hate-able and the heros are lovable, and the plot is breath-taking. I have reread this book many times, and can rarely put it down for even a few moments.

Rating:
Summary: 20 years later, I have never forgotten the land of Prydain
Review: There are books that you don't want to see come to an end.

There are books that rattle in your brain, heart and soul, never to be forgotten.

Lloyd Alexander's magnificent series falls into these categories. I first read them at the age of 13 and have just read them again at 35. This series was the first that I did not want to see end. It's what got me started on reading Tolkien, Lewis, Donaldson, Piers Anthony, Dune, and others. I'm glad to see so many people love these books as well.

And why not? The characters are dynamic, engaging and more real than the average fantasy ones. The stories move along nicely with few if any slow moments. The classic elements of good and evil are all here with some twists.

There were some aspects that I was too young to appreciate the first time. One was the humor, most noticeable in The Book of Three, as we see some of the characters getting to first know each other. The other aspect was the theme/message that the way of the warrior is not the only path to nobility, honor, and courage (or to adulthood). There is as much honor in taking care of a garden as there is in being a warrior, to very loosely paraphrase one of the characters. In this day and age, when so much of the culture says be the biggest, baddest, toughest, strongest, richest etc person who destroys or gobbles up things, the message of taking care of a garden, creating something of beauty be it a woven cloak or a clay pot, or keeping a promise to a friend is refreshing and not heard enough.

To the other reviewers who feel Alexander borrowed characters and motifs heavily from Tolkien, these have been part of literature and mythology for a long time. Long BEFORE Tolkien. If Dallben is Gandalf, well, Gandalf is Merlin. And Merlin was borrowed from other myths or folktales. Alexander borrowed some from The Mabinogen, the Welsh treasury of mythology. Tolkien borrowed from Beowulf and other English sources. These stories have been recreated or recast for ages. Sure, there are similarities but then this is a genre where dwarves, wizards, and enchanted objects are the norm. But assistant Pig-Keepers, frustrated ex-giants who whine about their lack of stature, a traveling bard with a second job as a King, or a trio of witches with an unusual, unpredicable sense of logic who switch identities daily? Hardly. And where have you ever seen a character quite like Fflewdur Flam? (Well, maybe in Dickens or Mark Helprin's A Winter's Tale)

For the kids (or adults) who love Harry Potter: you've got till July before the 4th book is out. There are no Quidditch matches but Taran may remind you of Harry and Dallben may remind you of Dumbledore. Check these five books out. (But avoid the inaccurate animated version of The Black Cauldron)

I've read the Lord of the Rings twice and for a long time considered it the best book I'd ever read. But it doesn't hold quite the special spot in my heart that the Prydain books do. And at least Lloyd Alexander spared us his version of those long boring elf or dwarf songs and poems.

Rating:
Summary: I have never forgotten the land of Prydain
Review: There are books that you don't want to see come to an end.

There are books that rattle in your brain, heart and soul, and stay with you, never to be forgotten.

Lloyd Alexander's magnificent series falls into these categories. I first read them at the age of 13 and have just read them again at 35. This series was the first that I did not want to see end. It's what got me started on reading Tolkien, Lewis, Donaldson, Piers Anthony, Dune, and others. I'm glad to see so many people love these books as well.

And why not? The characters are dynamic, engaging and more real than the average fantasy ones. The stories move along nicely with few if any slow moments. The classic elements of good and evil are all here with some twists.

There were some aspects that I was too young to appreciate the first time. One was the humor, most noticeable in The Book of Three, as we see some of the characters getting to first know each other. The other aspect was the theme/message that the way of the warrior is not the only path to nobility, honor, and courage (or to adulthood). There is as much honor in taking care of a garden as there is in being a warrior, to very loosely paraphrase one of the characters. In this day and age, when so much of the culture says be the biggest, baddest, toughest, strongest, richest etc person who destroys or gobbles up things, the message of taking care of one's garden, creating something of beauty be it a woven cloak or a clay pot, or honoring a friend's request is refreshing and not heard enough.

To the other reviewers who feel Alexander borrowed characters and motifs heavily from Tolkien, these have been part of literature and mythology for a long time. Long BEFORE Tolkien. If Dallben is Gandalf, well, Gandalf is Merlin. And Merlin was borrowed from other myths or folktales. Alexander borrowed some from The Mabinogen, the Welsh treasury of mythology. Tolkien borrowed from Beowulf and other English sources. These stories have been recreated or recast for ages. Sure, there are similarities but then this is a genre where dwarves, wizards, and enchanted objects are the norm. But assistant Pig-Keepers, frustrated ex-giants who whine about their lack of stature, a traveling bard with a second job as a King, or a trio of witches with an unusual, unpredicable sense of logic who switch identities daily(they deserve a book of their own!)? Hardly. And where have you ever seen a character quite like Fflewdur Flam? (Well, maybe in Dickens or Mark Helprin's A Winter's Tale)

For the kids (or adults) who love Harry Potter: you've got till July before the 4th book is out. There are no Quidditch matches but Taran may remind you of Harry and Dallben may remind you of Dumbledore. Check these five books out. (But avoid the inaccurate animated version of The Black Cauldron)

I've read the Lord of the Rings twice and for a long time considered it the best book I'd ever read. But it doesn't hold quite the special spot in my heart that the Prydain books do. And at least Lloyd Alexander spared us his version of those boringly long elf or dwarf songs and poems.

Rating:
Summary: NOT derivative of Tolkien
Review: I was alarmed at the number of reviewers who claim that this book is derivative of Tolkien's books. If anything, it is derivative of the Mabinogion, which inspired the names of many of the characters. I have read both series many times, and while I would put them in the same genre - fantasy - I would not compare them otherwise. I suppose they compare in this: if you did like Tolkien, you will probably like Alexander, and vice versa.