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The Book of Three

(The Chronicles of Prydain #1)

Lloyd Alexander

3.97 · Rating details · 75,874 ratings · 3,314 reviews

Taran wanted to be a hero, and looking after a pig wasn't exactly heroic, even though Hen Wen was an oracular pig. But the day that Hen Wen vanished, Taran was led into an enchanting and perilous world. With his band of followers, he confronted the Horned King and his terrible Cauldron-Born. These were the forces of evil, and only Hen Wen knew the secret of keeping the kin ...more

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Paperback, 224 pages

Published January 1969 by Dell Yearling (first published March 12th 1964)

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Feb 27, 2008 Bryce Wilson rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, fantasy

Blast From The Past Year Zero:

Hooboy. I have conflicted feelings about the book, and my feelings about those conflicted feelings are also conflicted. So there's that.

To make a long story short I loved this series when I was kid, I needed to pick up a gift for my nephew who is apparently Mini-Me, so I grabbed him the first couple of books in this series. Figured I'd give him something better to read then the Eragon type crap he's reading now. Of course I couldn't resist but take a look at them Blast From The Past Year Zero:

Hooboy. I have conflicted feelings about the book, and my feelings about those conflicted feelings are also conflicted. So there's that.

To make a long story short I loved this series when I was kid, I needed to pick up a gift for my nephew who is apparently Mini-Me, so I grabbed him the first couple of books in this series. Figured I'd give him something better to read then the Eragon type crap he's reading now. Of course I couldn't resist but take a look at them first, after all it's been about ten years since I've read these things.

I was both satisfied and disappointed. To get the bad out of the way what my twelve year old self didn't notice is that Lloyd Alexander is not a particularly graceful writer. One could even call him clunky. If one was cruel one could say that he lays on exposition like it's fucking mortar. Also it's pretty clear now that Alexander is basically doing Tolkien for kids, right down to the grotesque man creature with a panache for talking in the third person, a wise mentor who "falls into darkness" only to come out with a greater understanding of the world and Olde English mythology. The characters who once lived in my mind now come off as pretty flat and the quest that once seemed so important is now kind of pat. Some of these things would deepen as the series went on, some wouldn't.

That said, what still holds this above the crap mill of JK Rowling wannabes that passes as young adult fantasy literature today, is the fact that there is a real imagination burning beneath this thing. He didn't write it because that's where the money is, he wrote it because he felt he had too. Also I have to love the fact that someone apparently told Lloyd Alexander that the purpose of Young Adult literature is to scare the shit out of young adults. The main antagonist The Horned King, goes around wearing a human skull his arms literally stained red from blood, and is introduced burning men alive inside wicker baskets.

I'm always going to have an affection for these books, as far as I can recall they are the first ones that made me write. So I owe my life of poverty and degradation to Mr. Alexander at least in part. Still I couldn't help but be a bit disappointed. Was I unfair? It is after all a children's book, the point of which is not to confuse the shit out of children.

Yeah I probably was unfair, but what can I say? You always expect more from the one's you love. ...more

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Apr 26, 2008 Ryen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I really liked this book but I liked it even more because I got to read it with my dad.

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Apr 28, 2014 Michelle rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: prydain, for-kids-and-kidults

There are certain books that beg to be read over and over again throughout our lives. To return to a book is a sign of love and dedication. It's a sign that the book was just that good! It is as familiar as greeting an old friend, and sometimes there's a comfort in that reunion. One series that I’ve returned to countless of times is Lloyd Alexander’s “The Chronicles of Prydain”-- and it all started when I stumbled upon “The Book of Three” in my elementary library.

The setting of the story is Pry There are certain books that beg to be read over and over again throughout our lives. To return to a book is a sign of love and dedication. It's a sign that the book was just that good! It is as familiar as greeting an old friend, and sometimes there's a comfort in that reunion. One series that I’ve returned to countless of times is Lloyd Alexander’s “The Chronicles of Prydain”-- and it all started when I stumbled upon “The Book of Three” in my elementary library.

The setting of the story is Prydain, a land pulled from Alexander’s love for Wales and Welsh mythology. The story has a host of would-be heroes: from the enchanter, to a retired warrior, to an heir-apparent of the High King of Prydain, to an errant king-who-would-be-bard, to a fiery princess from an ancient magical line. Alexander could have chosen any of these characters to be the hero in his classic children’s fantasy but, instead, he chooses the boy whose job it is to help take care of the pig.

That boy is Taran, an Assistant Pig-Keeper living on a small, isolated farm. Taran is bored with his peaceful life under the care of the farmer Coll and the old magician Dallben. He longs for adventure and the chance to perform heroic deeds, and finds them sooner than he expects when the search for the runaway oracular pig, Hen Wen, draws him into a battle between good and evil. In his quest, he meets the brave Prince Gwydion, the fiery Princess Eilonwy, the bard Fflewddur Fflam, the creature Gurgi, and the dwarf Doli. He is both seeking Hen Wen and headed to warn the High King that the Horned King is planning an attack; and on the way, finds himself faced with choices he had never imagined.

The plot may seem like your typical Fantasy fare -- it sounds like tween Tolkien. But in truth, it's an exceptional work for young readers, drawing from the same deep well of European myth as Tolkien but delivering its complex story with simple, elegant language that kids can immediately embrace. Prydain grew into something more than a thinly disguised ancient Wales; undeniably, it was similar to that land, but reshaped by the addition of contemporary realism, modern values, and a generous dose of humor, as well as the special depth and insight provided by characters who not only act, but think, feel, and struggle with the same kinds of problems that confuse and trouble people in our time.

The series, taken as a whole, is Bildungsroman, and “The Book of Three” is only the beginning of Taran’s transformation. He has no great powers, no hidden strengths. He doesn’t discover that he’s the chosen one, or even dig deep into some well of previously untapped strength to rally for a strong finish. He is much like you and me: an ordinary, often weak, self-doubting person, bumbling through a life journey, who gets to the end, looks back, and wonders if he contributed anything of value at all. As such, Taran’s perspective and the changes he goes through can act like a mirror to us: it reminds us that heroes more often lead quiet lives -- that in actuality they are more ordinary than extraordinary.

This is the start of my first Fantasy series. This is the one that started me on my long trek through hundreds of other great books and dozens of other great series. I still love this series to this very day! The strength of “The Chronicles of Prydain” is the way the books build on each other. “The Book of Three”, when you look at it by itself, may be considered the weakest in the series -- but the whole is greater than its parts and should be consumed as such.

My review for the whole series can be found here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

There is a web comic adaptation of “The Book of Three” (ongoing), by the talented artist Dawn Davidson. which can be found here:
http://thebookofthree.thecomicseries....
...more

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Feb 15, 2018 Paul Christensen rated it liked it · review of another edition

Lloyd Alexander to Welsh tradition
As Tolkien's Germanic: noble mission.

But worse than ‘The Hobbit’ - please explain?
Because the prose style's more mundane.

The rest of the series, though, remember,
Only gets better, fanning the embers

Fiercer and brighter in later books;
From The Black Cauldron onwards, you're hooked.
...more

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Nov 21, 2019 Spencer Orey rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: mg-fantasy

A good classic. I first read this book when I was about 8 years old, and I remember loving it back then. It was fun to revisit it now, and thankfully, it aged surprisingly well!

There are a lot of subtle layers here underneath what is an otherwise Tolkien-inspired book for kids.

The assistant pig keeper Taran starts out surprisingly unlikable, but whenever he does something kind, the world responds in turn. His quest is a bit generic, but there are a lot of funny flashes that make things great. Ea ...more

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Jan 24, 2008 Madeline rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: all-time-favorites, kids-and-young-adult, fantasy

Back in the days before Harry Potter, I was too young to get through Tolkien and wasn't interested in The Chronicles of Narnia - fortunately, I had The Chronicles of Prydain.
The series (there are five books in all) takes place in a setting similar to Wales in the Middle Ages. The main character is an assistant pig-keeper named Taran - the reason there's a need for both a pig-keeper and an assistant is because the pig in question can predict the future. The books are full of witches, magic sword ...more

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Jul 22, 2019 Swaroop Kanti rated it really liked it · review of another edition

"The mightier the foe, the greater the glory."

The Book of Three has been a wonderful read, filled with adventures, heroism and fun.

This is the tale of Taran, known as the assistant pig-keeper, and his fellow heroes the charming Eilonwy, the truth-stretching Flfewddur Fflam, and the cute hairball-like but devoted Gurgi.

Magical, Adorable and Enjoyable! ...more

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May 14, 2007 Alana rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, 2009_12_december, redheads

Whenever I'm at my parents' home, surrounded by the books of my childhood, I will inevitably pick one up and read. This time, I selected the first of Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles: The Book of Three. If you haven't read Lloyd Alexander at all, then I feel terribly sorry for your sad and empty childhood.

The basic plot should seem quite familiar: a peaceful land threatened by evil and the people who must band together to save it. It's the telling of the story that really makes it unique, th Whenever I'm at my parents' home, surrounded by the books of my childhood, I will inevitably pick one up and read. This time, I selected the first of Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles: The Book of Three. If you haven't read Lloyd Alexander at all, then I feel terribly sorry for your sad and empty childhood.

The basic plot should seem quite familiar: a peaceful land threatened by evil and the people who must band together to save it. It's the telling of the story that really makes it unique, though.The Prydain Chronicles consist of five books with an epic fantasy storyline, heavily modeled upon Welsh lore. The first book in the series is The Book of Three, where we are introduced to our key players and get our first taste of the threat to Prydain. The dark lord Arawn is mustering forces in his kingdom of Annuvin, led by his champion the Horned King. For years the Sons of Don, who rule Prydain, have kept Arawn in check, but nevertheless, Arawn appears to be making movements to start a war.

Taran is a young man, hungry for adventure and excitement, though he spends his days working on the farm of Caer Dallben. Of course, it isn't quite a normal farm -- among the animals is Hen Wen (an oracular pig of great fame and importance, though Taran has seen no evidence of her powers) and the owner of the farm is Dallben (a scholar and wizard who is over three hundred years old). Still, Taran wishes to learn swordplay and fight like his hero, Prince Gwydion. When he longs for a title and destiny, Coll (a middle aged farmer that is clearly more than he appears to be) names Taran "Assistant Pig Keeper." So when a disturbance causes the animals to flee and Hen Wen to escape, Taran feels responsible and so he runs after her. Almost immediately, Taran discovers that the animals fled because the Horned King is near and Taran becomes injured. He wakes up to find his hero, Prince Gwydion, caring for his injury. Gwydion had been traveling to learn something from Hen Wen, and so he joins Taran in his search for the pig.

As they search, we meet several important characters along the way. Gurgi, a half-animal/half-human creature, tells them that he saw Hen Wen being pursued by the Horned King. After being captured by some of Arawn's fearsome Cauldron-Born (soulless warriors created from the dead), they meet the evil enchantress Queen Achren, who offers Gwydion the chance to join her and with her help, rule Prydain and overthrow Arawn. When he refuses, she throws him and Taran into separate dungeon cells. Taran then meets Princess Eilonwy, a young enchantress of the House of Llyr who is supposed to be learning from her Aunt Achren (though Eilonwy is not convinced that they're related). Eilonwy helps Taran escape and also manages to free "his companion in the other cell," though once they escape and the castle has somehow collapsed, killing everyone still inside (which we later learn is due to Eilonwy's removing a particular sword of power from the castle as they fled), it's discovered that the man Eilonwy rescued from the other cell is not Gwydion. He is Fflewddur Fflam, a king who has given up his kingdom to be an unofficial bard, though he owes his talent to his magic harp, whose strings snap when Fflewddeur bends the truth -- which is quite often. Believing that Gwydion must be dead, Taran takes it upon himself to travel to Caer Dathyl to warn the House of Don, but he is not alone, as Gurgi, Eilonwy and Fflewddur (not to mention Gwydion's very wise horse Melyngar) insist on accompanying him. After a chance meeting with Medwyn, a healer who protects animals, and an encounter with the Fair Folk adds a dwarf named Doli (who cannot turn invisible, unlike the rest of his family, to his intense irritation) to their party, they ultimately must fight and stand against the Horned King.

Not to worry -- we're just at the beginning of the story, so all ends well (Hen Wen is found! Gwydion isn't dead! The Horned King is defeated!), but it's clear that there is real danger afoot that will enter into future books. I challenge you to try and not fall in love with Taran, a very real young man with a good heart who gets the adventure he wants, yet still comes to understand the importance of home and peace. He learns and matures through lots of errors, but is also capable of making the right decision in the face of pressure. He ultimately prevails in this first challenge with the help of his traveling companions. As with all Lloyd Alexander novels, the best part is the sense of comedy and whimsy. Eilonwy talks a great deal and is quick to take Taran down a few notches whenever he's too uptight. As a princess with red-gold hair, it's not hard to understand why this redhead always loved her, but she is a charming and outspoken girl, an excellent role model for young ladies, as she never shies away from a fight and always speaks her mind. Fflewddeur is charming as he repeatedly exaggerates, causing harp strings to snap. And Gurgi, well... Gurgi is a bit annoying, but he means well, so the reader, like Taran, ultimately decides that Gurgi isn't so bad.

As a kid, I loved these books. They're notable in my past as being responsible for my first (and only) request for an extension on a paper. In sixth grade, I asked for a single day extension on a book report, which was granted, as I was writing about the whole series and not just one book. I rather wish I still had that paper, as I'd be curious to read my initial impressions. I'm sure it touched on my elementary understanding of Welsh mythology, but I seem to remember a lot of summarizing of the books... kind of similar to this. Hm.

So if you know a young reader aged 10-12 and they're not quite ready for Tolkien or other, similar fantasy novels, you might point them in Alexander's direction. A bit of a warning for the kiddies, though: there's frequent violence and people do get hurt. Also a word of warning to parents: if you buy the first book, you might as well just buy the whole series for your kid, as s/he will certainly want to keep reading about Taran, Eilonwy, and their friends. When they've finished those, you can then start buying the rest of Alexander's oeuvre. He wrote many gems (my favorite series being, of course, the Vesper Holly books) and frequently played with mythology. He's a funny and charming writer and whether the reader is young or old, I think everyone can find something compelling and delightful about this series. ...more

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Nov 22, 2015 Luffy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 5-star

I have very little to say on this book and why I gave it 5 stars. I read it in the past. A re read has revealed many deft touches that the author has meant us readers to discover at our leisure. The book has a boldfaced naivety about it. I enjoyed it from start to finish. I regret so few people will want to give it a chance. I'm thinking of going through the entire series. Ta. ...more

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Aug 15, 2010 Jason Koivu rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, fantasy

The Book of Three is one of those classic fantasy novels you see on "Top ___" lists and the shelves of used bookshops with a fantasy section of any redeeming value. However, it doesn't rank up there with the best of the bunch and you don't hear people raving about it. I needed to find out what was up with this little book and so I did.

It's a fun, mostly-light fantasy adventure about a headstrong boy who wants to live life, not wallow in the wake of a blacksmith or spend his days as an assistant ...more

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Sep 21, 2014 Anthony Ryan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is really where it all began for me. Over three decades ago this book set me on the path to a lifelong love of, and later career, in fantasy fiction. Between the ages of ten and thirteen I must have read this book six times or more, along with all the others in the series. Alexander's blend of Welsh legend and modern fantasy tropes is both enchanting and compelling and the adventures of Taran, orphan and assistant pig-keeper, are a truly classic example of the hero's journey from boy to man ...more

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May 15, 2014 Aj the Ravenous Reader rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, physically-owned-books

The Chronicles of Prydain is a classic fantasy adventure that does what great classics, fantasies and adventures do to readers- make them love them. Who says classics cannot be as fun as Percy Jackson series? :)

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Jul 14, 2019 Anthony rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: series, tbr-challenge, fantasy, 7-kingdoms-challenge, classics, kid-lit

I adored this series when I was a kid, and I was in the mood for some comfort food reading, and deeply curious to see whether reading it would still hold any pleasure for me decades later. I’m happy to say that it did indeed hold many pleasures. There is an abiding sense of compassion and humor coursing through this book, even as its band of misfit adventurers face peril and hardship. It never reaches the poetic heights of Le Guin’s Earthsea Trilogy, another classic of children’s fantasy literat ...more

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Sep 20, 2011 Lyndz rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, mypod-audiobook

Kids who cannot understand or don’t have the patience for the Lord of the Rings but who want to read fantasy novels may enjoy this.
As for me, if I wanted to read Fellowship of the Ring I would have just read it. I didn’t like this book at all, there were too many obvious similarities to the Lord of the Rings and I just kept becoming more and more irritated with the parallels as the book progressed.
(ahemmm... *fake cough* blatant ripoff *end fake cough*)
Sorry to my friends that love it, but I j ...more

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Apr 26, 2010 Ashley rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks, orphalins, books-i-missed-during-childhood, fantasy, heroes-and-villains, kid-lit

The Book of Three is not the most impressive book on first reading, even despite there being some things that set it apart, first and foremost its Welsh-inspired settings and characters of myth and legend. Mostly, it seemed a bit like a Tolkien clone with a plot barely even trying to be anything more: Collecting the group of adventurers. The beyond evil bad guy. Swords and sorcery, kings and princesses and princes. Wizards who commune with animals.

Right away The Book of Three did demonstrate a c The Book of Three is not the most impressive book on first reading, even despite there being some things that set it apart, first and foremost its Welsh-inspired settings and characters of myth and legend. Mostly, it seemed a bit like a Tolkien clone with a plot barely even trying to be anything more: Collecting the group of adventurers. The beyond evil bad guy. Swords and sorcery, kings and princesses and princes. Wizards who commune with animals.

Right away The Book of Three did demonstrate a contradictory and rather cheeky sense of humor, with the main quest (at least for our main character, Taran) being a search for his white pig, Hen Wen, rather than the defeat of some evil lord or other (although that is a side benefit for Taran). Taran is an Assistant Pig-Keeper (a title that will follow him with persistence all the way through book five and beyond). It took me an embarrassingly long time to realize that Hen Wen wasn't just any old pig that evil beings wanted to kidnap. She is an Oracular Pig--she can tell the future. So yeah, let's rescue her.

On his quest, Taran picks up many companions (and this is the bit that felt most like Tolkien): Gwydion, the Prince of Don, a warrior who looks very unlike the royalty he is; the bard Fflewddur Fflam, a former king who 'gave all that up', and whose harp has strings that break whenever he stretches the truth (which is quite a lot); Gurgi, the strange beast that is not an animal nor yet a man, who speaks in the third person and has obsessive tendencies about food and such (Gurgi especially felt like a Gollum clone to me at first, though he distinguishes himself--not necessarily for the better--pretty quickly after the first book); Doli the Dwarf, the obligatory member of the fair folk, who complains while doing anything; and of course, the Princess Eilonwy, who is a complete delight from the first moment we meet her. She's probably the best thing that Lloyd Alexander ever created.

This is very much children's literature, and the first book is the roughest of the five. Alexander has a tendency to give his characters one or two traits and have them stick to them like mad, but luckily Taran and Eilonwy especially are wonderfully fleshed out. In fact, after this book, Taran's inner journey and growing characterization is the highlight of the series. The ending is also pretty sudden and felt rather convenient. No idea why it's called The Book of Three, as that titular book--owned by the enchanter, Dallben, who is also Taran's guardian--actually gets more focus in future volumes than it does here.

So, not the best beginning of the series, with as much predictable fantasy cliche usage as there is turning of those cliches on their heads, and as much cutesy-wutesy character stuff as there is genuinely insightful inner development. I definitely recommend reading further in the series if you liked this one even in the slightest.

[3.5 stars] ...more

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Jun 26, 2008 Terence rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sf-fantasy, for-the-younger-generation

For some reason, I've had a hankering to reread these books for a few months. A yen I gave in to this weekend when I checked out a Science Fiction Book Club omnibus edition of all 5 novels and a collection of short stories (the latter of which, I haven't read).

Having read The Book of Three, I can see where my moral compass may have begun to form. I first read these books in sixth grade as an extracurricular project, and then made a filmstrip of the final book, The High King (yes, a "filmstrip" - ...more

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Aug 26, 2011 Cathy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: kids-chapterbooks, kids-fantasy, kids-scary, kids-pirates-and-boy-stuff, kids-monsters, kids-boys

Great book. I think this is the first time I've read Lloyd Alexander, although I can't believe that's true. As a parent, I would like to put the main character, Taran in the corner quite a bit, but he's a boy that likes danger. It seems like the adults treat him like an adult way too easily, even though he's probably twelve years old, if that. I like the fantasy aspects of the book, and I like that the fantastical creatures aren't all happy and tra-la-lally (not a word, I know). The book is quit ...more

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Jun 07, 2012 jillian n. rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, favourites

4.5

An Assistant Pig-Keeper, a snarky red-headed princess, one of those comical Bards with a tendency to exaggerate, a very Gollumesque (but considerably more pleasant) creature, and a really awesome horse go on a quest to find a really wise pig?

That. Is brilliant.

Add to that mix an abundance of magnificent Welsh names, mythology references, the no-nonsense but still witty writing style, and you have this delightful book.

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Apr 09, 2018 Diana Maria rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites

I love every little bit of it, except the bad guys of course🙄, though they serve a very good role in the book, no questions about that.

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May 22, 2013 Wayland Smith rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017reading-challenge

I don't know when I first read this. When I was a kid, this was one of the first fantasy series I branched out into after Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia. Based on Welsh legend but with some creative twists from the writer, it's a classic series.

Taran is your typical (even stereotypical) bored farm boy. Of course, he dreams of adventure while he does chores on the small farm of Caer Dallben. But it isn't exactly a normal farm. Coll the blacksmith teaches him farming and even, as the ...more

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Nov 22, 2009 Mike (the Paladin) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Great youth adventure novel about an assistant pig keeper who meets a priccess on a chase to to rescue his intelegent pig who communictaes through talking sticks from a horned king.....

Well, trust me as odd as it sounds it's a great youth book, really, it is. ...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Karl Marx S.T. rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I have often heard about the Chronicles of Prydain as it said to set standards of excellence in fantasy for children’s literature. Honestly, I really wanted to read fantasy books from the past for it evoke a sentimental feeling in me, maybe because of it written in the year of 1964? For I believe that fantasy from the past (The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, etc…) are more original for they are less influence by technology and just based on pure thoughts, humble opinions that makes I have often heard about the Chronicles of Prydain as it said to set standards of excellence in fantasy for children’s literature. Honestly, I really wanted to read fantasy books from the past for it evoke a sentimental feeling in me, maybe because of it written in the year of 1964? For I believe that fantasy from the past (The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, etc…) are more original for they are less influence by technology and just based on pure thoughts, humble opinions that makes heroic deeds much more believable and rooting, the quality of its magic and adventure is much grounded which makes it somehow much more possible to happen. Its wisdom is not totally old-fashioned but has a sentimental quality in it for it is picked from troubled times. And that’s how I’ve decided to read about the land of Pyrdain.
In The Book of Three --the first of the five books in the series-- we are introduced to Taran, an assistant pig keeper who grumbles on just how he lives his life and yearns to go into battle and search for an adventure like his hero, Prince Gwydion. An unfortunate incident I wouldn’t spoil makes the pig, Hen Wen that Tarran keeps escapes from her pen and thus the adventure of the just pig-keeper begins. He starts his journey together by meeting an unexpectedly companion he yearns to meet, and then starts a new with a strange assortment of companions on a dangerous mission to save his beloved land of Pyrdain (this part reminds me of the Final Fantasy series for its recruiting allies, though this would remind me that the latter doesn’t own the concept). At times, Taran irritates me by his clumsiness and finds it as his necessary weakness, which makes me care for him through his adventure. He is also carefully illustrated by the author for sometimes when he tries to act sincere and heroic; he is suddenly mocked by his companions which I think is funny and gives the novel a jolly atmosphere even though in times of impending troubles. But I’ll conclude that is Taran’s way of coping with the situation, he knows he isn’t capable, but to act as if can somehow lift the situation. Facing the evil leader who threatens the peace of Pyrdain; makes me wonder how Tarran could have defeated such powerful creature. And I wouldn’t want to read something far-fetched and contrive. But that aspect is the one that what makes the book unpredictable. The characters fragility makes you care for them until the end. All of them are carefully described and characterized. I can’t recall if I was depressed while reading this one, but I find myself on the verge of tears as I reached the end. I am very sentimental but it is not often and is rare for a book to make me cry.
I really can’t put a finger on any particular part, aspect or scene of the book that makes it special, I guess the book as a whole is what I should be referring. After I’ve finished this one I had to read the next book to see what happened. Not that the first book can’t stand alone, it is simply because of the fact that it’s too exciting and compelling that I just wanted to know what’s next.
I recommended this not just for fantasy readers but for everyone who wants to read something entertaining in a short sweep, for its wisdom and sense of heroism. The prose is easy to read and the story flows smoothly and fast that makes it much readable. It can also be classified as a coming-of-age story for after the adventure, Tarran learns of his growth and maturity and what quality he admires for his hero, he unconsciously possessed. And that is something far more rewarding for the reader as Tarran accomplished. The book contains everything a great book should have, great adventure, foreboding danger, sense of evil, and love and death.
There are books you feel warm that stays with you and never be forgotten and The Book of Three is one for me. I highly recommend it to everyone.
Opening Sentence: Taran wanted to make a sword; but Coll, charged with the practical side of his education, decided on horseshoes.
Ending Sentence: “Hwoinch!” said Hen Wen.

.
...more

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Aug 30, 2007 [Name Redacted] rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, fantasy, children, epic-fantasy, mythology, high-fantasy, cymru-n-un, young-adult

A childhood favorite which remains one of the most wonderful books I've ever read.

Part of what makes it so engaging is the unconventional nature of the protagonists, all of whom are defined as much by the faults as by their virtues: Taran, far from being a "Marty Stu", is infuriatingly impetuous, hotheaded, and stubborn (a character so well-defined that until others pointed it out, i never noticed that his appearance was never described); Eilonwy, far from being a "Mary Sue", is scatterbrained, ...more

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Apr 30, 2019 Maria rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: children-s, classics, reviewed, fantasy, adventure, coming-of-age, journey, dark, high-fantasy, zombies

Taran wants to be a great warrior the likes of Gwydion, the greatest war leader in Prydain, but is stuck with pig-keeping and making horseshoes.

'Why? Why must it be horseshoes?’ . . . ‘I wish I might have my own sword,' Taran sighed. 'And you would teach me sword-fighting.'

'Wisht!' cried Coll. 'Why should you want to know that? As if we had any battles at Caer Dallben.'

'We have no horses, either,' objected Taran.

But adventure ensues when psychic pig Hen Wen runs away, and must be found before ...more

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Apr 05, 2019 Michael Sorbello rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: book-reviews, fantasy

An ill-mannered farm boy named Taran dreams of being a hero, but he knows he's not cut out for that sort of life. He can barely manage to properly supervise his oracle pig Hen Wen. When his pig goes missing amidst the scene of a great battle, Taran just might have to become a hero whether he's cut out for it or not. Meeting unlikely companions along the way including the heroic Prince Gwydion and the sassy Princess Eilonwy, Taran finds himself wrapped up in a battle against the Death Lord Arawn ...more

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Sep 04, 2010 J.M. rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, classics

I stumbled across THE BOOK OF THREE in the local bookstore right after I had finished THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, and I had nary a clue I was about to fall under a deep spell woven by the masterly Lloyd Alexander. I literally could not read these books fast enough. I couldn't stop thinking about the Assistant Pig Keeper named Taran and his dear friends and companions, Eilonwy, Fflewddurr, Gwydion, and poor mistreated Gurgi.

Truth to tell, if forced to choose between Tolkien's Middle Earth and ...more

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Dec 13, 2010 Jamie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, books-i-own, young-adult

Originally read: Many years ago.......
Re-read Jan 2017

When I first read this I was young and easily impressed. My favorite character was Gurgi.

Now re-reading this I still enjoyed it but what I found amusing has changed. Gurgi was half amusing and also annoying. Eilonwy;s attitude towards Taran cracked me up but she also came across as uppity. Taran I found a bit lacking in character this first book. I really wanted to get a better feel for him but it just didn't happen.

The story starts off fas ...more

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Dec 08, 2014 Sara rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Wow. Just wow. What a wonderful book in the spirit of Arthurian Legend or Middle Earth.

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Feb 20, 2017 Cherie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: childrens, read-audio, series

Searching for books narrated by James Langton led me to this wonderful tale of an assistant pig keeper and his adventures.

My next mission is to seek out the rest of the stories in this series.

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May 29, 2018 Mark rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This whole series is worth reading and it just gets better the further one gets into the series.

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About Lloyd Alexander

Lloyd Alexander

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Lloyd Chudley Alexander 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 in 1969. Alexander's other book ...more

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The Chronicles of Prydain (5 books)

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The Black Cauldron (The Chronicles of Prydain, #2)

The High King (The Chronicles of Prydain, #5)

Taran Wanderer (The Chronicles of Prydain, #4)

The Castle of Llyr (The Chronicles of Prydain, #3)

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“Most of us are called on to perform tasks far beyond what we can do. Our capabilities seldom match our aspirations, and we are often woefully unprepared. To this extent, we are all Assistant Pig-Keepers at heart.” — 277 likes

“Neither refuse to give help when it is needed,... nor refuse to accept it when it is offered.” — 161 likes

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The Book of Three

(The Chronicles of Prydain #1)

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