Rating: 
Summary: The Book of Three
Review: I read Mr. Alexander's Vesper Holly series and was wondering what else he had written. So, I looked and I found the wonderful "Chronicals of Prydain." The Book Of Three is a wonderful book. Even though it was written for children, I loved it. I would recomend this book to anyone that likes Irish mythology, Fantasy, or anything by Lloyd Alexander.
Rating: 
Summary: The Book of Three
Review: Lloyd Alexander's The Book of Three by tells a great story of a medieval kingdom. Taran, who aspires to be a great war hero one day, despises working in his small town and wants to get out. In a moment of panic, the prophetic pig he was to look after runs into the woods, and Taran follows. He ends up finding a great warrior, Gwydion, whom he convinces to take him along on his quests. They end up getting captured and separated; Taran assumes that Gwydion is dead. Continuing on his quest to find the pig, Taran makes friends along the way and becomes the group's leader. He soon realizes that he misses his simple life back home. As the boy is on his quest, so is an evil king, who is also search for Hen Wen, the oracular pig. They race to find her and bring her to safety. The Book of Three shows that the image of a hero doesn't make the hero. The boy has imagined that the great hero about whom he has heard stories of is a man with elegant clothes and jewels. When he finds him in the forest, he doesn't believe that Gwydion is the legendary warrior he says he is. The boy also learns that Coll, one of his caretakers at his home, was once a great hero and stole the enchanted pig from the evil kingdom that had captured it. The boy wants to become a great hero and go on great adventures but soon learns that being a hero isn't as glamorous and fun as it may seem. When he becomes the leader of Eilonwy, Gurgi, and Fflewwddur, he understands that his soul, not his appearance, makes him a hero. The Book of Three was banned because it contains scenes of war and death, and it involves magic. I feel that these reasons are insufficient for banning this book. I think that almost any story that is a fantasy and adventure in medieval times would contain such topics; to ban this book because of its theme is like banning an entire genre of great books. . I understand that some extremely sensitive readers or parents don't approve of such violence, but turn on the news, it is all around us, and this story uses all the fighting to teach a lesson: heroes need not display the stereotypical qualities one would think a brave hero would have. I think that this is a good lesson for children to learn, and I think that The Book of Three does a great job of illustrating this idea.
Rating:
Summary: Truly wonderful
Review: Lloyd Alexander achieved a wonderful masterpiece with this series of 5 novels. Welsh mythology comes alive in this lush fantasy world. Terriffic for children 5-14, and still great for adults!
Rating:
Summary: Do you like action??????????I Hope!!!
Review: There is much to say, it is an excellant book with lots and lots of excitement. If you like heroes, "bad guys", and other fun characters then I think you would LOVE this book, I know I did. The book is all about strange happenings. This book has everything, comedy, excitement, love(though much much more hate), hate and action. There are great characters also, I think that this is an excellent fiction book, though if you are an adult you may not get quite as much of a thrill the story is a 5, but not everyone will like it, especcially if you dont like fiction!!! All that I can say about this is I thought it was a greatbook but if what i wrote didnt sound exciting to you then maybe you should think a little before you read it.(I do not want to make adults turn away frm this book, but I was just saying what I thought, if you think what I posted makes this book sound great then read it). It's not worth skipping!!!
Rating:
Summary: A classic for all time...
Review: This book begins the Prydain Chronicles, a classic coming-of age adventure tale that still resonates long after childhood. The books get better further into the series, climaxing with The High King. The whole set would be a wonderful gift to any inquisitive child.
Rating:
Summary: A Nifty Book
Review: As a young teenager in 1983, I saw the cover of this book at my local library and just "had" to have it. "The Book of Three" is the first of five books that take place in the magical land of Prydain. The main characterm, a boy named Taran, is desperate for adventure. Heck, most boys are at that age. However as Taran learns, one should be careful for what one wishes for because you just might get it! The book is written for young adults and as such is fast-paced and doesn't go into great details. However the story isn't so watered down that adults can't get into it (although I blew through the book in a day as an adult). Gurgey's "crunchings and munchings" are funny and the romance between Taran and Ellonwy reminded me so much of the girl I had a HUGE crush on in 6th grade! Very sweet and nicely done! A good book for young teens.
Rating:
Summary: A master of fantasy prevails in enchanting series!
Review: Llyod Alexander is an amazing author who snatches your interest from right under your nose within the first paragraph of his books. In this wonderful start to an award-winning series, Alexander introduces us to a world of magic and an extraordinary cast of characters. Along with the fool-hardy Taran, me meet Eilawnwe, a princess being held prisoner by an evil sorceress. And so begins the legacy of Prydain...
Rating:
Summary: The start of it all
Review: If you've ever seen Disney's "The Black Cauldron," you may already know that it's sort of a hybrid of the first two books in Lloyd Alexander's timeless Prydain Chronicles. "The Book of Three" is the first in the series, in which we are introduced to the characters who will stay with us through to the last book -- young Taran, the foundling who longs for adventure; wise Dallben, the ancient enchanter who raised Taran; noble Gwydion, prince of the realm; Gurgi, the ever-hungry what-is-it who befriends Taran in the woods; Eilonwy, the pretty young chatterbox who aids Taran's escape from the wicked queen Achren; and Fflewddur Fflam, the valiant bard with a tendency to embroider upon the truth. Evil is spreading through the land of Prydain (loosely based on the ancient kingdom of Wales), and it's up to our heroes to stop the advances of evil Arawn, lord of Annuvin, land of the dead. Arawn's champion, the Horned King, seeks the destruction of Dallben's oracular pet pig, Hen Wen; he himself can be destroyed only by one secret weapon. Can our new friends accomplish the impossible? New readers have been discovering the answer to that question for over thirty years.
Rating:
Summary: 5 Stars for a Book of 3!
Review: I read this book about 25 years ago, way back when I was in grade school, but I still remember it. It is a classic. I recommend it to all my nieces and nephews too. A young friend of mine just finish reading the entire series herself, but she will have to leave her own review.
Rating:
Summary: Splendid!!!!
Review: Lloyd Alexander's "The Book of Three" is an absolutely fabulous fantasy novel. It has a wonderful cast of characters, despicable villains, dwarves, and other fantasy creatures. One thing that makes this book so good is the way you can feel for the characters. This novel also has a load of adventure and battles. The novel revolves around Taran, an "Assistant Pig-Keeper" in the village of Caer Dallben. After an oracullar pig named Hen-Wen escapes, he is involved in an adventure to find the pig and deliver a message to The House of Don that The Horned King is in his way there. But all of this is stalled after another turn of events, which has Taran held prisoner in a palace. Throughout the adventure Taran meets wonderful supporting characters like Eilonwy, Fflewddur, Doli, Medwyn and tons of other people. The world that Alexander has created is fabulous in itself. With tons of villages and palaces, cultures and groups, you can never become bored with the land of Prydain. One reason I think I enjoyed this novel so much is because of the adventure and action. Alexander does a fabulous job here, and any reader will become spellbound with the way he hooks you with this. With all of this in the book, Alexander keeps the reader in suspense turning pages a mile a minute. He is able to weave everything together to make a most enjoyable read. Not to mention the amazing ending... Some of the things presented in this novel are amazing too. Like the way Medwyn has a special ability to communicate with animals and they know they're safe with him. Hen-Wen's abilities are really cool too. Being a novice to fantasy and wanting to read more epic stuff like Martin, Jordan, Hobb, etc., this was a great novel to really get me hooked. If you are starting with fantasy, then this is the perfect place to start. I have not read a novel this good in a while, and hope the other entries in the series are just as good. I reccomend this novel to young children and adults alike. Anybody will be able to comprehend the novel and will be held in suspense. "The Book of Three" is nonstop adventure from cover to cover. Lloyd Alexander takes some Welsh lore and mixes that in with his own outstanding ideas, and that equals a brilliant story. I definitely enjoyed this novel and am looking forward to reading the rest of "The Prydain Chronicles." This is a definite must read. Happy Reading!
|
