Fare thee well, Alexander

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

Lloyd Alexander passed away last week.

Other than Tolkien, he was the first fantasy I had ever read. I actually came to speculative fiction by way of HG Wells, but I read so much more fantasy than I do SF, and I think it's largely due to the Chronicles of Prydain. As a young boy, I was reading ahead of my level, but Prydain was much more easily assimilated and encompassed in my mind than Middle Earth. It drew me in, connected me to fantasy in a way I haven't been connected to any other genre.

So, Adieu Msr. Alexander. The world of assistant pig keepers is much poorer for your passing.

[Sigyn]

Oh, this makes me so sad.  I've always loved his Vesper Holly books (which aren't fantasy but feel like they are).  He really was one of the best children's book authors.

[Fellfrosch]

I was just thinking a few days ago that I should start reading these books to my kids. I love the Prydain books, and I really liked one of his other series (though I can't remember the name of it). Taran Wanderer continues to be one of the best books I've ever read, fantasy or otherwise.

[Shrain]

Lloyd Alexander passed away last week.

Oh!    His books are so wonderful. Very much a treasure of YA SF. I even read them to my brothers when they got old enough. Darn.

As a young boy, I was reading ahead of my level, but Prydain was much more easily assimilated and encompassed in my mind than Middle Earth. It drew me in, connected me to fantasy in a way I haven't been connected to any other genre.

I felt exactly the same way, SE. Well, except for the "as a young boy" part. But, yeah, the Prydain books really captured me much more readily and completely than Tolkein's LOTR books when I was younger. It took longer for me to jump into Tolkein's books and feel like I could relate as fully to Middle Earth.
Anyway, I'm sad to hear that Lloyd Alexander, too, is gone. 

[Fellfrosch]

So we haven't gotten many votes on this poll, but it intrigues me that a full half of them are for Taran Wanderer. Is this because my impassioned plug for it influenced the votes, or do other people have the same great affection for this book that I do?

The key line in the book, for me, is uttered early on by one of the witches, and I paraphrase: "The little chicken wants to soar with the eagles, but can he scratch for his own worms?" It encapsulates, for me, the book's theme of practical greatness--of being a good person instead of a great figure, and of living for a cause instead of dying for it. It is the least magical, least "fantastic" book in the series--it's about a boy he wants to fight evil, and has to spend his time herding goats and working as a blacksmith--but it says more about real heroism, I think, than any of the others.

Any other comments? If you voted for it, why? If you voted for one of the others, what were your reasons? I'm fascinated what people loved about the series, and why.

[Spriggan]

When I first started reading Taran Wanderer it was my least favorite (I was like 14 I think) but about a third of the way in I really liked it, I think it's the best in the series because of how it grows the main character.