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devafagan's review against another edition
Alexander's whimsical story-telling voice is as strong as ever, but the plot and mythic elements did not move me in the way his other works have.
I felt the re-imagining of traditional tales in this context to be pleasant enough, but it didn't add to my experience, or draw out the spark I was hoping for.
I felt the re-imagining of traditional tales in this context to be pleasant enough, but it didn't add to my experience, or draw out the spark I was hoping for.
williamsdebbied's review against another edition
5.0
I've had this book forever, but was never really drawn to it. I finally picked it up and was very pleasantly surprised to find a humorous and well-told story. I have a particular fondness for retellings of myths and fairytales. In this story, young Lucian is forced to leave his home after he discovers that some greedy government types have been stealing from the treasury. He soon joins forces with Fronto, a poet turned into a donkey, and Joy-in-the-Dance, a girl with some magical abilities that prove useful along the way.
The overall novel is made up of an interconnected series of individual stories that fans of Greek mythology will recognize. However, the stories are different in many ways from the tales we know and Lucian and Fronto spend a great deal of time discussing how the stories could be improved (and their improved versions are much more similar to those we know).
This is a quick, fun read with plenty of adventure and humor. Recommended for readers of all ages.
The overall novel is made up of an interconnected series of individual stories that fans of Greek mythology will recognize. However, the stories are different in many ways from the tales we know and Lucian and Fronto spend a great deal of time discussing how the stories could be improved (and their improved versions are much more similar to those we know).
This is a quick, fun read with plenty of adventure and humor. Recommended for readers of all ages.
kbeddes's review
4.0
Genre: fantasy, mythology
Summary: Alexander weaves a tale very similar to many Greek myths, but set in a different world. Lucian and Joy-in-the-Dance set off on a quest to find Lucian purpose in the world while avoiding all those who would try to stop him.
Response: Alexander has fun with Greek myths explaining them as real, like centaurs being a people who lived so closely with horses, they were like the same thing. This is a fairly comedic YA novel, but a great bridge to the study of classical Greek mythology, as the similarities are fun to pick out.
Summary: Alexander weaves a tale very similar to many Greek myths, but set in a different world. Lucian and Joy-in-the-Dance set off on a quest to find Lucian purpose in the world while avoiding all those who would try to stop him.
Response: Alexander has fun with Greek myths explaining them as real, like centaurs being a people who lived so closely with horses, they were like the same thing. This is a fairly comedic YA novel, but a great bridge to the study of classical Greek mythology, as the similarities are fun to pick out.
chill08's review against another edition
5.0
One of my favorite stories. A young bean-counter discoveries plans to overthrow the king and is forced to run for his life. He meets with a poet transfigured into a talking donkey and a beautiful young seer. A little romance, adventure, and story makes for a beautiful read you won't be able to set down.
readerette's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Let me preface and say that any reader unfamiliar with common gender stereotypes should take some of the themes of this book with a grain of salt and some discussion with others who recognize "women's work" is not different from "people's work." The author's intent is clearly to undo gender stereotypes in some ways, but in others, he unfortunately reinforces the "mysterious ways of women," which are really more like the mysterious ways of people connected to nature and common sense.
That said, this is a delightful, sweet, and humorous "pre-telling" of some classic myths and tales. It feels like a youth-appropriate Madeline Miller story (and she is a favorite author of mine), and for people who enjoy Greco-Roman mythology and general creation stories, it will be fun to count the ones they recognize.
The last time I read this I was some 20ish years ago when I was not an adult, and now as an adult reader, I still enjoyed the book immensely, as much as I recall enjoying it the first time around. It's an easy read, well written (and rather delightful vocabulary considering the intended audience), nothing too stressful in the plot or characters' traits, and it shows people learning from their mistakes, finding their way in life, opening their minds, and forging healthy relationships. Excellent themes no matter one's age.
That said, this is a delightful, sweet, and humorous "pre-telling" of some classic myths and tales. It feels like a youth-appropriate Madeline Miller story (and she is a favorite author of mine), and for people who enjoy Greco-Roman mythology and general creation stories, it will be fun to count the ones they recognize.
The last time I read this I was some 20ish years ago when I was not an adult, and now as an adult reader, I still enjoyed the book immensely, as much as I recall enjoying it the first time around. It's an easy read, well written (and rather delightful vocabulary considering the intended audience), nothing too stressful in the plot or characters' traits, and it shows people learning from their mistakes, finding their way in life, opening their minds, and forging healthy relationships. Excellent themes no matter one's age.
Content Warnings
Minor: Cursing and Fire/Fire injury
elevetha's review against another edition
2.0
One of my least favorites of all the books I've read by Lloyd Alexander.
katekat's review against another edition
4.0
Lloyd Alexander is an author I have always enjoyed. This is one of his lesser known books and while it is not my favorite of his it is still quite good. His writing style is such that it definitely stands up to the test of time.
csd17's review against another edition
5.0
I'd forgotten how wry Alexander can be and how delightful his characters are. I'm glad this came up at a good time for a revisit.
evamadera1's review against another edition
4.0
I finished this book yesterday and absolutely fell in love with it.
I remember loving Lloyd Alexander books as a kid and even purloined one of the names of his characters for the name of my own character. (Shh... don't tell anyone)
I haven't read any of his books in a very long time and don't even remember my overall opinion of them.
This book deftly weaves together versions of old Greek myths and a somewhat casual way, almost making fun of themselves. As I sit here and write this review I am reminded Lord of the Rings and how Tolkien often delves off into the stories, the histories of a group of people. This is what Alexander employed in the Arkadians but in such a lighthearted way that he almost is making fun of the technique that works so well in this book.
Also, I don't believe that Alexander is a Christian... but I'm not certain of course... throughout the book Alexander interspersed beautiful nuggets of truth such as the King bearing the responsibility of the burdens of his people and being more than willing to do so. There were several other examples of that but I cannot remember them at the moment.
Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone willing to suspend belief in reality and indulge in a little fantastical journey.
I remember loving Lloyd Alexander books as a kid and even purloined one of the names of his characters for the name of my own character. (Shh... don't tell anyone)
I haven't read any of his books in a very long time and don't even remember my overall opinion of them.
This book deftly weaves together versions of old Greek myths and a somewhat casual way, almost making fun of themselves. As I sit here and write this review I am reminded Lord of the Rings and how Tolkien often delves off into the stories, the histories of a group of people. This is what Alexander employed in the Arkadians but in such a lighthearted way that he almost is making fun of the technique that works so well in this book.
Also, I don't believe that Alexander is a Christian... but I'm not certain of course... throughout the book Alexander interspersed beautiful nuggets of truth such as the King bearing the responsibility of the burdens of his people and being more than willing to do so. There were several other examples of that but I cannot remember them at the moment.
Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone willing to suspend belief in reality and indulge in a little fantastical journey.
sisyphus_dreams's review against another edition
4.0
Lloyd Alexander is best known for his outstanding Chronicles of Prydain fantasy series. And deservedly so; it's a great series, charming, unique, and with a powerful and moving sense of morality to it. It is, in many ways, a Lord of the Rings for the young-teen set.
For those who aren't familiar with Alexander, I should emphasize that he wrote most of his work before the modern craze for huge fantasy series and juvenile fantasy series (in both senses of the word "juvenile"). His work is far superior to most of the trash that's published as fantasy for young adults (or even full-fledged adults) today.
Alexander has a very strong and unmistakable writing style. This is, generally a strength. But in some - not all, but some of his other books, the style doesn't fit the story as well as it does in The Chronicles of Prydain. Put simply, while I'd rate that series as a "5" overall, most of his other works would be a "4" or "3" (I have yet to run across a book by Alexander that I'd rate less than a "3").
I picked up a copy of The Arkadians at the permanent book sale at our library. I didn't expect much; it's a stand-alone book, and the blurb on the back showed that it was based at least partly on Greek mythology, rather than the Welsh mythology which is Alexander's strongest suit.
I was pleasantly surprised. The Arkadians is strongly influenced by Greek mythology, yes, but with an enjoyable skew. The adventures of Lucian the one-time accountant on the run for his life, and of the friends he meets along the way - particularly Fronto, the poet who has been transformed into an ass, and Joy-In-The-Dance, a strong-willed young woman with unusual abilities - echo many elements of Greek mythology, but throughout Fronto and Lucian discuss "improving" them into forms much closer to the classic Greek tales.
But that's beside the point. The point is that the story is well-told, and exciting, and funny, and touching, all at the right moments and in the right places. The one place where it might fall down, slightly, is the last few paragraphs; the story draws to a close surprisingly quickly, and somehow with less emotion than I expected. But this is a minor point. All in all, The Arkadians is a very enjoyable story that reads easily and well, a strong four. I will certainly read it again.
For those who aren't familiar with Alexander, I should emphasize that he wrote most of his work before the modern craze for huge fantasy series and juvenile fantasy series (in both senses of the word "juvenile"). His work is far superior to most of the trash that's published as fantasy for young adults (or even full-fledged adults) today.
Alexander has a very strong and unmistakable writing style. This is, generally a strength. But in some - not all, but some of his other books, the style doesn't fit the story as well as it does in The Chronicles of Prydain. Put simply, while I'd rate that series as a "5" overall, most of his other works would be a "4" or "3" (I have yet to run across a book by Alexander that I'd rate less than a "3").
I picked up a copy of The Arkadians at the permanent book sale at our library. I didn't expect much; it's a stand-alone book, and the blurb on the back showed that it was based at least partly on Greek mythology, rather than the Welsh mythology which is Alexander's strongest suit.
I was pleasantly surprised. The Arkadians is strongly influenced by Greek mythology, yes, but with an enjoyable skew. The adventures of Lucian the one-time accountant on the run for his life, and of the friends he meets along the way - particularly Fronto, the poet who has been transformed into an ass, and Joy-In-The-Dance, a strong-willed young woman with unusual abilities - echo many elements of Greek mythology, but throughout Fronto and Lucian discuss "improving" them into forms much closer to the classic Greek tales.
But that's beside the point. The point is that the story is well-told, and exciting, and funny, and touching, all at the right moments and in the right places. The one place where it might fall down, slightly, is the last few paragraphs; the story draws to a close surprisingly quickly, and somehow with less emotion than I expected. But this is a minor point. All in all, The Arkadians is a very enjoyable story that reads easily and well, a strong four. I will certainly read it again.