Say something funny 'til I cry.
I found out yesterday that Lloyd Alexander, the writer of such classics as the Prydain Chronicles, passed away on May 17th. This probably shouldn't have been shocking, as he was 83, but I have mentioned on several occasions that it would be a sad, sad day when he died. A sad, sad day, apparently, that I missed and had to be informed of several days later. This entry, however, isn't about me; it's about a great writer and the effect his work has had on my life.
It is a little known fact that I have a soft spot for kidlit and young adult fiction in the fantasy genre. Because of this weakness, I found myself at a Harry Potter challenge centre when I was eleven. I decided to take advantage of the rack of "if you like Harry Potter, you may also like..." type novels. I was immediately drawn to one book whose cover resembled a tapestry and included a pig with the prerequisite maiden and hero. It was Lloyd Alexander's The Book of Three.
That night, I began to read it and decided that I had to obtain the other four books in the series. If other books existed that starred Taran, Eilonwy, Gurgi, Doli and Fflewddur, I had to have them. While I was reading the series, I told my best friend about them. She became just as enamoured as I was, and we spent hours discussing and gushing over the novels.
I continued to read Alexander's books, eventually buying the eighteen that now reside on my shelf and reading five or six more. It was one of his novels, The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen that I read when I couldn't sleep at a Guide camp. Just as I was trapped at that campsite, the hero was stuck in another world. Yes, I know this is a common plot, but at the time, it was enough to comfort me.
In recent years, I have made a point of keeping an eye out for new Alexander novels, purchasing The Rope Trick as soon as I was able to do so. After the final Vesper Holly book was published, all I wanted was one more novel. When I was eight or nine, I was constantly attempting to read literature that was beyond my comprehension of the world around me, so it seemed fitting that I would only discover my favourite author of my childhood while I was in the process of leaving it.
I understand that this is getting too contemplative and, let's face it, sappy. What I really want to get out there is that Lloyd Alexander was a gifted writer and one of the many reasons why I decided that I would one day become one as well. To the man who envisioned an oracular pig and the hapless boy who tended her, I thank you.
It is a little known fact that I have a soft spot for kidlit and young adult fiction in the fantasy genre. Because of this weakness, I found myself at a Harry Potter challenge centre when I was eleven. I decided to take advantage of the rack of "if you like Harry Potter, you may also like..." type novels. I was immediately drawn to one book whose cover resembled a tapestry and included a pig with the prerequisite maiden and hero. It was Lloyd Alexander's The Book of Three.
That night, I began to read it and decided that I had to obtain the other four books in the series. If other books existed that starred Taran, Eilonwy, Gurgi, Doli and Fflewddur, I had to have them. While I was reading the series, I told my best friend about them. She became just as enamoured as I was, and we spent hours discussing and gushing over the novels.
I continued to read Alexander's books, eventually buying the eighteen that now reside on my shelf and reading five or six more. It was one of his novels, The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen that I read when I couldn't sleep at a Guide camp. Just as I was trapped at that campsite, the hero was stuck in another world. Yes, I know this is a common plot, but at the time, it was enough to comfort me.
In recent years, I have made a point of keeping an eye out for new Alexander novels, purchasing The Rope Trick as soon as I was able to do so. After the final Vesper Holly book was published, all I wanted was one more novel. When I was eight or nine, I was constantly attempting to read literature that was beyond my comprehension of the world around me, so it seemed fitting that I would only discover my favourite author of my childhood while I was in the process of leaving it.
I understand that this is getting too contemplative and, let's face it, sappy. What I really want to get out there is that Lloyd Alexander was a gifted writer and one of the many reasons why I decided that I would one day become one as well. To the man who envisioned an oracular pig and the hapless boy who tended her, I thank you.