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A review by cluckingbell
The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander
5.0
Evidently I read The Chronicles of Prydain a lot as a kid, because listening to this audiobook I kept anticipating words and phrases. I mean, if I didn't watch Ghostbusters for 20-30 years, I'd still be able to say "That's a big Twinkie" just ahead of the actor. It was a little like that.
And it has been at least 20 years since I last reread these, at which time I'd been reading very (now I might say intolerably) lengthy fantasy novels, and these kids' books felt a lot slighter than I'd remembered them. But coming back to them after overblown fantasy has lost its allure and with clear expectations that these are kids' books? Holy crap are they delightful.
Partly owing to nostalgia, of course, but also to the wonderful sass and sweetness of the characters. And this audiobook is a pure delight—EXCEPT for the Gurgi voice. The Gurgi voice is way too deep and guttural for a toadying creature that speaks in yelps and wails and whimpers of whackings & smackings and crunchings & munchings. But otherwise the narrator does a pretty great job with the core accents and characters.
And it has been at least 20 years since I last reread these, at which time I'd been reading very (now I might say intolerably) lengthy fantasy novels, and these kids' books felt a lot slighter than I'd remembered them. But coming back to them after overblown fantasy has lost its allure and with clear expectations that these are kids' books? Holy crap are they delightful.
Partly owing to nostalgia, of course, but also to the wonderful sass and sweetness of the characters. And this audiobook is a pure delight—EXCEPT for the Gurgi voice. The Gurgi voice is way too deep and guttural for a toadying creature that speaks in yelps and wails and whimpers of whackings & smackings and crunchings & munchings. But otherwise the narrator does a pretty great job with the core accents and characters.