Has anyone read the books by Lloyd Alexander? - Page 2

RosieCotton · 03-26-2002, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Elanor
I am a huge Lloyd Alexander fan, and I don't think his books are just for kids. They are great for kids or anyone. I've read almost all of his fantasy books, which are more than just the Prydain Chronicles.

Most of his books are based on mythology, and he usually picks a different one each time. For example:

Prydain (Wales)
The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen (Japan)
The Iron Ring (India)
The Time Cat (many periods in history)
The Arkadians (Greece)
The First Two Lives of Lukas-Kasha (Medieval Europe/Middle East)
Gypsy Rizka (Medieval Europe)
The Cat who Wished to be a Man (Medieval Europe)
The Wizard in the Tree (haven't read this one yet)
The Marvelous Misadventures of Sebastian (17th century Europe; aristocracy and musicians)
Westmark Series (17th century Europe; political revolutions)
Westmark
The Kestrel
The Beggar Queen

Vesper Holly series (Late 19th century, all over the place)
Illyrian Adventure
El Dorado Adventure
Jedera Adventure
Drackenberg Adventure

Well, that just about covers it! I'm impressed, I couldn't name half of them. I do enjoy Lloyd Alexander, but I haven't read them in a while. I like that girl....the spunky one...what's her name???
~Rosie~

Eruviel Greenleaf · 03-27-2002, 03:24 AM

Rosie Cotton, the girl in Prydain? It's Eilonwy.

I'm really happy, I found the first two at the library today, I've been looking for a while.

RosieCotton · 03-27-2002, 11:23 AM

Eilonmy, thats it. She was my favorite character in any book...and then came LOTR.

Eruviel Greenleaf · 03-28-2002, 08:27 PM

Eilonwy is great!

She is such a cool character. . .I haven't read those books in a while, I must do so now!

markedel · 03-28-2002, 11:24 PM

I enjoyed the Westmark series.

TwirlingString · 04-15-2002, 06:54 PM

Eilowny is definatly a fun character, but I still haven't figured out if I liked her having to give up her magic or not. ( oh well, it didn't matter much to her anyway)

cee2lee2 · 04-15-2002, 07:02 PM

I've read only the Prydain series ( twice and long ago!) and enjoyed it very much. I have a one volume version from the SF Book Club which I should probably locate and read again.

TwirlingString · 04-15-2002, 08:26 PM

Pyradin books are cool but I only read the last 2 again and again. I think I prefer Westmark.

Duddun · 10-01-2002, 09:34 AM

I really liked the Prydain Series. But my favorite book of his is The Iron Ring, I love that book although the Prydain ones are good too.

Telperion · 11-01-2002, 04:04 PM

I've only read the Prydain series and i thought they were good. Unfortunately, after about ten reads and four years, i wan't to find more books.

Beleg Strongbow · 11-05-2002, 02:13 PM

Has anyone noticed the enourmous parallels between the Prydain stories and the LotR?

Just to name characters:
Taran = Frodo + Aragorn
Gurgi= Sam + Gollum
Arawn = Sauron
Achren = Gollum
Gwydion = Aragorn/Boromir
Eilonwy = Arwen/Eowyn
[[I can't remember his name]] = Saruman
Dalben = Gandalf
Math = Denethor
CauldronBorn ~ Nazgûl

Places:
Mt Dragon = Mt. Doom
Summer Country = Valinor
Caer Dalben = Shire
Red [whatever-they-were] = Brown Lands/ Dagorlad

And of course the swords. [what's it called?] = Anduril

There's enough of a difference, and the storyline is common enough that I wouldn't call them a rip-off. But still the similarities are amazing.

Celebrian · 11-05-2002, 05:04 PM

I noticed the similarties also, I wonder which series was written first! It's not that I they copied each other, but it would be interesting to know

Beleg Strongbow · 11-08-2002, 08:51 AM

LotR, by about 10 years

TwirlingString · 11-09-2002, 06:13 PM

I think the reason is that things from tolkien have sorta leaked into literature as the norm.

AudrentheRanger · 11-12-2002, 02:00 PM

I like to Prydain series best. My favorite was the High King. It was interesting how Taran became King because he wasn't that famous or imortant or of noble blood. It was also set somewhere in welsh mythology wasn't it? Does anyone here know how to spea welsh?I'm sort of learning.

03-27-2002, 03:24 AM	#22
Eruviel Greenleaf Alcoholic Villain-Fancying Elf Pirate Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Lyonesse Posts: 4,547	Rosie Cotton, the girl in Prydain? It's Eilonwy. I'm really happy, I found the first two at the library today, I've been looking for a while. __________________ Eruviel Greenleaf in a past life. "Whoever has come to understand the world has found only a corpse, and whoever has found a corpse is superior to the world." -The Gospel of Thomas SQUAWK!

03-27-2002, 11:23 AM	#23
RosieCotton Elven Warrior Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Hobbiton...no wait.... Posts: 263	Eilonmy, thats it. She was my favorite character in any book...and then came LOTR. __________________ Fortune rides like the Sun on high With the fox that makes the ravens fly Luck his sould, the lightning his eye He snatches the moons from out of the sky.

03-28-2002, 08:27 PM	#24
Eruviel Greenleaf Alcoholic Villain-Fancying Elf Pirate Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Lyonesse Posts: 4,547	Eilonwy is great! She is such a cool character. . .I haven't read those books in a while, I must do so now! __________________ Eruviel Greenleaf in a past life. "Whoever has come to understand the world has found only a corpse, and whoever has found a corpse is superior to the world." -The Gospel of Thomas SQUAWK!

03-28-2002, 11:24 PM	#25
markedel 'Sober' Mullet Frosh Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Queen's Posts: 1,245	I enjoyed the Westmark series. __________________ "Earnur was a man like his father in valour, but not in wisdom"

04-15-2002, 06:54 PM	#26
TwirlingString Elven Warrior Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: My mother would say somewhere between the adult mystery section and the YA sci-fi Posts: 489	Eilowny is definatly a fun character, but I still haven't figured out if I liked her having to give up her magic or not. ( oh well, it didn't matter much to her anyway) __________________ "The Astels are an emotional people. They cry at the drop of a handkerchief. Their culture is much like that of Pelosia. They're extremely devot and invincibly backward. It's been demonstrated to them over an over that serfdom is an archaic, inefficent institution, but they maintain it anyway--largely at the connivance of the serfs thmselves. Astellian nobles don't exert themselves in any way, so they have no concept of human endurance. The serfs take advantage of that outrageously. Astellian serfs have been known to collapse from sheer exhauston at the very mention of such unpleasant words as 'reaping' or 'digging'." ----------------------------------------------- “They lost him?!” Lupin asked , amazed. “Voldemort has been after Harry for 15 years, and then he misplaces him?!”

04-15-2002, 07:02 PM	#27
cee2lee2 Elf Lord Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: 2nd star to the left..... Posts: 566	I've read only the Prydain series ( twice and long ago!) and enjoyed it very much. I have a one volume version from the SF Book Club which I should probably locate and read again.

04-15-2002, 08:26 PM	#28
TwirlingString Elven Warrior Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: My mother would say somewhere between the adult mystery section and the YA sci-fi Posts: 489	Pyradin books are cool but I only read the last 2 again and again. I think I prefer Westmark. __________________ "The Astels are an emotional people. They cry at the drop of a handkerchief. Their culture is much like that of Pelosia. They're extremely devot and invincibly backward. It's been demonstrated to them over an over that serfdom is an archaic, inefficent institution, but they maintain it anyway--largely at the connivance of the serfs thmselves. Astellian nobles don't exert themselves in any way, so they have no concept of human endurance. The serfs take advantage of that outrageously. Astellian serfs have been known to collapse from sheer exhauston at the very mention of such unpleasant words as 'reaping' or 'digging'." ----------------------------------------------- “They lost him?!” Lupin asked , amazed. “Voldemort has been after Harry for 15 years, and then he misplaces him?!”

10-01-2002, 09:34 AM	#29
Duddun I Antha Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: You expect ME to know? Posts: 784	I really liked the Prydain Series. But my favorite book of his is The Iron Ring, I love that book although the Prydain ones are good too. __________________ If you say my name I go "What?" If you say my name twice I go and look it up in the dictionary. **************************** I'm Not Evil! ************************** If the critics say it's good, is it really That good? ************************** It's a bird! It's a plane! No! It's a balloon! **************************** Duddun, Son of Bubbun

11-01-2002, 04:04 PM	#30
Telperion Enting Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Calgary Posts: 78	I've only read the Prydain series and i thought they were good. Unfortunately, after about ten reads and four years, i wan't to find more books. __________________ Wherever you go, there you are. Aim for the stars, if you miss, you'll at least land on the moon! He who is made of air should not accuse the wind. My mind wanders. "Not all those who wander are lost." Therefore, my mind is not lost. Now, my question to those of you who doubt my sanity is this: How can someone who has not lost their mind be insane?

11-05-2002, 02:13 PM	#31
Beleg Strongbow Truest of Friends Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Pennsylvania, but I have a vacation home in the Westfarthing. Posts: 520	Has anyone noticed the enourmous parallels between the Prydain stories and the LotR? Just to name characters: Taran = Frodo + Aragorn Gurgi= Sam + Gollum Arawn = Sauron Achren = Gollum Gwydion = Aragorn/Boromir Eilonwy = Arwen/Eowyn [[I can't remember his name]] = Saruman Dalben = Gandalf Math = Denethor CauldronBorn ~ Nazgûl Places: Mt Dragon = Mt. Doom Summer Country = Valinor Caer Dalben = Shire Red [whatever-they-were] = Brown Lands/ Dagorlad And of course the swords. [what's it called?] = Anduril There's enough of a difference, and the storyline is common enough that I wouldn't call them a rip-off. But still the similarities are amazing. __________________ "...Beleg Strongbow, truest of friends, greatest in skill of all that harboured in the woods of Beleriand in the Elder Days..." Aure Entuleva! John Kerry for President!

11-05-2002, 05:04 PM	#32
Celebrian Enting Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Calgary Posts: 75	I noticed the similarties also, I wonder which series was written first! It's not that I they copied each other, but it would be interesting to know __________________ All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost. Tall ships and tall kings, three times three. What brought they form the foundered land Over the flowing sea? Seven stars and seven stones and one white tree.

11-08-2002, 08:51 AM	#33
Beleg Strongbow Truest of Friends Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Pennsylvania, but I have a vacation home in the Westfarthing. Posts: 520	LotR, by about 10 years __________________ "...Beleg Strongbow, truest of friends, greatest in skill of all that harboured in the woods of Beleriand in the Elder Days..." Aure Entuleva! John Kerry for President!

11-09-2002, 06:13 PM	#34
TwirlingString Elven Warrior Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: My mother would say somewhere between the adult mystery section and the YA sci-fi Posts: 489	I think the reason is that things from tolkien have sorta leaked into literature as the norm. __________________ "The Astels are an emotional people. They cry at the drop of a handkerchief. Their culture is much like that of Pelosia. They're extremely devot and invincibly backward. It's been demonstrated to them over an over that serfdom is an archaic, inefficent institution, but they maintain it anyway--largely at the connivance of the serfs thmselves. Astellian nobles don't exert themselves in any way, so they have no concept of human endurance. The serfs take advantage of that outrageously. Astellian serfs have been known to collapse from sheer exhauston at the very mention of such unpleasant words as 'reaping' or 'digging'." ----------------------------------------------- “They lost him?!” Lupin asked , amazed. “Voldemort has been after Harry for 15 years, and then he misplaces him?!”

11-12-2002, 02:00 PM	#35
AudrentheRanger Enting Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Grey Havens, Middle Earth, in my own special place, a world unknown and magical, or perhaps of questing and flying like an Eagle with Gwaihir Posts: 74	I like to Prydain series best. My favorite was the High King. It was interesting how Taran became King because he wasn't that famous or imortant or of noble blood. It was also set somewhere in welsh mythology wasn't it? Does anyone here know how to spea welsh?I'm sort of learning. __________________ "Strider is too poor a name, son of Arathorn," he said, "Wingfoot I name you....Hardy is the race of Elendil!" The Wings of the Wind are swift indeed. I am a bookworm. "Fly you fools!" I'm no fool, but I would gladly fly!

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
The Black Company - Glen Cook	Snowdog	Fantasy and Sci-Fi Novels	23	10-01-2017 10:22 PM
Collectable Lord of the Rings Books	Nurvingiel	Lord of the Rings Books	18	10-07-2010 01:02 PM
books to read and books not to read	Gil-Galad 2.0	Lord of the Rings Books	25	07-29-2006 12:21 AM
I am a writer!!!!!!!!	The Telcontarion	Writer's Workshop	2	06-17-2006 01:34 PM
Books that have changed your life?	elixir	General Literature	67	05-17-2006 04:39 PM