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May 08, 2008

Don rated it:

This is a very nice young readers book about a young man who is given a book with a secret map inside by a bookseller who then myteriously disappears. The young man, Carlo Chuchio, heads off to find the treasure marked on the map, picking up along the way the world's worst camel-puller who finds an excuse whenever work comes around to get out of, an ex-scholar who is learning in the "classroom of the world" and who finds everything fascinating, and a young woman Carlo, of course, falls More...

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Mar 27, 2009

Elizabeth rated it:

I can't help but compare this book to Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist, since the plot involves a boy following his dream and looking for hidden treasure in the desert, falling in love along the way. The covers of certain editions even look similar to me. The tone, however, is quite different: while Coelho's book constantly waxes philosophical, Alexander's is more lighthearted and geared toward children. Like many an Alexander novel, there is a cast of quirky characters, including the indecisive her More...

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Jul 29, 2011

Jeff rated it:

I recently read The Golden Dream of Carlo Chuchio (2007), Lloyd Alexander's last book, assuming no further posthumous publications are on the way. The Golden Dream was not on my ever-growing list of books to read, but the gold and blue spine--think Morocco--shouts for attention on a library shelf. The cover artist and designer deserve some serious praise. I'm glad I read it and recommend it to anyone looking for a good story.

Like many of Alexander's stories, The Golden Dream records More...

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Jul 24, 2009

Angela rated it:

This book is a decent example of Alexander's general body of work: quirky but good-hearted characters in a rich, mystical setting; fast-paced plot and clever dialogue; a long and daunting journey filled with bad guys and good guys and guys that seemed like one but turned out to be the other; gentle romance between our hero and the brave, feisty female with whom he feels himself a fool, while she sees the good in him and loves him back.

The most unique and beautiful thing about this bo More...

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Aug 02, 2009

Susan rated it:

Carlo Chuchio is a day dreamer who can never quite please his merchant uncle. In the market he find a storyteller who gives him a book of tales. Rather than working, he sits hidden away and reads the fanciful tales. In the spine of the book he finds an old map that he believes will lead him to untold treasure. Frustrated, his uncle kicks him out of his employ and his house and Carlo goes in search of the treasure along the “Road of Golden Dreams”. Along the way he meets interesting characte More...

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May 28, 2009

John rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Jun 21, 2011

Rachel rated it:

Not Alexander's strongest work, which is understandable, considering that it was written at the very end of his life and published posthumously. All Alexander's characteristic, much-loved devices are here - the exotic setting, the feckless dreaming boy going off on a mad quest, the eccentric supporting character, the fiery and wounded love interest, the half-mad sage - but they have lost some of their resonance and freshness, despite the fact that, in a dozen previous books he managed to keep th More...

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Jan 18, 2008

Jenny rated it:

Lloyd Alexanders last book before his death. I have been a fan of his books for years, and happened across it at the Library. It's just like his other books in some ways. Young man goes off to seek adventure or money, and meets some very interesting characters on the journaey. Usually there is a surprise ending! I really liked it, and want to start a collection of his books on my bookshelves.

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May 13, 2008

June rated it:

I got into Lloyd Alexander when I was in 5th grade and my Mother began reading me the Prydain series. (It is still one of my favorites and I enjoy it much more than Narnia) This is quick read and quite enjoyable, but not as great as Prydain.

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Dec 25, 2010

George rated it:

This is the first book of Alexander's that I've read that wasn't part of The Chronicles of Prydain. I was in the mood for something enjoyable, but not too demanding, and this book was perfect for that. It's a fairly straightforward adventure story about a boy who heads East in search of treasure, based on a map he found in an old book. Along the way he picks up some quirky companions, and there's plenty of peril, all ending in a battle against a sinister villain. It reminded me quite strongly of More...

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Mar 04, 2008

Jamie rated it:

I know this is sacrilege for a librarian, but I find Lloyd Alexander dead boring, and this book was no exception. I'd love to hear from kids who think differently, especially about this particular book. boring boring boring

2 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 10, 2009

Sandra rated it:

Lloyd Alexander tells a good tale. This one's set in an Arabian Knights fantasy world with deserts and mountains, souks and Bedouin (by a different name, of course). The protagonist's no Aladdin, however. He's a dreamer who loses his job and is forced to live by his wits, which aren't in evidence for awhile. He finds a map to a fabulous treasure--and decided, predictably, to journey after it. His innocence doesn't last long. He collects a series of friends and advisors who help him along t More...

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Dec 18, 2010

Nicole rated it:

If I could award 2-1/2 stars, that's what this one would get. I listened to this one as an audio book, so maybe it was the reading that bothered me more than the book itself. I'm not sure.

This one would make a great discussion on what makes a good leader, but the story itself didn't grip me as much as others by Alexander. I did finish it; so it was intriguing enough to want to know what would happen next and not get discarded into the "abandoned books" pile. It has a go More...

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Apr 08, 2011

Annie rated it:

I can never resist a book by Lloyd Alexander. I started this with Sam, but after a chapter dealing with human trafficking I decided I'd better read ahead a bit. Probably because I have read many books by Alexander, and most of these multiple times, the plot and characters were VERY familiar and predictable, and perhaps because I left the target age range for this book more than twenty years ago, it also lacked much if the charm and freshness of Akexander's earlier works. I still read it in only More...

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Jan 04, 2012

Janet rated it:

I'm doing some closet purging, and I found this book. I'm not a book owner--most of the books I read come from the library. This book was passed on to me by a teacher friend who couldn't get into it, and I kept it because it is a classic quest story. An excellent selection for middle school boy (or girl) readers. Not only that, it was Lloyd Alexander's posthumously published last book. If you've read Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist, you might like this young adult version.....and it's now out More...

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Sep 10, 2010

Terence rated it:

Like The Iron Ring, which I reviewed here, The Golden Dream is a lucid, well written, sprightly tale about a young man, his true love, a mischievous companion and a wise teacher who take the symbolic journey from childhood to adulthood, from ignorance to wisdom.

In this case, the journey takes place in an alternate Earth that's never fleshed out. Carlo Chuchio, our hero, starts out in Magenta, which may (it's never clear) be a city on the island of Sicily. He is expelled from Magenta More...

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Apr 20, 2010

Ms. rated it:

I chose to read THE GOLDEN DREAM OF CARLO CHUCHIO, because I have adored much of Lloyd Alexander's work over the years. It seemed only fitting to read his last work.

Carlo discovers a hidden map of riches in a book purchased from a mysterious merchant at the local market. With the map in hand, Carlo decides to go on a grand adventure in order to locate the treasure. Along the way, he meets many unusual characters, including a servant that doesn't seem to do much work and a mysterio More...

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Nov 14, 2008

Felicity rated it:

I give this five stars under its influence. Only time will tell if it lives up to them, by growing in my mind or drawing me back to re-read.

I have always loved Lloyd Alexander's writing, and this, his last book, seems to stand among his greater works. Golden Dream has the inimitable style, the ragtag companions and the innocent romance that characterize Lloyd Alexander in general, but it also has a thread of deeper meaning and seeking that is characteristic of my favorite Alexander More...

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Sep 20, 2010

Luann rated it:

The Golden Dream of Carlo Chuchio is an adventure and coming-of-age quest where the journey, the lessons learned, and the people encountered, are more important than the original reason for the quest. Along the way, Carlo meets Baksheesh, a camel-puller who spends more time complaining and riding the camel than pulling; Shira, a girl who is determined to make it home again and find out what happened to her family; and Salamon, a wise scholar who is good with animals and enjoys the journey no ma More...

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Jun 29, 2008

Amitha rated it:

This is the last novel of Lloyd Alexander, author of The Chronicles of Prydain. I was both excited and worried about reading this book. I loved the Chronicles of Prydain as a kid, but was afraid this book would be awful in comparison. Thankfully, this was not the case.

This story is about a young man named Carlo Chuchio, a character who is not as appealing as that lovable assistant pig-keeper Taran, but still interesting nonetheless. Carlo "the chooch" sets off on an adven More...

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Jul 21, 2010

Jeannie rated it:

Delightful! Fun characters, plenty of action, and some fun gems of wisdom. I was thinking about including this in a reading contest for 6th and 7th graders, but some of the book's charm may be lost on that age group as part of a school-wide reading contest, even if it is appropriate enough. Anyway, the book can certainly be enjoyed by many young readers and adults as well. This was the first Lloyd Alexander book I've read, but it certainly won't be my last.

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Mar 18, 2011

Rebekah rated it:

I was a bit disappointed because Lloyd Alexander is one of my all-time favorite authors, but I thought this was too gory, especially for a kids. The beginning was hilarious and then... I thought it kinda went down-hill from there, but I still think it's worth reading since it's his last book and he wrote it the year he died. Isn't that amazing? Lloyd Alexander is amazing. I still love him even though I don't love this book.

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Feb 11, 2010

Julie marked it as to-read

Carlo is off to find treasure marked on a map he has discovered in an old book. After crossing a raging sea, Carlo and his lazy camel puller, Baksheesh, along with a young woman, Shira, and a wise man, Salamon, travel the dangerous Road of Golden Dreams through an Arabian Nights style Middle East. The characters and plot are what we would expect from the late master storyteller Lloyd Alexander.

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Sep 15, 2011

Jenny rated it:

Carlo is a daydreaming boy who is thrown out by his merchant uncle after he finds a treasure map. Carlo's journey follows the Golden Path through bandits, battles, deserts, and more. Carlo befriends Bakshesh, a useless camel puller, a girl Shira, who he first meets disgused as a boy, and Soloman the wandering wise man. Together they may make it to the treasure.

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May 03, 2009

Jacquelyn rated it:

The book was good, it seemed kind of distant, like the plot was far away from the reader, sort of eluding. Also, I figured the climax of the entire book was the part where Carlo was supposed to fight the bad guy (not telling who), but it seemed really short and boring. It was an OK book and is enjoyable to people who like long journeys and interesting characters.

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Feb 06, 2009

Sarah rated it:

Lloyd Alexander is one of my all-time favorite authors. This final book (published after his death) takes all the usual adventures and character types to an exotic Arabian fairy land. The last few chapters, where Carlo Chooch waxes eloquent about the nature and purpose of adventure, life, and story, are worth copying down.

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Jan 18, 2011

Karen rated it:

Good quick read, but none of the character development that is so great in his Prydain books. The secondary characters are fun, but almost seem to be a replay of other characters he has written. If I hand't beeen comparing to his other books I probably wouldn't have noticed and just enjoyed it as a fun quick adventure.

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Aug 04, 2011

Heather rated it:

This book was so much fun to read! This adventure story (complete with treasure map, love interest, and seller of dreams) kept my intrigued and amused--it would be worth reading just to listen to the hilarious dialogue of Carlo's rogue camel puller! I'm so glad that Alexander lived to share this one last gem.

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Apr 11, 2010

Hillary rated it:

I loved this book- if you are going to have a life changing journey is should be in a far away desert. I like the main character Carlo he was wise for his years, unlike many treasure hunters. This wonderful books really makes you think about your life journey and what is truly important.

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Jun 15, 2009

Jake rated it:

If you're familiar with the five Chronicles of Prydain books (The Book of Three, The Black Cauldron, etc.), then you'll know this author and his style. One of my kids brought this one home over the weekend and I found it a very entertaining read.

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