Another chunk of my childhood gone

[madbaker]

Lloyd Alexander, January 30, 1924 - May 17, 2007.

I couldn't tell you how many times I read the Prydain Chronicles growing up. It got to the point that I knew the page formatting. I was already a voracious reader, and books like these did nothing to dissuade me.

When I was about ten, someone donated a coverless set to the local library. They are legally not allowed to keep them so the librarians immediately thought of me. I kept the disintegrating paperback set for many years. Even after learning the much-less-simplified folk stories behind his books, I still enjoyed them.

When Henry Holt reissued the books with their original covers about five years ago, I bought the set. I re-read them in the last two years - they're comfort food.

Rest in Peace.

Comments

[etaine-pommier.livejournal.com]

**sad face**

[ermine-rat.livejournal.com]

heheh, I used to do that with Zelazney's Amber series...maybe it's time to read those again...

[madbaker.livejournal.com]

The Amber books were one of the first adult SF series I remember reading when I was eight.

[helblonde.livejournal.com]

Noooooooooooo!

I loved the Prydain Chonicles. And his other stuff. But I read Prydain over and over. I had already read Taran Wanderer five times when we read it in class in 5th grade.

Yes, comfort food.

[hrj.livejournal.com]

I've always been grateful that I read the Prydain books before any other fictionalizations of medieval Welsh literature, and that I read the Evangeline Walton novelizations of the Mabinogi before reading the original. Any other order and I would have spent too much effort trying not to be outraged at how things had been messed with to be able to enjoy them. I loved the Prydain books when I first read them. Now, it's very hard to still the voice that's shouting, "GWYDION IS NOT A NOBLE HERO! AND ARAWN IS NOT AN EVIL VILLAIN!"

[madbaker.livejournal.com]

I completely understand that -- I refused to go see the cartoon version of the Rats of NIMH because I had read the original books. The same went for any Disney cartoon in the '70s.

[falzalot.livejournal.com]

:-( Ah man, I loved those books too. I need to reread them now.

[ptigris.livejournal.com]

Damn. My brother and I read from hardcovers when we were young. Used to roleplay in the forest behind my Great Aunt's place. The dog was Gurgi.

Ah, blessed Gurgi. Faithful Friend.

OMG!

[dakini-bones.livejournal.com]

I'm shocked that he was still ALIVE (until recently).

[farmount.livejournal.com]

I remember those books. Still have them. As long as they are around, a little piece of him is still here.

[blkeagl.livejournal.com]

RIP

I still re-read his work.