The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander

“Every living thing deserves respect, be it humble or proud, ugly or beautiful.” “In some cases we learn more by looking for the answer to a question and not finding it than we do from learning the answer itself.” “It is not the trappings that make the prince, nor, indeed, the sword that makes the warrior.” Their nuggets of wisdom will go far in illustrating the qualities celebrated within its pages: I have to mention some of the wonderful quotes from the various characters within the book.

Together, this unlikely bunch must rescue Prydain from the evil that seeks to destroy it.

Gurgi, an ever-hungry nuisance of a man/beast “would love to be wicked and terrifying, though he cannot quite manage it.” And the dwarf Doli is forever holding his breath in an unsuccessful bid to turn invisible. Fflewddur Fflam, a minor king-turned-bard, possesses a habit of exaggeration and a harp that snaps a string whenever he lies too boldly. Their spoken exchanges provoke a good many smiles.

Eilonwy (eye-LAHN-wee) (There is a pronunciation guide at the end of the Kindle edition which, unfortunately, I didn’t find till the end.) is a sharp-tongued but good-hearted girl who continually butts heads with Taran. But dreaming, he had come to learn, was easy, and at Caer Dallben no lives depended on his judgment.” I loved watching the growth and maturity of this peasant child with a noble heart.īut many other characters give the tale variety and depth. “In Caer Dallben, he had dreamed of being a hero. But when the evil Horned King rises against the Sons of Don and Taran is thrust into a role of danger, the boy finds the responsibility more than he bargained for. The Book of Three focuses primarily on an impatient, impulsive young boy with dreams of heroism. Not to mention there are four more books in the series, which I can’t wait to lay my hands on. The prose is gorgeous, the characters unique and well-developed and the story full of substance. Though I have heard of the Chronicles of Prydain, and over the years have even gleaned some knowledge of Taran, Assistant Pig-Keeper, and Hen Wen, his oracular sow, I’ve never had occasion to delve into the series until this winter.

The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander