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ahhhhginger's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
dullshimmer's review against another edition
5.0
I remember first reading this series, or at least part of this series, when I was in elementary school. I didn't really remember many details about the book, I remembered about the hero being one who was watched over a pig and that there was a girl heavily involved in the plots as well, but I couldn't remember much more. I wanted to revisit these books to see if I would enjoy them as a grown up or whether nostalgia had warped my perspective.
I'm happy to say that I really enjoyed The Book of Three the first of the Chronicles of Prydain series of books. It is a book with a quick pace, likable characters, and an interesting world to explore. Taran, our hero and Assistant Pig-Keeper, is an interesting choice for a hero. Stubborn and impulsive he's not exactly hero material. He often makes the wrong choice in the midst of everything, but is brave and loyal and maybe a bit obnoxious at times. While in some ways he is your typical boy wishing he was a hero protagonist, but he hasn't transformed that much by the end of the book. Maybe a bit more mature, but hardly the triumphant hero who is completely mature as you find in some other books.
While Taran is the main character, the book would not be quite as entertaining without the supporting cast. While Taran's earliest companion winds up being the heroic, seasoned warrior Gwydion, this arrangement doesn't last very long. Instead the bulk of Taran's quest his party is made up of a rather misfit bunch. His companions wouldn't have been the chosen lineup by any means. It wound up including the hairy Gurgi who seems some combination of wolf and man, loves his food, and talks in the third person and likes rhymes; Eilonwy a girl being trained in magic, but who doesn't really seem to be able to use much, instead her skills seem to be talking very fast and being stubborn; Fflewddur Fflam a once-king who desires to be a bard, but has an enchanted harp that breaks its strings when he tells a lie (which is fairly often); Melyngar who is Gwydion's horse; and Doli a rather grumpy dwarf who wishes he could turn invisible like the rest of his family. It's a strange bunch, but they bring a lot of character to the story.
To me I think that was what was so enjoyable about the book was the characters. The humor, the imperfections, the character interactions were quite enjoyable. Even though I felt like the quest itself was a bit lacking and even felt a bit like were having someone random events happen here and there occasionally, it didn't matter that much because the characters made it enjoyable. It's not a super sophisticated fantasy or a super long one either. It reads more like it is a more appropriate first quest for an unproven boy who wants to be a hero. It also feels like a foundation for building that boy up more as his story progresses. He doesn't end the first book reaching his goal, and I really liked that aspect of it.
Overall, I felt that The Book of Three lived up to my expectations quite a bit. I really enjoyed the story quite a bit. It's an interesting mix of humor and seriousness that makes for an enjoyable story. Even though I couldn't really remember much of the story going through it, I could see why it stuck in my mind as an enjoyable tale.
I'm happy to say that I really enjoyed The Book of Three the first of the Chronicles of Prydain series of books. It is a book with a quick pace, likable characters, and an interesting world to explore. Taran, our hero and Assistant Pig-Keeper, is an interesting choice for a hero. Stubborn and impulsive he's not exactly hero material. He often makes the wrong choice in the midst of everything, but is brave and loyal and maybe a bit obnoxious at times. While in some ways he is your typical boy wishing he was a hero protagonist, but he hasn't transformed that much by the end of the book. Maybe a bit more mature, but hardly the triumphant hero who is completely mature as you find in some other books.
While Taran is the main character, the book would not be quite as entertaining without the supporting cast. While Taran's earliest companion winds up being the heroic, seasoned warrior Gwydion, this arrangement doesn't last very long. Instead the bulk of Taran's quest his party is made up of a rather misfit bunch. His companions wouldn't have been the chosen lineup by any means. It wound up including the hairy Gurgi who seems some combination of wolf and man, loves his food, and talks in the third person and likes rhymes; Eilonwy a girl being trained in magic, but who doesn't really seem to be able to use much, instead her skills seem to be talking very fast and being stubborn; Fflewddur Fflam a once-king who desires to be a bard, but has an enchanted harp that breaks its strings when he tells a lie (which is fairly often); Melyngar who is Gwydion's horse; and Doli a rather grumpy dwarf who wishes he could turn invisible like the rest of his family. It's a strange bunch, but they bring a lot of character to the story.
To me I think that was what was so enjoyable about the book was the characters. The humor, the imperfections, the character interactions were quite enjoyable. Even though I felt like the quest itself was a bit lacking and even felt a bit like were having someone random events happen here and there occasionally, it didn't matter that much because the characters made it enjoyable. It's not a super sophisticated fantasy or a super long one either. It reads more like it is a more appropriate first quest for an unproven boy who wants to be a hero. It also feels like a foundation for building that boy up more as his story progresses. He doesn't end the first book reaching his goal, and I really liked that aspect of it.
Overall, I felt that The Book of Three lived up to my expectations quite a bit. I really enjoyed the story quite a bit. It's an interesting mix of humor and seriousness that makes for an enjoyable story. Even though I couldn't really remember much of the story going through it, I could see why it stuck in my mind as an enjoyable tale.
felixmarauder's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This was fine. I noticed a lot of similarities to other fantasy books (LotR, Sword of Truth, etc) but not knowing when it was written, I'm not sure which was the creator or if it's a trope. I could see this being a good primer on fantasy reading for middle grade but I was bored and uninterested. 30 years ago though, I likely would have loved this.
amycameron14's review against another edition
5.0
Loved the inclusion of Welsh mythology. I've read plenty of fantasy novels in my life, yet this one still manages to feel wonderfully fresh. I highly recommend it. Also, Eilonwy is just fantastic!
harmonictempest's review against another edition
4.0
Fine child’s adventure fantasy. I felt better once I realized it was intended for children. It was delightful and fun to read, though as an adult it felt a little like a series of cool set pieces connected by rails.
asahome's review against another edition
4.0
TL;DR: Prydain's Gandalf finds an assistant pig keeper looking for his lost pig out in the woods. A boy learns war isn’t as the stories paint.
harrygwg's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
ringwraith66's review against another edition
4.0
Read series aloud to Kenneth (2004) and Holly (2007)
whattamess's review against another edition
3.0
Reading this for a MacHalo bingo square (theme of which I will not publicly disclose