Taran Wanderer

The Prydain Chronicles, Book 4

By: Lloyd Alexander

Narrated by: James Langton

Length: 6 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

Taran, the assistant pig-keeper who wants to be a hero, goes questing for knowledge of his parentage, hoping that his journey will ennoble him in the eyes of Eilonwy, the princess with the red-gold hair. Accompanied by several loyal friends, Taran begins his search when three wily enchantresses of the Marshes of Morva send him to consult the Mirror of Llunet for the answers he is seeking, cryptically promising that "the finding takes no more than the looking". During his adventures he meets Craddoc, the shepherd, and the common people of Prydain, whom he comes to respect and admire. With their help, he continues his mission to learn the secret of the Mirror and the truth about himself.

Don't miss the rest of Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles.

©1967 Lloyd Alexander (P)2004 Random House, Inc. Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group

Critic reviews

"James Langton's narration is outstanding. The earnestness of Taran in both joy and anguish, as well the liveliness of the supporting characters, is memorable." (AudioFile)

Timeless classic

I cannot count the number of times we have listened to this treasure of an audiobook (the whole series is magical). Every member of our family has enjoyed them, kids and parents alike.

Wayfarers still journeying for Wanderers at rest

This installment to the Pyrdain Chronicles is my least favorite, The story seemed a little disjointed with him learning the new crafts at the end, but this was all important for him to learn for the next book.

Remarkable

This is a truely remarkable collection of short stories woven or shaped around the main character. All who would dare to wander should give this book a read.

A philosophical journey through Magical and AdventurousLands

The least, or perhaps the greatest of the Five TARAN TALES, WONDERER takes the Assistant Pig Keeper through 8 Adventures filled with danger and hints of Enchantment on a quest of self discovery.

Truly a joy to hear

A story easy to follow and always fulfilling. Tons of thought provoking ideas and wanders you away on its wind

It’s a good story, but it doesn’t add a lot to the overarching story

I wish this story had more to do with what was happening in pyrdain from the previous books. I still enjoyed it though

Best of the Series

The Prydain Chronicles was one of my favorite fantasy series as a child. I decided to listen to it again largely out of nostalgia. The story incorporates many old Welsh myths to weave an exciting fantasy world that centers on a boy who dreams of accomplishing big deeds but learns both humanity and courage.

This is my favorite book in the series. Taran has to discover himself through taking on new challenges ranging from farming to blacksmithing to weaving. In the process, he learns more about himself and the value of other people--even those that aren't great heroes.

This book might be a bit scary for very young children but most ages 7 and up will enjoy the magic and adventure.

A tale of manhood and finding oneself

Taran Wanderer is not an adventure story in the same vein as the previous 3 tales. It follows Taran as he quests to find his parentage. While not a traditional adventure tale as the previous stories there are nonetheless some timeless lessons Taran learns along the way and, of course, adventures.

Psychological Development

I love teaching this story to adolescents. It’s depth and honesty is hard to match. One difficulty with the recording is the chapter headings, and there is a skipped section in the playback somewhere around chapter 3.

My favorite in the series

Not that the first couple of books are bad at all, but they are worth getting through to get here.