The Prydain Chronicles

by Lloyd Alexander

Hardcover, 1991

Status

Available

Call number

813.54

Publication

Guild America Books (1991), Edition: Book Club, 767 pages

Description

Six short stories dealing with events that preceded the birth of Taran, a key figure in the author's five works on the Kingdom of Prydain.

Media reviews

Despite Alexander’s remarkable role in the history of existentialism, oddly no one has made any connection between that philosophy and his own work. This makes sense in some ways, as the disgust expressed in Sartre’s Nausea is a far cry from Alexander’s gentle humanism. [...] Yet the
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influence of existentialism can account for exactly what sets Alexander’s work apart from other fantasy series.
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User reviews

LibraryThing member legendaryneo
I read this series originally in 6th and 7th grade. I loved every minute of it. I am now 22 and picked up this collection of all 5 Prydain Chronicles as well as 6, of the 8, short stories about the world of Prydain (excludes Coll and His White Pig and The Truthful Harp). These are now very easy
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reads for me, each being about 120 pages, but they are wonderfully written.

The Prydain Chronicles tells the story of Taran who holds the rank of Assistant Pig Keeper in a small village. From this lowly position he is thrust into a war between good and evil which takes him and molds him into much more than an assistant pig keeper. There will be fighting, there will be magic, there will be love, but more than these there will be honor found, though not always in the way you'd expect.

This is book for any age, young and old. Though I must admit that though I enjoyed the books a great deal when I was younger I now have a deeper understanding for a lot of the emotions the characters have and the decisions based on these. That, and my bad memory, have made this re-reading a brand new experience for me.
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LibraryThing member ragwaine
The Book of Three - I originally read this series when I was about 9. I remember because I was reading one them while walking in my great grandmother's backyard and stumbled over a chain link fence laying on the ground and broke my arm in 2 places. The grass had grown up through it, so I didn't
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notice, didn't help that I had my nose buried in a book (I obviously should have given up reading at that point).

The series has always held a magical place in my heart. I barely ever remember character names, even of my favorite books, but always remembered Taran, Eilonwy and Fflewddur Fflam (it's been almost 40 years!). When I saw the books were available on audio, I started thinking that I would re-read them, I was just worried that I would think they were too childish, but after finishing this one I can see why I loved them so much.

Highly recommended, especially if you're a kid just getting into fantasy. Just don't read them while walking.

Black Cauldron - Read this when I was around 8 and now at 49. I still liked it a lot, although there was some "faulty" logic things that distracted me. Still great, standard fantasy that you should be reading to your kids. I plan on reading the next 3 books, though I was surprised that this one didn't end with a cliffhanger, I thought I remembered it being one overarching story with the cauldron at it's center. I was surprised this one ended so well, that it could be read on it's own. After I'm done with the series I'm going to watch the Disney "Black Cauldron" movie, I'm curious how close it will be to the book.
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LibraryThing member joel1217
There are fantasy books and there are fantasy books, but the Prydain books by Lloyd Alexander are some of the best of the best.

The series which includes The Book of Three, The Black Cauldron, The Castle of Llyr, Taran Wanderer, and The High King, tell the story of the assistant pig-keeper Taran and
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his adventures after meeting an overly talkative princess named Eilonwy. The plot might not be anything new to the hardened fantasy fanatic, but the telling of the tale is what weaves the magic.

Try to come away from this without being happy and I guarantee that you will fail.

Must-read.
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LibraryThing member Karlstar
This book is the basis for the Disney movie, The Black Cauldron. I enjoyed the book, but I don't think it is quite as much of a classic as some people do. Its a good book to read and enjoy, particularly for younger readers. It is sort of a kIng arthur style book, sort of a Disney fairy tale type
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book.
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LibraryThing member DinadansFriend
This is an omnibus volume containing the five Pyrdain novels and some related other stories. I did prefer the Evangeline Walton redaction of the Mabinogion. Alexander has few characters in common with the original Welsh tales and tries to maintain the flavour of the medieval Welsh world. I don't
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think he succeeds, but when he began these novels the Walton redaction was incomplete. So, read them, especially if you are a voung adult or precocious child.
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Language

Original publication date

1991

Physical description

767 p.; 8.2 inches
Page: 0.1168 seconds