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Summary: A tale as black and gloomy as the Cauldron itself
Review: "The Black Cauldron" is a deeply moving tale that will really pull at your heartstrings as Taran and his companions try to locate the Black Cauldron, also know as the Black Crochan. This book contains scenes that have a lot of emotion in them, and explores death and loss. Tragedy and sadness is to be expected, but with some very happy(yech)moments. If you have seen "The Lord Of The Rings" then you have a pretty good idea what "The Black Cauldron" is like, meanig that the sad scenes are tearful, but the happy scenes will cheer you up slightly. It also has a lot of violence, including using weapons to solve problems. I highly recommend this book, but not to extremely sensitive people.
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Summary: swords and sorcery
Review: The Black Cauldron, the second book in a series of 5 called the Prydain Chronicles, really gets the series going with a bang. This story all starts when it becomes evident to Prince Gwydion that The Black Cauldron-- the tool which Arawn, the Lord of Death, uses to create deathless warriors which will forever be his slaves-- must be destroyed. Gwydion leads the quest to Annuvin, Arawn's domain, in hope of finding and destroying the Black Cauldron. But it is a surprise in store for Taran, Eilonwy, Gwydion, and everyone else, including the Death Lord himself, when they get there and find out that the cauldron has disappeared! If you love swords and sorcery read THE PRICE OF IMMORTALITY. It is one of the best books I have read in years.
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Summary: Here Cauldron, Cauldron!
Review: This book is the second in the Prydain Chronicles. A boy named Taran lives with his friends Eilonwy, Fflewddur, and Gurgi in the peaceful farm Caer Dallben in ancient Wales. Unfortunately, there is war in the land. The evil Arawn makes deathless warriors from bodies of slain soldiers by putting them in his Black Cauldron. These are called Cauldron Born. The Cauldron Born's number is growing rapidly.
Finally, Taran and his friends decide to do something about this. They make a little army and set out to destroy the Black Cauldron.
They have to search long and hard and go through many adventures in order to find the Cauldron. They also meet strange characters on their journey.
One of my favorite characters was Kaw, a crow who could speak. Kaw helps Taran in his quest to find the Black Cauldron. I liked Kaw because he was helpful and a good messenger, but most of all, I like him because he was a talking bird!
I would recommend this book to a friend because it was suspenceful and kept me wanting more. Every time I thought Taran would find the cauldron, there was still more to uncover.
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Summary: An amazing book
Review: I have read many of Lloyd Alexander's books since I was a teenager and can highly recomend them. I have yet to read a book by Alexander that does not deserve 5 stars, however this book, the Black Cauldron is my favorite. This is a great series and one should read them all. The fantasy world in which Alexander creates is simply amazing. The character develpment and story line are among the best I have read. I hope you read it!
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Summary: One of the best adventures I have ever read
Review: Reading this story again was like re-capturing my childhood. The books starts with Taran trying to bathe the oracular pig Hen Wen. While he is trying to do this, an arrogant young nobleman arrives at Caer Dallben and tries to get Taran to go announce him. Taran, wanting to focus on the chore he has been given, tells the nobleman to announce himself. Why not? Taran is not a slave, and is a minor hero in his own right. Without a word the nobleman who is ahorse drags Taran through the yard at Caer Dallben towards the house. The ruckus draws the attention of Dallben who mildly chastises the the prince. Their relationship goes downhill from there.
In the council Gwydion Prince of Don, and Crown Prince of Prydain announces that the councils goal is to plan the theft of the Black Cauldron from underneath the very nose of Arawn Lord of Annuvin, so that he may no longer use it to add to the Cauldron Born, his undead legions.
From this Mr. Alexander tells a simple, but compelling tale of heroics and coming of age as Taran starts to realize that manhood is not something consisting only of glory, but also of hard choices, sometimes where no choice is ideal. But the story also has hope, and it is not all doom-and-gloom. Best of all, it has a hero who is a hero due to his towering, flowering character, not a hero due to his towering power.
It enterains and educates. Definitely a book to start the young reader upon. Good for adults as well.
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Summary: How can we not love Lloyd Alexander?
Review: Sure the storyline is basic... sure it's a relatively simple good vs. evil plot; thats what we bought the book for, right?
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Summary: Awsome book. Awsome Series. Wonderful Author
Review: In The Black Cauldron, by Lloyd Alexander, Taran, a boy about 14 years old, lives in a small village and works keeping pigs. He had left Caer Dalben once before only to recover a pig that had fled. He is brought to a warriors' council to be informed that he was to accompany a band of warriors in to that realm of Annuvin, the evil dark part of his land. He is to join friends met on his previous adventure to recover the evil Black Cauldron. The cauldron is used to create undead soldiers that ravage towns and killed whole armies. The cauldron is to be destroyed so that the ruler of Annuvin cannot use it.
On Taran's journey, he encounters many obstacles and meets many strange people. He gains knowledge and experience.
Tarn goes out and performs many deeds, both physical and spiritual. Using fighting skills acquired on his previous adventure Taran fends of multiple bands of Huntsman and cauldron-born. He also defends his friends using the power of the Metal Brooch that he acquired from a dying friend. All these deeds were physical and brought him respect and favor by many people he met and traveled with. As his adventure progressed, he matured and came across some spiritual challenges. Throughout the last half of the story, he is faced with his biggest spiritual problem. This problem is whether or not to sacrifice himself to destroy the cauldron. A live person being thrown in can only destroy the cauldron. The only catch is that that person will die. Another Spiritual test Taran encounters is in bargaining for the cauldron itself. He must give up something very dear to him in trade for the cauldron. He must give up his Metal Brooch.
Taran goes into it intentionally. When the Warriors council met, he could have declined if he did not wish to participate. He probably was slightly forced because even if he did not fully wish to come on the adventure he would have felt obligated to do so. His adventure was more his choice that anything else though
Taran returns home with the cauldron destroyed and a name of admiration on his head. He comes back with the knowledge that he is not only just an assistant-pig keeper but also a capable adventurer he finds his courage and his strength with in himself. With the help of his friends, he slays his dragon. He over comes his regrets for who he thought he was, a lowly farmer. He learns to find joy in his common duties even more than being a hero. It is like what an old friend of his once said 'There is more pride in a field well plowed that a field steeped in blood.' All in all this is a wonderful book. The characters are well played out and the plot is excellent. I have read three of Alexander's books on Prydain and loved than all. I highly recommend this book along with The Book of Three and The Castle of Lyr. I advise that if you love medieval fantasy got to your local Library and Check out The Prydain Chronicles a series o seven book telling the story of Taran's Adventures
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Summary: A good reason to read books!
Review: The story has kept me up for hours. I've read the story in high school and became a devourer of books ever since. I've read many other books. But this one makes it's mark in the fantasy genre.I suggest reading this book before watching the movie. I believe this book should have been the sole inspiration for the movie not some tried and true cliches. Just the bare content and graphic detail of the regions in Prydain.
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Summary: THIS BOOK ROCKS!!!
Review: If you have not read any of Lloyd Alexander's books and this is your first I'm happy to say that it is also one of his best. He uses all the best and worst parts of books, comedy, tragedy, and suspense, to create a series that in my opinion ties with J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and Brian Jacques's Redwall for one of the best series yet. I hope this has encouraged you to read the rest of this wonderful series!!! :)
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Summary: Wonderful
Review: It was tough deciding which of the Prydain books to review, but I decided to do The Black Cauldron because it's my favorite of the bunch (and the cover of this edition is beautiful). All of these have been around for decades, but I just read them for the first time last year, as a sophomore in college, because I avoided "classics" like the plague while growing up. The Black Cauldron is the darkest of the Prydain Chronicles, and it tells the story of Taran and his companions as they head to Arawn Death-Lord's domain to recover the Black Cochran, which creates soldiers out of the dead. The book explores the price and sacrifice that true heroism demands. The memorable cast of characters include Adaon, a unique bard, and three interchangeable witches who are reminiscent of the Three Norns, or the Fates. A haunting and beautiful tale that I highly recommend (along with all the Prydain Chronicles).
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