An exceptionally crafted story of personal growth

books:

	• Taran Wanderer (The Chronicles of Prydain) Lloyd Alexander Henry Holt and Co. BYR Paperbacks, 2006 - 256 pages average customer review:based on 64 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Great

So, in the last book, we had one person get taught their station in life, in this one, we have another go searching for their station in life. Over these past two books we've been inside the head of certain characters so as to set up book five. One thing we learn from this series is that not all is what we wish or want it to be. But we are who and what we are we must accept that. It is one of lifes many lessons. We wish to be one thing to find out we are maybe something else. But, when we learn to know ourselves, we can learn to move on in life.

best of the series

This one stands apart from the other books in the series, as it has far less action and far more character development.

I read it something like 12 years ago and still remember most of the plot!

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Growing Up Is A Hard Journey

Of the five splendid books in the Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander, my favorite is the fourth, TARAN WANDERER.

The previous three books: THE BOOK OF THREE, THE BLACK CAULDRON and THE CASTLE OF LLYR are superb fantasy for children. They share a common theme that nothing comes without work or sacrifice and show that glory is less fine than friendship. The final book, THE HIGH KING, picks up this theme again as the struggle between good and evil is played out to the end.

Just as its title is different TARAN WANDERER is different. Here our young hero, the orphan boy Taran, is growing from a boy to a man. Suddenly he is aware of the gap in rank between himself and his childhood friend Princess Eilonwy; suddenly he knows he loves her but can never marry her unless he has land or rank to offer in turn. So he leaves the only home he has known, the farm of the enchanter Dallben and sets out on a quest to discover the truth of his origins. Was he high-born or low?

This book is different. Always before when Taran set out with his friends to find some magical item, he would find the unexpected. While some chapters might be grim the quest was always lighthearted and the comrades always entertaining. Here Taran sets out not knowing what he is looking for and he finds the commonplace. The challenge that Taran faces is one that most adults are familiar with: one can search for Truth, but it is not always to be found. Disappointment is part of life and must be faced. Taran's search takes him from the magical marshes of Morva to the rude hut of a shepherd, from evil sorcerer's stronghold to the campfires of a bandit gang. He searches the length and breadth of Prydain and does not find his parents. He does discover the common people of Prydain, how they live and work and love and comes to the realization that nobility is not necessarily found in marble halls.

I have loved this book since I first read it more than forty years ago; I love it still. Great fantasy for all ages and all times. A real classic, as are all the books of Prydain. If you have not yet visited this magical kingdom loosely based on Welsh mythology, you have missed a real treat.

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An exceptionally crafted story of personal growth

Taran Wanderer is the fourth book in Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain. The book is a tale of Taran's journey to find his identity. He hopes to find that he is of noble blood, and thus worthy to ask for the Princess Eilonwy's hand in marriage. With only the perpetually anxious, yet always faithful almost-but-not-quite-human creature Gurgi as his companion, Taran sets off across the length of Prydain in search of answers. Along the way he meets old friends from the earlier books who join him on his quest: Fflewddur Fflam, the bard-king with a habit of embellishing his own bravery and accomplishment; Doli, the bad tempered, yet dutiful dwarf, and Kaw, the talking crow.

The friends face many adventures, including a search for lost cattle, battles with a group of bandits, and an escape from an enchanter who has the power to turn men into animals. However, the greatest conflicts that Taran faces are within himself. In a variety of ways, Taran is offered the noble name that would make it easy to marry the princess, but at a cost of losing her respect. In the end, Taran learns more about his true identity than he ever hoped, but in a most unexpected fashion.

The book is even more skillfully written than the three previous in the series. Every scene in the book ties tightly together. It makes for an exciting tale and a compelling presentation of the themes that recur throughout the Chronicles. Among these are: that the most valuable things in life are easily overlooked, that a useful and productive peace is more glorious than victory in battle, and that sometimes, the key to finding oneself is to be willing to sacrifice everything.

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Slips a bit from the first three.

Lloyd Alexander, Taran Wanderer (Henry Holt, 1967)

Alexander's fourth journey into the world of Prydain is a very different beast from its predecessors; the darker turn taken very slightly in The Castle of Llyr is sharpened here, and much more to the forefront. In this one, Taran, who has always wondered about his parentage, leaves Caer Dallben on a quest to find out who he truly is. Only Gurgi goes with him, though the two do meet up with an old friend or two eventually. Taran learns where he may be able to find the answers he seeks, and sets off to do so, but finds himself entangled in a number of complications along the way that teach him valuable lessons about the meaning of life, and his place in it. It's good stuff, as usual, though the book eventually takes on an episodic feel that none of the others has; get into a situation, learn a lesson, get into another situation, etc. There's no overlap, which is kind of odd, and made like the book less than those that came before it; still, if you've journeyed this far with Taran and Gurgi, you certainly shouldn't stop now. *** ½

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

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 princess; Fflewddur Fflam, the hyperbole-prone bard; the ever-faithful Gurgi; and the curmudgeonly Doli?all of whom have become involved in an epic struggle between good and evil that shapes the fate of the legendary land of Prydain. Released over a period of five years, Lloyd Alexander?s beautifully written tales not only captured children?s imaginations but also garnered the highest critical praise.
The Black Cauldron was a Newbery Honor Book, and the final volume in the chronicles, The High King, crowned the series by winning the Newbery Medal for ?the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.?
Henry Holt is proud to present this classic series in a new, redesigned paperback format. The jackets feature stunning art by acclaimed fantasy artist David Wyatt, giving the books a fresh look for today?s generation of young fantasy lovers. The companion book of short stories, The Foundling is also available in paperback at this time.
In their more than thirty years in print, the Chronicles of Prydain have become the standard of excellence in fantasy literature for children.

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