Book Review: The Book of Three - Lloyd Alexander

The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander
My rating: 9 of 10 stars

Well, this was a really interesting reading.
First of all, this is not, a Tolkien wannabe. This is a coming of age fantasy book, that takes some aspects from Tolkien masterpiece. This will never be taught in school because of the linguistic, prose or story. Maybe if you make a list of 101 fantasy books to read you would put it there but in no way I can say this is a masterpiece or should be reissued as a Fantasy Masterwork by Gollancz. Nevertheless, it's a powerful story.

First of all, you've got a good main character, a young boy called Taran, an assistant pig-keeper that really develops. In the beginning he wants to leave and see the world and after the adventure he starts missing his own world.

This book is a good book for young boys/girls (and not so young) because it teaches something. It teaches valuable lessons that Tolkien didn't teach, like a hero is not always what we imagine. It teaches that wrong decisions are what makes us stronger, if we learn from them. It teaches that all that shines is gold. It teaches that there is Black and White but there is also Grey.

Unfortunally I felt that the book is a bit small for all the information. Maybe the next four books are different. Then there is the similiraties with Tolkien. Gurgi (Gollum), a beast that doesn't belong neither in the realm of man or beast but a between. There's Arawan (The Dark Lord?), there's Gwydion that looks like Aragorn. The next two are a bit far fetched but Dalben is a bit a know it all like Gandalf. There's Medwyn maybe Tom Bombaddil or the undead Cauldron Born as Dead Men of Dunharrow... well you get it. It has similarities.

My only problem with it, was the ending. It was a bit anti-climatic. So you've got the final fight with the Sauron Horned King and bang he fells on the ground and when he awakes all is good and done. It was a bit sad.

So with, Taran the assistant pig keeper, Aragorn Gwydion the prince of Caer Daethyl, Eilonwy (also a princess), Fflewddur a bard and a prince, Doli a grumbling dwarf, Gurgi the half-men/half-beast (and also Hen-wen the pig and Shadowfax Melyngar the horse) we travelled throughout WalesPrydain and had great adventures (and this is only the first of five books). Each character changed... in only 180 pages the writer done it. Taran grows and starting seeing things as they are and not by appearences, Gurgi changes in Taran eyes and in it's owns. From a scared little beast he becomes a hero. Fflewddur a lost bard that finds his own way.

Im really glad I read this book and I sure will read it to my unborn child. In the next few days I will start reading the second one...

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