Title: Lloyd Alexander. 8 books Author(s): Lloyd Alexander Pages: 1 Publisher: Publication date: Language: English Format: LIT ISBN-10: ISBN-13: Description: List:
Chronicles of Prydain 01 - The Book of Three.lit
Chronicles of Prydain 02 - The Black Cauldron.lit
Chronicles of Prydain 03 - The Castle of Llyr.lit
Chronicles of Prydain 04 - Taran Wanderer.lit
Chronicles of Prydain 05 - The High King.lit
The Kestrel.lit
Westmark 03 - The Beggar Queen.lit
Westmark02 - The Kestrel.lit
Lloyd Chudley Alexander (January 30, 1924 - May 17, 2007) was the American author of more than forty books, mostly fantasy novels for children and adolescents, as well as several adult books. His most famous contribution to the field of children's literature is the fantasy series The Chronicles of Prydain. The first two books in this series formed the basis of the Disney animated film The Black Cauldron. The concluding book of the series, The High King, was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1969. Alexander's other books have also won the National Book Award and the American Book Award.
The Chronicles of Prydain
The Chronicles of Prydain is a five-volume series of children's fantasy novels by author Lloyd Alexander. The stories detail the adventures of a young man named Taran, who is awarded the honor of Assistant Pig-Keeper but dreams of being a grand hero, and his companions Princess Eilonwy, Fflewddur Fflam the wandering bard and king, a feral yet gentle creature called Gurgi, and a dwarf named Doli. Since a recurring facet of the series is the progression from youth to maturity, particularly prominent in Taran Wanderer, the series could be considered a bildungsroman.
Thematically the novels siphon from the wells of Welsh mythology, particularly that of the Mabinogion. The novels are not, however, retellings of those myths - a point Alexander himself makes in an author's note for The Book of Three - stories have been conflated, and characters have been changed in both role and motive, so a student of Welsh culture should be prepared as Arawn becomes the books' dark archenemy and Gwydion's negative traits are replaced with unclouded heroism.
Appropriately, the author's note also reveals the geography is ultimately derived from Wales, though Alexander notes that Prydain is separate from Wales both in physical geography and history.
Having garnered both a Newbery Medal (for The High King) and a Newbery Honor (for The Black Cauldron), the chronicles are recognized as a valuable contribution to the canon of classic children's literature. For many years since their publication The Chronicles of Prydain have held their own in sales and readership and may be comparable to other famous children's fantasy series such as The Chronicles of Narnia.
The Black Cauldron, an animated film based on the books, was released by the Walt Disney Company in 1985.
Title: Lloyd Alexander. 8 books