The Black Cauldron

In which Taran sets out to put an end to an army of undead grotesques, and can't seem to avoid a heck of a lot of familiar faces.

Picking up where The Book of Three left of, the second novel in the Chronicles of Prydain series is overall a better experience. Alexander's prose still sometimes seems to skip through entire sequences at breathtaking speed, and characters are prone to overtly state elements of the author's mission statement, but - as I said in my review of the first book - that is only because the Chronicles are that rare type of children's fiction meant only for children, and not older readers too.

The world of Prydain is further expanded here, and all the characters are back. Taran gets a greater emotional journey here, show more although most of the other characters are given short shrift in favour of (admittedly interesting) new ones. In some cases that's quite sad - Eilonwy deserves more than to be an outspoken follower, and there's more to the bard's tale that can surely be examined. Others, however, seem like they could become quite one-note if they mysteriously appear on every journey just to provide another voice. We'll see. I remain optimistic about this series because, once you except the obvious limitations of Alexander's prose, it's a captivating and easy-to-read novel. My favourite element of the first book remains: Alexander is a staunchly moral writer, and the lessons Taran and his gang learn are always important and honest. Yet, he's refreshingly mature. The fates of numerous heroes and villains are often truly tragic or horrific. This is a novel about going from the innocence of childhood into the dark complexities of the real world - and the fact that it creates a world which is genuinely real is a treat.

As a sequel it more than lives up to the first novel, and overall The Black Cauldron is a success. I look forward to finding out what happens next to Taran, Eilonwy, Gurgi, and the gang. show less

I first read all five of Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain in my early teens, and frankly, it's hard for me to remember much about them beyond general emotional impressions: the first two were adventurous, the third a bit odd, the fourth dry and philosophical, and the fifth - well, it all went to hell in the fifth book. The announcement of these new yearly 50th Anniversary editions, therefore, are a great excuse not just to revisit the series but to separate them out and consider them somewhat more...individually.

The big surprise for me is that in many ways, The Black Cauldron does not feel like its own story. It feels something like an extended coda to The Book of Three. I kept having to think back to the events and characters of show more the first book, and it seems obvious that Alexander (or his editor) assumed that the eager child reader of 1965 would have read and probably reread that earlier adventure shortly before starting the new one. The first third or so of The Black Cauldron drags a little as we bridge from what happened before, reintroduce familiar friends, and set up an "easy" goal that pretty clearly won't go easily at all.

Fortunately, once things start to go wrong for the characters, things start to go very right for the book. The eponymous cauldron (or "Black Crochan") is a golden goose, a total MacGuffin - what it does is ultimately far less important than what it drives people to do. Alexander is examining classical, heroic concepts of pride and honor, along with a more modern treatment of the fine line between light and dark. In Prydain, the greatest heroes still have flaws, and traitors were once good men who should still be remembered for their former, braver deeds. Most intriguing of all are Orddu, Orwen and Orgoch, supernatural figures (implied to be the Three Fates) who are also totally amoral. Their interactions with Taran and his friends are both funny and unsettling in turn. Although Alexander's prose is both straightforward and spare, his gentle contemplations on the complexity of morality are surprisingly effective.

The Black Cauldron ends definitively, but the reader is left with the unspoken impression that this is only one small battle in a much bigger war. (Again, it feels like Alexander was writing installments of a series from the outset.) I'm going to be very interested to return next year for The Castle of Llyr; already, we're moving away from simple adventure stories and more into a philosophical examination of Taran's growth. As a child, I found the progression of the series confusing because it defied my "fantasy lit" expectations. As an adult, however, I'm finding it both intriguing and surprisingly rewarding. show less

The Black Cauldron is one of my favorites among the Chronicles of Prydain for its perfect storytelling, maturing characters, and sense of high heroics. In this tale, Lloyd Alexander again draws on Welsh mythology to spin a fast-paced story with subtle moral choices and consequences.

Taran, Assistant Pig-Keeper of Prydain, has already met with danger and adventure in the previous story, The Book of Three. Now a new evil threatens Prydain, as Arawn builds his deathless army by means of the Black Cauldron (or Crochan). If he isn't stopped, he will soon overrun all the land with warriors who cannot be killed. Gwydion is emphatic that the Cauldron must be captured and destroyed, but how?

The whole cast is here: Princess Eilonwy of latent show more magical powers, Fflewddur Fflam, a sometime king turned bard, Doli the irascible but goodhearted dwarf, and faithful Gurgi, a talking beast poised between the worlds of animals and men. Prince Gwydion is also present, and some new characters: the proud and scornful Ellidyr, the bard Adaon, and of course the the always-entertaining Orwen, Orgoch, and Orddu, the three mysterious Fates who may be found (or not) in the Marshes of Morva.

This is a high adventure that keeps you reading for its own sake, but even as a young reader I appreciated Taran's struggles in dealing with proud people like Ellidyr (who are, sadly, all too common). Even more, I learned to look for the factors that make such people so abrasive: a more profound lesson I am still studying. Never in the least bit preachy, nevertheless Alexander imparted some helpful truths to me that have application far beyond the boundaries of his Prydain.

I'm sure others have mentioned the Disney movie of the same title, lamenting its flattened simplification of the more subtle thrusts of story and character (besides its rather unforgivable sin of smashing several books into one very short cartoon). I can't quite share the hate, having enjoyed the movie for what it tries to do, but of course the books are infinitely better.

Prydain is such a wonderful series to reread as an adult. Next time I revisit it will probably be with my sons! show less

The uneven setup that was [b:The Book of Three|24780|The Book of Three (The Chronicles of Prydain, #1)|Lloyd Alexander|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1405184012s/24780.jpg|1149593] all pays off in this masterpiece. A bland quest narrative in the first book is replaced here by a deep and moving quest, with humor and pathos in equal measure. Instead of a chase for a McGuffin, this book is driven by its characters — the core group introduced in "The Book of Three" bouncing off each other and several interesting newcomers, and more importantly being forced to make several vitally important and resonant choices. "The Black Cauldron" blends elements of fairy tale with epic fantasy; though highly accessible to children it's no less show more enjoyable for adults. It also expands the world of Prydain far more effortlessly than the first book, serving both the purposes of its own plot and mood but also laying the groundwork for the rest of the series. show less

I have to agree with other reviewers (from the Group Read:the Chronicles of Prydain http://www.librarything.com/topic/80785), this book takes on a slightly darker note than [The Book of Three] (first in the series), though it's still fun, and, I think, not too morbid for children. There are new characters and old friends, different ways to become a hero or a villain and the loss of friends (and enemies).

I feel the characterisations are like well drawn sketches (compared to the detail of, say, Robert Jordan's Aes Sedai constantly smoothing their lace-edged skirts); they may not have the depth of detail, but they are consistent, like chattering Eilonwy with her unusual comparisons, and are well written so you can empathise with them - I show more can see why she's always exasperated with Taran, although it's not completely warranted. From my completely adult perspective, it reminds me of two children who are constantly bickering for no particular reason - and I think bickering children would probably identify with them quite easily... show less

The Black Cauldron was the first movie I can recall looking forward to. I'm not sure how I heard about it, but once I was aware, I begged my parents to let me see it. Once they gave in I looked forward to it all week and invited my best friend along. I remember one of the chief attractions being the skeletal army and being slightly disappointed that there wasn't much undead mayhem, but was otherwise ecstatic. I have never re-watched it. I treasure the memory, but realize that it probably wasn't a great movie and that I'd lose a bit of that pleasant memory by subjecting it to adult scrutiny. I thought reading the book would allow me to enjoy my nostalgia without corrupting the memory.

Wow! The movie was a significant departure from the show more book.Some of the core characters are there, Taran, Eilonwy, Gurgi, and my favorite oracular pig. The Horned king, the principle villain of the movie, doesn't even make an appearance in the book, though his minions are out and about. The inspiring (but saccharine) self-sacrifice the destroys the cauldron in the movie is in the novel but is grittier and much less Disney.

I did see that the author, Lloyd Alexander, said the movie did not resemble the book.

I liked the book. Some of the characters seem custom made for a Disney movie, but the work well in print too. The sacrifice of a life to destroy the cauldron is a central fixture in both the film and the book, but the two are of very different character. The movie looks at the sacrifice from a Christlike perspective.It is G rated and Disneyfied and the cute and lovable Gurgi even gets a resurrection. The novel does far better with Ellidyr who never fully reforms from being a genuine asshole and whose sacrifice contains as much 'fuck you,' as it does love for the world. show less

The Black Cauldron is even better than The Book of Three. Alexander's world is lush and vivid, and I have no trouble envisioning the setting of these books. I love that the choices the characters face are nuanced and difficult. They rarely have all of the information they need to feel confident they're choosing well, and---just like in real life---every decision is a leap of faith. They make mistakes and they treat people they care about poorly when they don't mean to. The morals in these books are complex and raise just the questions I want my kids to consider as they grow and take on more and more responsibility for themselves.

Aside from this, though, the books are just fun to read (or "listen to," since we're going through the show more audiobook versions of the Chronicles of Prydain). show less