Taran Wanderer

By: Lloyd Alexander

Narrated by: James Langton

Length: 6 hrs and 22 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)

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.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

These Books are classics!

Would you consider the audio edition of Taran Wanderer to be better than the print version?

Not sure. I loved both. And this audio addition is very well done

What did you like best about this story?

Characters .... nobel characters

Which character – as performed by James Langton – was your favorite?

Couldn't tell you .... he was excellent at all of them

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

From one part to the next the whole thing is well developed. The challenges are realistic, and the characters are all pushed to develop themselves

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Harry Potter, Percy Jackson Fans This Is For You!

I highly recommend all the Chronicles of Prydain and Taran Wanderer in particular. If you love great adventures, well drawn lovable characters, and profound life lessons, you will love Taran Wanderer. Lloyd Alexander creates the world of Prydain loosely based on Welsh mythology. This is the 4th book in the Chronicles of Prydain, and I recommend reading them in order. The last chapter is wonderful. We listened to it several times. LOVE the advice given to Taran: "trust to luck, but don't forget to put out your nets." Excellent! For those who have listened to Harry Potter, James Langton does as good a job as Jim Dale. It was wonderful to listen to him bring Taran and his friends to life. This is a book written for younger readers (middle school and late elementary) but high schoolers and adults will take much from it also. Do yourself a favor--read these books!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Potato

HOIII IM REALLY ON AUDIBLE TEE HEE HEE 😎 cool kids say TEE HEE HEE HEE

In the Mirror of Llunet

I love listening and reading the Prydain Chronicles, I have no doubt that the next book will amaze me as well. Even though I have not read the High King yet, I know this book will always be my favorite. This story is relatable because I too, have been a wanderer and in my travels through life, I have learned so much from all who I have had the pleasure in meeting and speaking with. Although it is a forest and not a pool that set me free of my journey towards self discovery, within that forest I realized the type of man I wanted to become and the type of person I was born to be. I urge everyone to read this book. It may have been written for children, but adults can learn more from this book than any adult book out there. I'm 21 and yet, I still love this story. After listening to the audible for the Chronicles of Prydain stories thus far, I can honestly say that the speaker and reader of these stories is awesome and grants each character the ability to leap from the pages and into the hearts and minds of each reader. Enjoy.

Marvelous!

Classic coming of age tale told by a master storyteller. Having one narrator for the entire series lends to the consistency of the tone of the storytelling and his change of voice, tone and accent makes each character distinct.

Great story

As the story's Author mentions, this book in the series is a little bit different. I enjoyed listening to Taran's adventures as wanderer.

favorite book

this has always been my favorite book. the performance of the narrator was really good and he brought new life into characters I've known a long time.

Taran Wanderer

I really like this series! The only problem, though, and I mean the ONLY one, is the fact that the behavior of the characters isn't necessarily realistic.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful