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28th out of 30 books
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The Foundling and Other Tales of Prydain (The Chronicles of Prydain)
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 prin...more
Paperback, 128 pages
Published
May 16th 2006
by Henry Holt and Co. BYR Paperbacks
(first published 1973)
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Realistically, this should probably only merit three stars as a book on its own. But these stories aren't really meant to be read on their own, it's meant to be read after the Chronicles of Prydain series proper. And as a last visit to the world, a fleshing out of various small bits of the backstory, and a set of Aesop-like fables, The Foundling is a very enjoyable success.
Also, each story takes about ten minutes or less to read, so it's a quick one.
Also, each story takes about ten minutes or less to read, so it's a quick one.
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This is a collection of short stories which introduce the reader to some of the characters and objects which play a role in the The Chronicles of Prydain. The Foundling was published after the 5 books in The Chronicles, but each story takes place before the events in The Book of Three, the first in the series.
I liked that these stories gave us a further glimpse into Prydain, which I am sad to leave with the conclusion of The High King, however I was quite disappointed by the quality...more
I liked that these stories gave us a further glimpse into Prydain, which I am sad to leave with the conclusion of The High King, however I was quite disappointed by the quality...more
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This one doesn't really stand out on its own, but then it probably isn't supposed to; it's really more of a supplement. It wasn't marketed as "Book 6 of the Chronicles of Prydain" when I was growing up. In fact, a lot people I've talked to who've read the other five haven't even heard of this one.
Most of the stories I only have vague recollections of. The one about the harp was fun, but would have been better if I hadn't already known about why the strings would break all ...more
Most of the stories I only have vague recollections of. The one about the harp was fun, but would have been better if I hadn't already known about why the strings would break all ...more
While I appreciate the effort to get a few more stories out of the Prydain mythology, I can't help but feel like these were just hastily tacked on. Not only because the book is about 90 or so pages, but also because each story just lacked the depth and quality of his full novels. Maybe Mister Alexander was not a great short story writer. Who knows? But despite that, it was a nice addition to the collection and satisfying enough to read again. The stories he chose to write fleshed out enough...more
Lest anyone be super impressed that I’ve managed to finish another book this week; this book is neither long, nor is it “difficult” reading in any sense of the word. This is not to say it’s not worthwhile, merely that it isn’t something I’d pick up if you’re looking for a serious intellectual challenge.
The Foundling is a collection of short stories set in the same setting as Lloyd Alexander’s more well-known and popular Chronicles of Prydain; essentially, it’s a prequel b...more
The Foundling and Other Tales of Prydain was not essential to the understanding of the Prydain Chronicles. However, it was enjoyable and told a little extra that I hungered for after ending the final book of the series. It gives little snapshots of some of the characters that I spent two weeks growing to love (and some that I hated), to satisfy the little craving for more after finishing a good series.
The only reason I gave this four stars was because it is simply too short. In some ways this book is a wonderful transition to reality after finishing The Chronicles of Prydain. Lloyd Alexander graciously gives us just a little more time in the world he has created. However, these stories occur before the first book in the series proper. Reading this book is somewhat like getting to spend time with one of your favorite people before you ever met them. You get a chance to see what their life was ...more
I enjoyed this little collection of tales. Each story had a fairy tale or mythic feel, and was fun to read. Although the stories are pretty light and probably don't add that much to the Prydain series, they are a tasty treat, either as an after-dinner treat or an appetizer for the reading of the rest of the series. Essential reading? Maybe not. But a treat just the same.
A wonderful collection of tales written after Alexander wrote the five books of the Prydain Chronicles. The stories within this volume contain many of the main characters of the chronicles and can be read before or after the larger series. Some of the tales are better than others but they each have a lesson to tell. They read like extended fables or moral tales.
Read this series when I was 16. The books are recommended for 8 to 12 but, hey, back then it was like pulling teeth to get me interested in reading. It was the year my parents were first separated and these books did their job of providing some well-needed escape for me. I'm sure it paved the way for my interest in finally picking up LoTR and CoN later on in life.
Certainly some heavy-handed moralizing here, but that mostly fits the classic fairy tale feel. I do think the author could have done a better job with the clunky fantasy-book names he gave his characters.
And thanks, Mrs. Shipley, for giving me this book in the third grade! And for inscribing to that effect inside the cover. Very awesome.
And thanks, Mrs. Shipley, for giving me this book in the third grade! And for inscribing to that effect inside the cover. Very awesome.
Lloyd Alexander, The Foundling and Other Tales of Prydain (Henry Holt, 1970)
Alexander returned briefly (and I do mean briefly; this book runs just ninety-six pages) to Prydian, the Wales-inspired land of his classic Tarn cycle, for a series of short stories detailing some of the prehistory of the characters that came to be so beloved in the series, including Dallben and Coll, and the history of some of its items (notable Dyrnwyn and Fflewdur Fflam's harp). If you've read the series r...more
Alexander returned briefly (and I do mean briefly; this book runs just ninety-six pages) to Prydian, the Wales-inspired land of his classic Tarn cycle, for a series of short stories detailing some of the prehistory of the characters that came to be so beloved in the series, including Dallben and Coll, and the history of some of its items (notable Dyrnwyn and Fflewdur Fflam's harp). If you've read the series r...more
I would recommend reading the rest of the series first, although I guess this is technically a prequel. I like the additional explanations it gives of characters and objects that are involved in the series, but I don't think it would be too interesting as an introduction.
These short stories were fantastic! I loved reading them to my boys because they taught life lessons in such an interesting setting! I will definitely buy this book and read it again and again to them! Lloyd Alexander is a great writer and storyteller!
I loved the Chronicles of Prydain, and these weren't bad stories. They were actually kinda Aesop's Fable-y with a Prydain twist. But I did feel like these stories were somewhat thrown together hastily and much too short. So a good middling 3 stars it is.
This book is a series of short stories set in the realm of Prydain. It is an interesting set of stories, as it gives you a bit of backstory for many of the magical objects in the books and some of the characters, as well as adventures that were hinted at in the main story but were not actually revealed.
The Foundling sort of suffers as most short story collections do, in that the stories are too short to have any real substance to them. They read quickly, but suffer from their brevi...more
The Foundling sort of suffers as most short story collections do, in that the stories are too short to have any real substance to them. They read quickly, but suffer from their brevi...more
Short stories based on characters and events from the Prydain Chronicles series. Interesting to read additional little details about the series but not that exciting.
This is the prequel to The Book of Three. It was written last but explains what came first in the Prydain series. I would reccomend reading this before "The Book of Three" because "The Book of Three" can be confusing without this information.
Nicole Acheson
added it
This book is a prequel to the Chronicles of Prydain series. This book fills in some of the gaps left in the other books that were not answered. This book is very short but it is interesting.
Gareth
added it
This was the last of the black cauldron series, I didn't read them as a kid, but I have always loved the disney movie. I really enjoyed reading the series during my recent bout of unproductivity.
A charming collection of stories about Prydain and its characters. I adore the Prydain chronicles, and its always nice to learn more about the people in the tales.
For someone who loved the Chronicles of Prydain as much as I did, it was a joy to learn more about the world in these well-crafted short stories.
Very interested in reading other Lloyd Alexander books. Not a genre I'm usually into, but he really engaged me.
Short stories that relate to the Prydain chronicles that include The Black Cauldron. Enjoyable quick read.
So fun. A very quick little collection, but great stories if you love the Prydain series.
A book of short stories set in the land of Prydain. Good for an afternoon read.
April
marked it as to-read
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Goodk little short stores that go with the High King series. I was given "Coll and His White Pig" as a separate book back when I read the High King series. I may have read this book previously since some of the tales sounded familiar however. It was just a fast fun read.
This series holds great memories for me. The first summer in our new house my sister read these books to me. She felt I would love them, but I didn't think I would read them on my own, so every night after dinner, we would go into her room (our very first time with our own rooms), close the door, and we would delve into the wonderful world of Taran, Eilonwy, Gurgi, and Hen-Wen. It was the best summer ever and great stories to boot!
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Lloyd Chudley Alexander (January 30, 1924 - May 17, 2007) was an influential American author of more than forty books, mostly fantasy novels for children and adolescents, as well as several adult books. His most famous contribution to the field of children's literature is the fantasy series The Chronicles of Prydain. The concluding book of the series, The High King, was awarded the Newbery Medal i...more
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