The Book of Three (The Chronicles of Prydain Book 1) (original 1964; udgave 2006)

Read this aloud to my family on the recommendation of a coworker. We liked it. It's a nice little story with a good sense of humor. We're eager to start the next in the series (The Black Cauldron), which reminds me of the video game it inspired that I played as a kid. ( )

This is a fantastic series, but "The Book of Three" is definitely the weakest of the series. Its plot is relatively uninspiring, its ending sort of disappointing, and ultimately it doesn't real inspire. But it's a fast read, still relatively unenjoyable, and it introduces the world and the main characters that the subsequent four books in the series will use to much greater effect. ( )

I loved Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain when I was a kid. I knew where they were at in the library and I checked them out a few times. I have not re-read them as an adult. My husband has and he enjoyed them. ( )

In which Taran the assistant pig keeper sets out with a merry band of followers, to find a pig and thus save the world.

If the Amazon.com reviews are any indication, Lloyd Alexander's five-book series, The Chronicles of Prydain, has its detractors. They see it as a pale imitation of Lord of the Rings, complete with gollum-esque creature (who at least happens to be working for the good guys). They point out Alexander's expository dialogue, his rapid descriptions that leave little time for characters or sequences to make an impact, and the fact that - unlike the best children's fiction - his work is designed to appeal only to children and not to adults.

Well, I won't deny: all of those things are - to some extent - true. The obvious debt to Tolkien (and C.S. Lewis) is undeniable and occasionally uncanny. And Alexander is neither a literary giant nor a consummate non-literary storyteller on par with, say, J.K. Rowling.

Yet, I'm inclined to think the haters are being a bit unsporting about it all. The Book of Three, which opens the series, is a delightful little quest story. It's an easy, fast-paced read, which opens up an entire world of characters and species. The most delightful characters are the Princess Eilonwy, whose refusal to be relegated to the role of "female" is laudable, and the dwarf Doli, who wishes he could be invisible. Alexander's morals are in the right place for a book aimed squarely at children, but this is no bloodless Narnia. The injuries and horrors committed by the Horned King and his minions are all too real. It really raises the stakes, and if the book is about Taran learning there is more to the world than an idyllic life raising pigs, it succeeds.

There's also a great humanist skein running through the book. Medwyn, the protector of animals, eats only a vegetarian diet, while Taran is constantly forced to learn that there are many outlooks and ways of being in Prydain. And the dialogue is actually quite apt for each character. You know you're in safe hands when Gurgi - Prydain's equivalent of Gollum or, dare I say, Jar Jar Binks - is adorable rather than mawkish.

I do wish sometimes that Alexander would let each sequence breathe. I'm halfway through the second book, The Black Cauldron, and I feel like I've met an endless array of characters while drunk at a party, never able to get a firm grasp on them. But perhaps these are the limitations of a children's author when facing book length and the attention span of youngsters.

Either way, I'll give the thumbs-up to The Chronicles of Prydain so far. Even if it isn't always beautifully or densely written, it's intelligently written, and that makes all the difference. ( )

Source: Children's Books in Children's Hands
Age Range: 9-12
Evaluation of Quality: This book is the first in a classic "hero's journey" fantasy series with very memorable characters like Taran the "assistant pig keeper", princess Elionwy, Hen Wen, and Gurgi.
Assessment of potential use: This book would be great read aloud for a chapter-by-chapter story time for elementary school class.
Assessment of appeal to children: the Gaelic names are very fun to pronounce and the author has put a pronunciation glossary in the back.