Two of the books of Lloyd Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain were on the Top 100 Children’s Books. If I’d had any say in the list, I’d have included the entire series as a single item (ditto the Harry Potter and Ramona books). But, I am glad that having #2 and #5 on the list inspired me to read the entire series, because all of the books were good.
What I admire most about these books is that they never dawdle. The characters move from scene to scene so fast that you’d think the story would feel rushed, or that the settings and characters would seem poorly described, but that never happens. Readers are never given any more or any less than exactly what they need, and the pacing is consequently perfect.
- The Book of Three, A-: This first book of the series introduces the main characters, which include the assistant pig-keeper Taran, the oracular pig Hen Wen, Princess Eilonwy, the bard Fflewddur Fflam, the beastly-but-good Gurgi, Prince Gwydion, and the dwarf Doli, as well as the evil that they must fight: the Horned King and his master, the sorcerer Arawn. I struggled to get into this book at first (I mean, an oracular pig?), but my persistence paid off in the end, especially since the following three books are even better.
- The Black Cauldron, A: In this second book, the characters attempt to find and destroy the black cauldron, in order to keep it from Arawn, who uses its magic to create armies of undead warriors. The cauldron is neither easily acquired nor easily destroyed, and the companions will face a difficult journey that will require many a sacrifice. The Disney adaptation of this book takes more than a few liberties with the story, but it’s entertaining in its own right.
- The Castle of Llyr, A: Eilonwy goes to another kingdom to learn how to be a proper princess, but is kidnapped. Her friends race to the rescue.
- Taran Wanderer, A: This was my favorite of the series. Taran seeks to find out who his parents are, traveling from place to place, learning new trades, making new friends, and growing up along the way.
- The High King, A-: The High King is a wonderful end to the series in that it brings back all of the characters from the previous four books so that they can fight their last battle against evil. The book’s ending is bittersweet, though. Not all of their stories ended happily, and even for the main characters the ending was not as bright as I might have wished. While probably my least favorite of the five, it’s still worth reading (unlike certain other series-ending books I can think of!).
I kept all five books. If I should be so lucky as to have enough time, I will read them again someday.
It’s been a long time since I read that series. I’m thinking I might have been in second or third grade for the first book, because I have a place memory of our screened-in porch, where the dining room would come to be. I think I’ve reread the first two, but I have a melancholy feeling about the series as a whole, which makes me think I did finish it. (A rarity!)
The melancholy feeling does suggest that you finished the series, but who knows? It was harder to finish a series back then, for lots of reasons. My kids have it so much easier, but they don’t seem to have any interest in the Prydain series. Too bad. The books that we read when we’re young continue to live and grow with us. Reading a children’s book as an adult can never affect us the same way. I want my kids to read as many children’s books as they can while they’re still young, but they’re nearly too old for it already!