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The Book of Three (The Chronicles of Prydain) | 
 enlarge | Author: Lloyd Alexander
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. BYR Paperbacks
Category: Book
List Price: $5.99
Buy Used: $0.98
You Save: $5.01 (84%)
New (41) Used (29) Collectible (3) from $0.98
Avg. Customer Rating:  232 reviews
Sales Rank: 7021
Media: Paperback
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 224
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.6
ISBN: 0805080481
EAN: 9780805080483
ASIN: 0805080481
Publication Date: May 16, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Some wear on book from reading, we guarantee all purchases and ship all items via USPS mail.
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Amazon.com Review
The tale of Taran, assistant pig keeper, has been entertaining young readers for generations. Set in the mythical land of Prydain (which bears a more than passing resemblance to Wales), Lloyd Alexander's book draws together the elements of the hero's journey from unformed boy to courageous young man. Taran grumbles with frustration at home in the hamlet Caer Dallben; he yearns to go into battle like his hero, Prince Gwydion. Before the story is over, he has met his hero and fought the evil leader who threatens the peace of Prydain: the Horned King. What brings the tale of Taran to life is Alexander's skillful use of humor, and the way he personalizes the mythology he has so clearly studied. Taran isn't a stick figure; in fact, the author makes a point of mocking him just at the moments when he's acting the most highhanded and heroic. When he and the young girl Eilonwy flee the castle of the wicked queen Achren, Taran emotes, "'Spiral Castle has brought me only grief; I have no wish to see it again.' 'What has it brought the rest of us?' Eilonway asked. 'You make it sound as though we were just sitting around having a splendid time while you moan and take on.'" By the end, Alexander has spun a rousing hero's tale and created a compelling coming-of-age story. Readers will sigh with relief when they realize The Book of Three is only the first of the chronicles of Prydain. --Claire Dederer
Product Description
The Newbery-winning fantasy series now available in gorgeous new paperback editions!
Since The Book of Three was first published in 1964, young readers have been enthralled by the adventures of Taran the Assistant Pig-Keeper and his quest to become a hero. Taran is joined by an engaging cast of characters that includes Eilonwy, the strong-willed and sharp-tongued princess; Fflewddur Fflam, the hyperbole-prone bard; the ever-faithful Gurgi; and the curmudgeonly Doli—all of whom have become involved in an epic struggle between good and evil that shapes the fate of the legendary land of Prydain. Released over a period of five years, Lloyd Alexander’s beautifully written tales not only captured children’s imaginations but also garnered the highest critical praise.
The Black Cauldron was a Newbery Honor Book, and the final volume in the chronicles, The High King, crowned the series by winning the Newbery Medal for “the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.”
Henry Holt is proud to present this classic series in a new, redesigned paperback format. The jackets feature stunning art by acclaimed fantasy artist David Wyatt, giving the books a fresh look for today’s generation of young fantasy lovers. The companion book of short stories, The Foundling is also available in paperback at this time.
In their more than thirty years in print, the Chronicles of Prydain have become the standard of excellence in fantasy literature for children.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 227 more reviews...
 Entertainment Plus October 31, 2008
Yes, there are similarities between the Book of Three and the Lord of the Rings: Both feature a wizard, a ranger type figure, a bad guy in a mask and a strange little creature who slithers around talking about eating. If you read enough fantasy you'll see these type of characters turn up again and again, and you'll often be able to draw comparisons with Tolkien. But it's important to note that if you read enough Norse, Germanic and Anglo-Saxon mythology (ie Beowulf) you'll see that Tolkien too borrowed heavily from others. In fantasy, like a lot of other things, there is nothing new under the sun. The same material gets repackaged and reworked, sometimes dismally, sometimes successfully. In my humble opinion, the Book of Three firmly fits in the latter category.
The story follows the journey of Taran, a young man with the high title of Assistant Pig Keeper, as he and a group of fellow adventurers journey to recapture the escaped magical pig Hen Wen. On the way they brush with the Horned King and his men, also after the pig, who they later face in battle. From this synopsis it should be evident that the book is light-hearted and fun, escapism in its purest sense. The characters are original, unique and memorable. There is Eilonwy, a princess with a propensity to make unusual and sometimes nonsensical allegories such as "That's like telling somebody you want to talk to them, and when they get ready to listen, you don't say anything" and "That's worse than trying to make yourself taller by standing on your head." There is Fflewddur the bard, who's constant exaggerations and white-lies are revealed by the snapping of a harp-string, forcing him to bite his tongue and tell the truth. There is Doli the bad tempered dwarf with his constant efforts to turn himself invisible by holding his breath. All of these make for an incredibly funny and enjoyable read. At the same time, the humour doesn't take away from the story, which is fast paced and has serious moments. Stories which are funny yet can be taken seriously are not always easy to pull off, but Lloyd Alexander has done it well.
If I were to mention any negatives it would be that I found the Welsh-influenced names hard to pronounce and even harder to remember. They didn't stick in the mind, and they didn't roll of the tongue, and to me they sounded so obviously Welsh that I had to work hard to convince myself that this was a book set not in Wales but in a fantasy world. It's a very minor point, but worth mentioning.
Overall I would highly recommend this book for anyone who wants a fun, enjoyable and light-hearted fantasy in the traditional style. I'm glad I took a punt and gave it a chance, and I am looking forward to reading the other three in the series.
 A terrific beginning to the best fantasy series ever August 27, 2008
Readers who have watched the 1985 animated Disney film "The Black Cauldron" will no doubt recognize people and places from this novel by Lloyd Alexander. My advice is to enjoy the dark, creepy film but by all means, read Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain series. It's simply the best fantasy series written, ever.
Before angry Tolkien fans berate me, let me just say that I loved the Lord of the Rings trilogy in book form as well, but some of his poetry is ponderous to get through. Alexander's sparse writing introduces us to a young man, Taran, who has recently been made Assistant Pig-Keeper by Coll, a farmer who lives with Taran at Caer Dallben. The pig Taran is keeping is named Hen Wen and her gift is foresight. She runs away, terrified of a vision she had and Taran chases after her. He eventually meets his hero, Gwydion, who is a prince and a warrior.
Taran's journey to adulthood begins with this book. Most of the characters introduced her recur in the other Prydain novels, notably Fflewddur Fflam, Princess Eilonwy, Gurgi, Doli, Prince Gwydion, and Dallben. Taran learns much from Gwydion and his new companions about what being a warrior entails and before the end of the book, he has seen battle and engaged the book's foremost villain, the Horned King (also the villain of the 1985 movie).
Alexander is a terrific writer and anyone who loves fantasy or action novels should read this series. It will stay with you long after you've finished reading. I first read the series in 1985-86, when I was about 17. I'm curently re-reading it for the third or fourth time.
 For kids only August 18, 2008
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
I found this book via the vagaries of Amazon's recommendation system. Apparently I missed that it is children's literature -- as an adult reader I found it wanting in terms of depth, detail, character development, etc. It seemed like several elements were borrowed from Tolkien as well, which is probably fine if you're a 12-year old yet to read the LOTR trilogy, but not OK if you have. Anyway, I read George R.R. Martin's "Game of Thrones" after this, which I found to be much more engaging (and set in a similar, if less magical, setting), so if you're old enough to get into R-rated movies, I suggest that one instead.
A great introduction to fantasy August 5, 2008
A fantastic introduction to the fantasy genre, especially to children too young for Piers Anthony's Xanth novels, R.A. Salvatore's books or the Dragonlance saga.
I have been reading fantasy novels on and off since I was in elementary school, and the books that got me started were the Chronicles of Prydain, which I first began reading in the 3rd grade. The books are well written, the plot flows well, and the entire series has a sense of EPIC-NESS to it.
For older readers, the series may seem a bit "cute" at times, but you could do far worse than this book within this genre.
A Wonderful Experience. June 13, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I first read the Prydain Chronicles when I was 10 years old, and can safely say that in my 45 years, I have never enjoyed a series of books more. To those who haven't read them, I am truly envious--to be able to enjoy and savor these books for the first time would be wonderful.
The themes and lessons that Lloyd Alexander incorporated into this book were things that I was not able to appreciate until I was an adult, which is why I truly recommend this series to adults as well. But what makes these books really great is that they're fun to read. His sense of humor, his command of character and his instinct for a good story make these books truly great literary treasures. When they're old enough I plan to introduce these books to my daughters and hope they become as precious to them as they were to me.
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