Taran Wanderer

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)

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

WOW!

This is by far and away the best of the Prydain Chronicles yet! I enjoyed this story deeply and though there was danger and adventure a plenty, this tale just goes to show that the greatest adventure lies within!

Disappointing

I loved the first three books, but this one was clichéd and predictable. It was effectively just a fable using the characters of Prydain to tell it. I found myself bored and wanting to skip through parts because I knew what was going to happen. The performance was wonderful as the previous Prydain books, but the story was very much lacking.

Beat in the series...so far.

I read these books as a kid. now I am sharing them with my sons. This book was much better than I remembered. It is quite different from the other books in the series. It is more of a collection of short encounters with various characters from around Prydain. Instead of a conflict centered epic, it is more of an Odyssey journey. I loved it. The only gripe I have is the recordings are not very new. I think that's audio recordings are over 20 years old. I'd love for a new recording of these books.

Good book

I enjoyed this series as a child. Now 4 of my 6 kids are enjoying it as well. They give it 5 stars. Langston's reading is clear and entertaining. The series does bare some resemblance to Tolkien's LOTR, but I couldn't help but enjoy the Prydain Chronicles anyway.

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.

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.