Taran Wanderer: The Prydain Chronicles, Book 4

Taran Wanderer is a great 4th addition to the Lloyd Alexander Prydian series. It's geared for young adults, but it is a nice read for all ages from Young Adults on up I think. The story centers on Taran, the adopted ward of the ancient enchanter Dallben, the most powerful in Prydain, and friend to Gwydion the Enchanter, Prince of Don. Taran here continues on his quest to find out his true parentage, hoping his search will reveal that he is of noble birth and thus eligible to court the Princess Eilonwy, Daughter of Angharat and the last in a long line of gifted and beautiful enchantresses. Taran encounters many obstacles and dangers, from thieving warlords to behemoth creatures to deadly wizards. How Taran responds to these challenges will shape his character and his destiny, and the story does a great job of captivating the reader as he or she journeys along with Taran. The author weaves Taran's quest into the larger world of Prydain, where a mighty conflict between Arawn Deathlord, ruler of the underworld of Annuvin, and the free forces of Prydain, led by the High King of the Sons of Don, is coming to its epic conclusion. It adds masterfully to the overall story. It's a literary classic that has more than earned its numerous accolades and awards.

In many ways, this forth book in Lloyd Alexander's "The Chronicles of Prydain," is the odd one out. It is the only story that does not pit our characters against the forces of supernatural evil (well, except in one small instance). It is the only installment in which Princess Elionwy is completely absent. It is the only story that has no clear destination in its quest narrative. Even the title is a little different, lacking the usual "The" before the noun.Rather than pitting the forces of good against evil, "Taran Wanderer" is about the journey of self-discovery, making it a much steadier-paced, introspective book. Although some readers may feel that it's less exciting than the preceding books, discerning children will find many hidden rewards here. The core of this series has always been the growth of Taran from a somewhat foolish, hapless boy into a man, and with each consecutive book he learns a little more about himself and the world around him. "Taran Wanderer" is the book in which Taran fully steps into manhood.With the intention to ask Princess Elionwy to marry him when she returns from her training on the Isle of Mona, Taran desires to learn more about his heritage. Having never known his parents, he harbours a secret wish that he has noble-blood in his veins, and on gaining Dallben's permission, he sets out to discover the identity of his parents and find his place in the world. His only companion is the faithful Gurgi; not-quite-a-man, not-quite-an-animal, and best described as a benevolent version of Gollum.On his travels he learns of the mysterious Mirror of Llunet which is said to show the true self of anyone who stares into it. With this as his somewhat vague goal, Taran heads out into the world. What follows is not so much a single overarching story, but a series of encounters and problems in which Taran has to solve with his wit, compassion, bravery, common sense, and only occasionally his physical strength. From feuding lords to evil wizards, lawless mercenaries to the lessons of forge, loom and potter's wheel, each life experience leads him closer to who he really is.Yet Alexander also finds time to add commentary on the human condition, and it his greatest achievement that he manages to do so (not just here, but in his other books) that it is done subtly and wisely, rather than just by slapping a moral on the end of every sentence. Taran comes up against the amorality of an outlaw, the injustice of a warlord, the arrogance of a wizard, and the simple dishonesty of a shepherd, and yet never relinquishes his own integrity, even as he faces fear, shame, and bitter disappointment.But it's not all doom and gloom: there's plenty of room for humour, wonder and hope, usually obtained in the presence of Taran's beloved companions: faithful Gurgi, the wandering bard Fflewdur Fflam (who carries a harp who snaps a string every time he tells a lie), the grouchy dwarf Doli and the mischievous talking-crow Kaw (my own favourite!)Another aspect worthy of note is that Prydain itself (based on the myths and legends of Wales) is explored in more detail than in previous books. Whilst we've previously dealt with castles and princes, warlords and enchanters, we now get a look into the more humble - and more important - inhabitants of this imaginary world. The reader learns much from the simplest of folk, including kindness to animals, respect to elders, the beauty of nature, and the simple pleasures of good food and a warm hearth.However, some of the "special features" of the book are a little disappointing: specifically, an incomplete pronunciation guide and a truly hideous map of Prydain that looks as though it was drawn by a three-year old (seriously, the rivers look like random scribbles). Yet the current edition of the series has new cover-art by the gifted David Wyatt, so if there was ever a time to invest in the complete collection, now is it."Taran Wanderer" is enlightening, bittersweet, joyful, thought-provoking and timeless. At its conclusion, all the pieces are in place for the final installment in this series:  The High King (The Chronicles of Prydain) , a book which is as close to perfection as you'll ever get in children's literature. Seriously.

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.

This is the fourth book in the Prydain Chronicles, a series I have adored since childhood. Lloyd Alexander has a lovely way of revisiting standard fantasy tropes and looking at them from a different angle, while still making them feel completely organic to the story. While this is my least favourite of the five books (I do miss the presence of most of the recurring characters from the rest of the series) and decidedly more serious in tone than the first three, it's still a great read, and sets things up nicely for the more action-packed fifth and final book. In some ways, this one reads more like a series of short stories than a novel, which was a little jarring at first but quick to get used to. When I first read it, I was around nine years old, and the resolution of the central conflict sort of baffled me, but once I got a little older I loved how the author handled it. A wonderful book, especially as part of the series as a whole.

The fourth in Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain is superb. Taran, nominally an assistant pig-keeper in a magician's settlement and in love with a princess, does not know his parentage and feels compelled to travel through perils to try and find out. On the way he grows substantially in knowledge both of himself and of what is important in life. Taran is a fully-rounded character who changes and matures substantially. Aimed at young adults, the book has much for older readers to relish, and is fantasy writing at its best.

Big fan of the Disney movie based on the first two books of the series. Read them all, loved them.

great

La série des "chronicles of Prydain " de Lloyd Alexander que j'avais lu plus jeune, m'envoute toujours autant bien des années plus tard !Taran recherche ses origines en rêvant de grandeurs, découvre la vraie vie des "humbles", et découvre la grandeur sous un angle qu'il n'avait pas envisagé . Je ne comprend pas que ces livres ne soient pas traduit en français, ils sont à conseiller absolument à la jeunesse . Surtout à notre époque de jeux guerriers violents sur video , où il serait bon de faire réfléchir davantage nos jeunes . Pour ceux qui veuelnt progresser en anglais, lisez-les . For English speaking people, it's an absolute MUST for teens .. and adults .

A bit childish for me