My mom commissioned me to go clean out my room and put it into some pretense of order. So what did I do? Settle down with a book, of course! And not just any book: an old favorite since the magic day I first read it, age 9, fascinated. I began the adventure one more time, and I discovered – the magic still works.

The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander kicks off The Prydain Chronicles, a Welsh-flavored fantasy series for young adults. This book and the four sequels that follow it are five of the most enchanting, brilliant novels you can ever hope to read. They tell the story of the struggle between Arawn Death-Lord and the small but loyal group of fighters who challenge Arawn’s grip on the land of Prydain.

We open the covers of The Book of Three and are immediately engaged in the story; not, like witless contemporary novels tend to do, with meaningless dialogue, but with a scene that captures our sympathy, understanding, and attention toward the story. Taran, a young farmboy in the house of the enchanter Dallben, “wanted to make a sword; but Coll, charged with the practical side of his education, decided on horseshoes… ‘Why?’ Taran cried. ‘Why must it be horseshoes? As if we had horses!’” What they DO have is an oracle pig, for whom Taran is Assistant Pig-Keeper, and the porcine Hen Wen disappears when one of Arawn’s minions, the Horned King, starts sweeping the country of Prydain. Taran sets out to search for the pig, and is joined in his quest by Prince Gwydion; one by one their band grows as Princess Eilonwy, Fflewddur Flam, and Gurgi enter the adventure. Their strength and courage are tested in a final battle of good versus evil.

This book is a marvelous tribute to how great “children’s” stories can be enjoyed by anyone who begins to read them. And yes, The Book of Three is found in the “kids section” of the bookstore, but hey, you’re in good company! That’s where I hang out.


Plot

For some reason, The Book of Three seems shorter and lighter than the other books in the series. It has roughly the same number of pages as the sequels, but it’s considerably more “lightweight” than the others. This is not as bad as you might think, because it serves to keep the reader interested and upbeat through this first Chronicle. The story is always moving, although the events themselves are not necessarily momentous. In fact, the sequence moves so quickly that The Book of Three seems to end too soon! I could say that about most of the series as well.

Lloyd Alexander has a strong grip on his subject matter, mythical legend and adventure fantasy, but he approaches his story in a unique way, making it far different from the standard-issue fantasy novel. He combines a storybook backdrop and somewhat archaic speech with modern wit and fervor, and the mixture produces an attention-grabbing-and-holding fable. In some ways, it’s similar to T.H. White’s The Once and Future King, which I also loved; the one major difference is that Taran is alive and young at the end of the series!


Characterization

Early on in the story, Taran became very dear to me. I see so much of myself in him, and I think many readers will be the same way. Taran’s quick temper and unthinking outcries can tend to make me blush as I read; but I’m also proud of his enthusiasm and noble impulses. Unlike the short-sited Gwydion, I can see the wonderful potential this boy has; and so I love him for the youth he is now and the man he is going to become. You may think I’m crazy talking like this about a character in a book; but these people are as real to me as any person walking down the street. The characterization is so excellently done that the reader has no trouble slipping into the characters’ world.

Taran has his flaws, to be sure; however, in some ways Gwydion is just as bad. During the early days of their adventure, Gwydion is quick to judge Taran and makes inconsiderate statements like “My horse is wiser now than you can ever hope to become.” He may be a prince, but that doesn’t give him the right to diminish his fellow man. He doesn’t seem to recognize the good in Taran’s heart and continually reproves and restrains him. I’m not trying to make Gwydion sound like a mean character, because he’s not. I simply wish he could be a little more forgiving of Taran’s entirely good-hearted impetuosity, and look beyond the recklessness to see the noble being within.

Gurgi, the next character that we meet, is a delightful change from any other character you’ve ever seen or read about. He is half-monkey, half-human, half-unidentifiable thing (like Gonzo) (I know that makes 3 halves, but I don’t care), and he speaks in a whining, pitiful snivel that you can really and truly HEAR as you read! His goal in life is to be either as ferocious and terrifying as his craven heart can possibly be, or as brave and noble as his feeble nature will allow him to be. But his singsong dialect, essentially loyal disposition, and especially his constant references to “crunchings and munchings” make him one of the highlights of this series.

Princess Eilonwy and her terrible Aunt Achren are next on the list. Eilonwy is incredibly zany for her typecast – the pretty, spirited princess – and as we get to know her, we find that she is not at all like the stereotype. A temper as quick and furious as Taran’s makes her very interesting, and then when you put the two together – WHAM! You have quarrels galore. (And a little chemistry, to say the least.) Sadly, Achren is present for only a minute, but never fear; we meet her quite profoundly in the third book (and what a meeting it will be!)

The one other character worthy of mention here is Fflewddur Flam, the energetic and slightly scatter-brained bard who is rescued accidentally from Achren’s castle and thereafter becomes a staunch companion to the small band of adventurers. I love it when authors break out of molds and create characters like this one – Fflewddur defies every standard of “friend-follower” and is a class unto himself. Kind, brave, and thoughtful, his one shortcoming is a tendency to exaggerate, which his magic harp quickly trips him up on by breaking a string or two. Long live this bard!


Storytelling

Lloyd Alexander knows he has to capture the attention of possibly reluctant readers with this first book. So he packs every ounce of charm and skill into the execution of The Book of Three. The result is a deceptively effortless and magnetic style of storytelling. Children bored with reading in the past will be dragged kicking and screaming into liking this book, because it’s so easy to like, even if you’ve hated every book shoved at you before. In a way, the writing is straightforward and slightly old-fashioned; but add to that an indescribable charm and a use of fresh, descriptive words and you have a book that is completely enjoyable for kids as young as ten and adults as old as they come.

I’ve been cogitating recently on just why Alexander’s style is so appealing. I’ve come up with a strange but satisfying answer – it reminds me of the Hans Christian Anderson and Grimms Fairy Tales that I love. The Book of Three is certainly more detailed and intricate than the writing in traditional fairy tales…yet the underlying storytelling is still there. It’s like reliving Andrew Lang’s Arabian Nights or Fairy Books set in ancient Wales. Nothing could be more shiveringly delightful.

As with the writing style, Alexander knows that his readers have to be entirely captivated before he starts laying on the messages. So The Book of Three is easy on the morals. It has the same guiding principles that each book in the series has – courage, honor, forethought, and goodness – without the direct messages of the live-and-learn kind. Of course, what Prydain Chronicle would be complete without themes of self-worth, wisdom, and destiny? Not to be beaten by its sequels, The Book of Three is just as positive and uplifting in its premises as any in the series. The one “life lesson” in this book involves learning what it means to be a hero. Taran plunges into his quest with preconceived notions about warriors, princes, and other noble figures; to his amazement, warriors can be bald, princes can be shabby and gray-haired, and “noble figures” can be wacky and unpredictable. Slowly and surely Taran realizes that heroes are determined by what’s in their hearts, not what they look like or appear to be.


Final thoughts

I don’t think any modern childhood is complete without this book and the ones that follow. I don’t think any modern adulthood is complete without it. I would seriously suggest reading this book in the complete volume entitled The Prydain Chronicles, which includes the whole series. Otherwise you will die waiting for the library or the bookstore to get you the next books! The volume, a hardback that runs around $35, has slightly smaller print than the individual books but I feel that the font is much easier on the eyes and is more conducive to enjoyment. Call me crazy. If you’re still determined to acquire the series book by book, here’s the whole series:

The Book of Three
The Black Cauldron
The Castle of Llyr
Taran Wanderer
The High King


HarperCollins is the main publisher, and each book runs for about $6 new. (These books are amazingly easy to find at used bookstores.) PLEASE, do whatever you have to do to get your hands on The Book of Three and the sequels that follow!


Recommended: Yes