# Anybody read the Taran Wanderer books when they were a kid?



## Konrad (Nov 14, 2012)

Before I read The Hobbit or LOTR or any of the Elric stories or anything in fantasy, really, I read Taran Wanderer... 

Taran and his pet pig. The Cauldron Born (I loved that)... 

I haven't heard of these books for 25 years--and I have no idea how they stand up with other youth fantasy books, as I really can't remember them that well, but... 

I really dug them. 

Was it just a kid thing? 

I tried to find them on Kindle, but of course, no deal. 

Any other fans? 

K


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## Konrad (Nov 14, 2012)

This is what I'm talking about: 

Taran Wanderer (Chronicles of Prydain (Henry Holt and Company)): Lloyd Alexander: 9780805080513: Amazon.com: Books


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## Kit (Nov 14, 2012)

I liked those okay, but I *LOVED* the Westmark books. The first fantasy books to actually make a war interesting to my adolescent mind instead of just filler between the good parts.


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## Konrad (Nov 14, 2012)

Wait--I stand corrected. They are on Kindle. I guess I'll soon answer my own question then.


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## Konrad (Nov 14, 2012)

I never read the Westmark books... Lately I've been regressing  into youth fiction territory. Maybe I should take a look?


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## Kit (Nov 14, 2012)

Absolutely.

The Westmark series is one of those early influences that I still see aspects of popping up in my writing today.

Other youth fantasy fiction: The Grey King by Susan Cooper was one of my faves. It was part of a series, and I don't think I ever did read the others. I should try to find them (no Kindle here, alas).


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## Konrad (Nov 14, 2012)

Cool. 

Kindle makes it a bit easier for me, as I'm in Warsaw, but I'm heading to Texas next week. Maybe I'll take a look there at Barnes (if it's still there... I've heard horror stories about traditional booksellers and their struggles).


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## writeshiek33 (Nov 14, 2012)

never read them but saw the disney film the black couldren based oon obne of trhe books


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## MereIllusion (Nov 14, 2012)

This was the first fantasy series I read, besides the Chronicles of Narnia. I first read them at age nine and was obsessed with them; I still love them now. Being a cat lover, one of my favorite things about the series was Llyan (the horse-sized music-loving cat.) At first I didn't like _Taran Wanderer_ as much, but now that I've re-read it, it's just different in tone than the others; the main villain isn't even in it, and it's more introspective. It's less about "Will Taran defeat the bad guys?" and more about Taran's self-discovery. Still however, I'd have to say _The Black Cauldron_ was my favorite, then and now. 

I remember my dad rented the Disney adaption, and I enjoyed it, although I was disappointed that Gwydion, Ellidyr, Gwystyl, Adaon, the Hunstmen, and many other characters weren't in it. I'd love to see a more faithful, live-action adaption someday.


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## Zero Angel (Nov 14, 2012)

writeshiek33 said:


> never read them but saw the disney film the black couldren based oon obne of trhe books



I watched the Disney film last year with my fiancee in an attempt to introduce her to the world. It's pretty bad nowadays and for adults. Maybe back then and marketed towards children...

Anyway, The Chronicles of Prydain are awesome and I do love them. And I second the recommendation on the Westmark series--although I remember them being a little more grown up at the time I read them (I was quite young and they were in the children's section). I did not enjoy the ending of The Chronicles of Prydain however, and I have only read the Foundling for the short stories. 

Enjoy your second time through!


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## Konrad (Dec 27, 2012)

I've got to get to the Westmark series... You know--I can't remember the ending ot the Prydain series. Too long ago. 

Sorry to get back to this after so long, but I was sick as a dog!

K


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## gethinmorgan (Dec 27, 2012)

I loved these books - these and the first Forgotten Realms books and Master Of Five Magics by Lindon Hardy were my first bought-fantasy books.  They were the perfect books for a little welsh-first-language kid ....


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## brokethepoint (Dec 27, 2012)

I have read and reread Prydain Chronicles.  I really enjoy the books, I also enjoyed watching the author mature in his writing.


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## aliciamarie (Jan 11, 2013)

Oh my god, yes!


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## Nebuchadnezzar (Jan 11, 2013)

Absolutely loved these books.  I read them multiple times as a child and recently picked up the old library editions and paperback editions at a used books store.  Like others posting I think the Black Cauldron was my favorite of the Prydain Chronicles.  In addition to the  Prydain & Westmark series, some others I enjoyed were The First Two Lives of Lukas-Kasha and The Marvelous Misadventures of Sebastian.


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## Anders Ã„mting (Jan 18, 2013)

Read all the books when I was younger, except one of them because the library didn't have it. That always annoyed me.

The Disney movie is awesome. Totally different from the books, yeah, but still awesome. It's so underrated, it's basically a crime.

Oh, so Eilonwy doesn't count as a Disney princess, even though she's an actual princess, but _Mulan _does? This is an outrage!


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## Telcontar (Jan 18, 2013)

I read one of these, but thought it was only okay. I think I read the last one first, though, because he faced off with the dark lord and killed him with a magic sword and stuff. Maybe reading them in the more intended order would have helped, but oh well. I did enjoy some parts of it - I thought the Cauldron Born were very cool - but overall it didn't stick with me much.


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## Zero Angel (Jan 19, 2013)

Anders Ã„mting said:


> Read all the books when I was younger, except one of them because the library didn't have it. That always annoyed me.
> 
> The Disney movie is awesome. Totally different from the books, yeah, but still awesome. It's so underrated, it's basically a crime.
> 
> Oh, so Eilonwy doesn't count as a Disney princess, even though she's an actual princess, but _Mulan _does? This is an outrage!




When did you see the Black Cauldron? I discovered it last year and watched it with my fiancee and we thought it was abysmal. (Although I do agree she should be a Disney princess. They must not have bought the rights to the character???????)


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## Anders Ã„mting (Jan 20, 2013)

Zero Angel said:


> When did you see the Black Cauldron? I discovered it last year and watched it with my fiancee and we thought it was abysmal.



Oh, I first actually saw it a couple of years ago after finally hunting it down online. But I do remember when it first came out. I must have been three or four years old and only saw promo pictures of it. Years later I was like: "Wait, wasn't there a Disney movie where this guy had a magical sword?" So I went looking for it.

I honestly have no idea why people don't like it. Or, rather, I don't get why people hate it _more _than, say, the Sword in the Stone. Or Peter Pan. Or Furry Robin Hood With Bluegrass Music. 
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






Anyway, the Horned King remains one of my favourite Disney villains of all time. Dude was _metal._



> (Although I do agree she should be a Disney princess. They must not have bought the rights to the character???????)



That's not quite how it works.

"Disney Princess" doesn't refer to all female Disney main characters in general - it's a specific franchise for selling princess-themed products to young girls. The current ten "official" Disney princess are: Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tiana and Rapunzel. 

Also, apparently MÃ©rida from Brave is supposed to join them as the eleventh princess in July this year.

As far as I can tell, the criteria for counting as a Disney Princess are basically:

-Being female and human.
-Being a Disney main character. (But not necessarily the main protagonist. See: Jasmine.)
-Have a tendency to dress "girly", as in dresses or gowns.
-Should preferably be some kind of princess, either by birth or via marriage to a prince.
-Being from a popular movie.

So it's a pretty exclusive club. Alice doesn't qualify despite being the main protagonist of one of the classics, presumably because she has no princess credentials. Likewise, Esmeralda, Megara and Jane don't qualify despite being dress-wearing main characters from massively successful movies. (And, in the case of Megara, hooking up with the son of the _King of the Gods._)

Note however that Mulan is a member despite not actually being a princess, neither by birth nor marriage. She most likely got a pass on account of being Asian and Disney wanting to be PC and represent all races in their Princess lineup. 

Eilonwy really should qualify, though, as should Kida from Atlantis: The Lost Empire. The only reason they don't seems to be that not enough people liked their movies.


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## Writeking (Dec 3, 2013)

I read the Chronicles of Prydain for the first time back in 2010, when i was an adult. I really enjoyed the series, and after reading the books I watched the movie, the Black Cauldron right after. I thought the movie was pretty good, but I felt it was missing something. I hope they do make a live action version, but I think Warner Bros or 20th Century Fox should make the movie instead of Disney. And it should be as faithful t the source material as possible. I want to see Queen Archen this time, they should have put her in the Disney version. I was born the same year the movie came out, can't believe it took me so long to discover it.


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## Zero Angel (Dec 4, 2013)

Anders Ã„mting said:


> Oh, I first actually saw it a couple of years ago after finally hunting it down online. But I do remember when it first came out. I must have been three or four years old and only saw promo pictures of it. Years later I was like: "Wait, wasn't there a Disney movie where this guy had a magical sword?" So I went looking for it.
> 
> I honestly have no idea why people don't like it. Or, rather, I don't get why people hate it _more _than, say, the Sword in the Stone. Or Peter Pan. Or Furry Robin Hood With Bluegrass Music.
> 
> ...



The reason people don't like it is because of how low quality it is. The animation is rubbish, the backgrounds are not drawn well, and the storyline is not overly cohesive or at all faithful to the books. The characters aren't sympathetic or interesting, in spite of being so in the books. I mean, the whole thing is a train wreck. I think it may be nostalgia that makes you think it is good, but everyone is entitled to their own opinions. 

I LOVED the Chronicles of Prydain growing up and borrowed them from the library tens of times. I even got the library to borrow the Foundling from another library so I could read it. When I watched the Black Cauldron, I was set for nostalgia and wonder, and was left with just disappointment. I'm not a purist, so I don't care that they made changes, but they made stupid changes. My fiancee watched it with me as well, and she had no experience with the books and she loathed it even more than I did.


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