The Book of Three

Even though this is a typical classic fantasy book, it gave me a comforting and sort of nostalgic feeling. I haven’t read this book before and I only watched “The Black Cauldron” once as a kid and forgot all about it. Even so, it has a lot of elements I loved in fantasy as a child and that made the story feel familiar. This book also has elements that immediately reminded me of The Lord of the Rings (like Gurgi being similar to Gollum). The book also has some elements of welsh mythology, but I don’t know much about that.

The book starts with the main character Taran wishing to be more than a Pig-Keeper and his adventure starts when the oracular pig Hen Wen runs away so Taran has to go after her. On his search for Hen Wen, Taran show more meets a lot of colourful characters and not all of them are friends. The evil Horned King and his Cauldron-Born are also looking for Hen Wen due to her powers.

The pacing is great. Each chapter has something happening, but it didn’t feel exhaustively action packed. It also didn’t take too much time in the slower character moments that kids would be bored. I also really like that the book is so short because I do have a preference for short books, especially middle grade ones because I am not the target audience and I only seek them for a fun, light and quick read.

The writing style is immersive and there are some really good quotes. I like the overall messages that are realistic without being grim. As always, I also really like the power of names plot that often appears in fantasy stories.

I really liked that both Taran and Eilonwy felt like real kids. They have no experience adventuring and need the help of others. Taran is ignorant about many things and dreams of adventure only to find out it’s not as ideal as he initially thought. Eilonwy is direct in a way that can come off as rude and she talks a lot. I especially liked Taran’s character growth in the way he started to be kinder and longing for home.

I like that this book reinforces that great deeds cannot be done alone because if there is one discussion I am tired of is the “who is the real hero in Lord of the Rings?”. Why is it so hard for people to accept we need others and impactful change isn’t possible to be done by just one individual?

“Does it trully matter which one did what, since all shared the same goal and the same danger? Nothing we do is done entirely alone. There is a part of us in everyone else.”

Overall, this is not the most original story by today’s standards, but it’s short and full of heart and well worth someone’s time if they enjoy the morals and tropes of classic fantasy. show less

This is my take on the entire Chronicles of Prydain and may contain spoilers.

So, I devoured these as a child - except for Taran Wanderer, which went soooo slowly that I remember thinking I would never, ever, finish it - and re-read the series in my thirties. Still good fun, still believe that The Castle of Llyr is the strongest: I must have re-read that one weekly at periods in my childhood.

However, the main flaw in these books, and the reason getting through TW was such a slog, is that the hero is AWFUL. Seriously. I remember finding Taran rather colorless when I was a child, but as an adult reader I just want to smack him. He spends the first two books whining, "I want to fiiiiight I want to fiiiiiight LET ME BE A MAN WAAAA," and the show more next three intoning stuff like, "Yea, when I was a mere lad I too believed that battle contains glory but lo, it contains far more of grief," and frankly the whining is less irritating. I couldn't stand TW because it's nothing but him, gaining Wisdom and Sadness and Smugness, and none of the lovable secondary characters appear. (Full disclosure: as an eight-year-old, I was utterly in love with Fflewddur Fflam, and I still find him crush-worthy.)

Also, the character of Eilonwy doesn't age well: yes, she fights next to the men and all that, but I found myself thinking that if she stamped her foot, tossed her hair, and childishly informed her love interest, "I'm not speaking to you anymore!" one more time I would throw the book across the room; and then I encountered that combination of actions about twenty more times. I found myself constantly creeped out by the presentation of her as a love interest for a grown man, because she acts about eleven years old.

In conclusion, my findings as an adult: still enjoyable, still populated by some excellent characters, and I still want my own giant mountain lion. But the hero is obnoxious in a major way, and the deaths of so many of the excellent secondary characters are all the more devastating if you're not particularly interested in your hero making it through. show less

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 show more 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. show less

If you want to introduce your children to epic fantasy, I honestly believe The Chronicles of Prydain is the way to go. It's a stepping stone series - I saw another reviewer call it "Lord of the Rings for children" and that's a really fair assessment. There's adventure, humans and magical creatures, a main character with humble beginnings... and all of it is steeped in Welsh mythology. I really did appreciate it for what it was.

That said, if you're an experienced traverser in the genre, a little older, and don't have a nostalgic connection to it... The Book of Three may be a little boring. It moves so quickly and there's a he unbalance between action and dialogue. The characters have interesting backstories as they're spoken, but the show more writing still feels a bit shallow? If this had been written today with all the options available, I would expect much more. But this book is a little over 60 years old, and things that are tired to us were fantastic at publication.

I want to say that this three star review is based very much on me and where I am at in my reading journey *now*. I'm a seasoned reader of epic fantasy - it's my favorite genre - and as such, I'm accustomed to more complicated plots and a bit more depth to my characters. For what it is, when it was written, and the audience it was trying to reach - The Book of Three is pretty good! It was just too simple and trope-filled to get a higher star-rating from me. show less

Lloyd Alexander was one of the patron saints of my reading youth, and I don't know how many times I checked out the Prydain Chronicles from our local library. The Book of Three is the first in the series and introduces the main characters: Taran, Assistant Pig-Keeper; Eilonwy, princess; Fflewddur Fflam, bard and sometime king; Gurgi, nondescript talking creature; and Gwydion, noble prince and warrior.

Taran, an orphan under the care of the wise enchanter Dallben, is discontent with his quiet lot taking care of the oracular pig Hen-Wen. But when Hen senses a malevolent evil and flees, Taran must find her and soon meets enough adventure and danger to satisfy even the most restless of Assistant Pig-Keepers. Along the way he meets the show more feisty Eilonwy, smelly Gurgi, and (mostly) honest Fflewddur — all old friends of mine.

Reading it now, I see how deeply Alexander was influenced by Tolkien. Gurgi = a friendly-fied Gollum, Gwydion = Aragorn, Arawn = Sauron, Cauldron-Born = Ringwraiths, etc. More in the second book than the first there's the concept of a single evil weapon that will ensure the Dark Lord's success and can only be destroyed at great personal cost. But there's so much that's different, too, drawing on the rich legendarium of Welsh mythology.

A small quibble, but one only strengthened by this mature reread: right in the first chapter, Dallben's detailed discourse to Taran explaining the Book of Three is awkwardly inserted. Yes, we need to know the info, but the occasion for such a clear info-dump is not convincing. I remember thinking before how awkwardly it was done, and this reread only confirmed it. Thankfully, there are no more such missteps in the rest of the series. So strange that it would land in the first chapter, which is usually given such intense editorial scrutiny.

Besides that one qualm, I love this book. The action is engaging, the characters well rounded, the humor funny, the stakes high. The Book of the Three is a classic young adult fantasy tale that opens a series of equal quality. I can't wait for my children to experience it the first time! show less

Taran has grown up in small Caer Dallben. He has dreams of being a glorious warrior, but is dubbed Assistant Pig Keeper instead (although Hen Wen is a very special "oracular" pig). Hen escapes when the Horned King comes near, and Taran vows to find her, taking him on a journey through Prydain (Wales-but-not). He crosses paths with noble Prince Gwydion, clever Eilonwy (who helps him escape from Achren's Spiral Castle), ape-like, food-motivated Gurgi, a good-hearted king-turned-failed-bard called Fflewddur (prone to exaggeration; his harp strings snap whenever he lies); and a dwarf called Doli, who holds his breath to attempt invisibility, but who has other more useful skills. As they search for Hen Wen throughout the country, they have a show more new goal as well: to reach Gwydion's home and warn them about Arawn's Horned King and the Cauldron-born, enemies of Prydain.

A wonderful classic fantasy adventure, laced with humor as well as high stakes. show less

The Book of Three introduces us to the young Taran, who is itching to be a hero. Through a series of setbacks and errors, he gathers a little band of misfits- Eilonwy, Gurgi and Fflewddur Fflam. It sets the stage for the rest of the series while remaining a good standalone book.

I first read this book way back in sixth grade as an assignment. At the time, I had never read fantasy, and really had no urge to do so. But I gave the book a chance because I loved my teacher. I'm so glad I did- this series has remained one of my favorites. I love how Taran grows throughout this book. His character starts out as a little whiny teenager (of which I have a lot of experience as a mom!) but ends up recognizing that there are more important issues show more in the world than what he wants for himself. I also love the character of Eilonwy. She is feisty and doesn’t let others (namely Taran) force her to do things she doesn’t want to do. show less