Lloyd Alexander Books

I've enjoyed most of Lloyd Alexander's non-fantasy- what I'll call "Fredonia" (in deference to the Marx brothers) adventures. This one seemed to ring a little too close to *The Prisoner of Zenda*- a wonderful story in its own right. Go to the original

I think that the book The Beggar Queen is a little confusing because its just that like all of a sudden a character pops up out of no where. ANd i really dont understand it! i have to take a test on it tomorrow and i really dont understand it and i am having to read a HALF of the book tonite then skimmin and scannin it ... so yeh

~~Katie

I remember reading this book for the first time - over eight years ago as a ten-year-old. Each of the several dozen times since that I have re-read it, I discover new things to love. Alexander writes so beautifully that not a single word is wasted; he creates images that linger in the reader's head for much longer than the average writer's creations. His protagonist, Theo, is so vivid, so real, so painfully human that you agonize with him over every decision and gasp with him at every tug on his heartstrings. You also laugh with him, but the humor in this and the other Westmark trilogy members is comic relief. I've read that this series is too dark for children, but I would say that, for an thoughtful reader, the Westmark trilogy is perfect. Although the series has been targeted by publishers toward a younger age group, teenagers and adults (I convinced my mother to read the series) would appreciate it as well.

Lloyd Alexander really is a master of his craft.

The Beggar Queen is the final installment of the Westmark trilogy. In this book, Queen Mickle/Augusta and her country face the ultimate challenge when deposed chief minister Cabbarus returns to Westmark in force to overthrow the monarchy and set up a dictatorship. Westmark, already in turmoil over the recent war with neighboring kingdom Regia, must decide what it truly wants in its government and how it wants to be ruled.

The Beggar Queen is fast-paced, non-stop action. Mickle's governmental reforms have barely taken effect before Cabbarus returns. Even the "good guys" are odds with each other, with differing political ideals and different thoughts on how to achieve those goals. Compromises are made and bargains are struck, but with any political manuevering, the true outcomes cannot be foreseen and characters have to choose between blind faith in each other or acting on what they feel is the best course of action, regardless of the promises made.

The Beggar Queen strikes a more serious note than the first two books in the trilogy. Even Count Las Bombas holds back on the offhand, witty comments we're used to reading from before. The tone of the overall book is heavy and solemn - even if the characters win the war, the future after that is very uncertain. It's very bittersweet, all the way to the end, because even if there are happy endings for our friends in Westmark, it's not a perfect ending.

This series (with the exception of the first book, Westmark) is probably a little too deep and heavy for younger readers. This would be a good series for pre-teens or teenagers, especially those with an interest in politics. Overall, an excellent read and trilogy, and highly recommended for any lover of good literature.

I definitely prefer Lloyd Alexander's fantasy world to his realistic fiction set in mini monarchies. Perhaps it's because I have not read the first two books in his Westmark series, but I was confused by the very complex plot--multiple schemes and counterschemes of many characters--to keep things straight.
I was relatively indifferent to most of their opposing political goals, though I sympathized with the romantic threads. It was not clear which characters I was suppposed to support over others. Besides the casts of thousands, Beggar Queen presents most of them with nicknames which do not always indicate gender. Also readers must perform mental gymnastics to keep track of events which are happening concurrently to several charactrers, resulting in literary as well as political confusion.

This book includes the usual Adventure Tale traits: fast-paced action, diabolical subterfuge--fiendishly foiled--loyalty, sacrifice and military strategy. Never underestimate the role and the will of the long-trampled People to empower their own destiny! On a a serious note, the author examines the case for and against Monarchy in general. I seriously urge Alexander afficionados to read the first two books in this trilogy before tackling this one. His fans will enjoy this book the more for recognizing many old friends and enemies from the previous stories. And for ultimately determining the fate of Westmark. ???

I read this book a year ago, and to be completly honest with you, I found it fairly boring. I don't think that it is a fast paced book like all the other readers say, but the writing is very good and that is why I gave it three stars. I would have liked it much better if it had been placed somewhere in the early 1900's but it was set in 1870 (or somewhere around there), and that time period dosen't interest me very much. I think the one thing it lacked was a an ancient ruin or and artifact, and if it had that, I probly would have loved it.On the back of the book, it says 'Look out Indiana Jones! Here comes Vesper Holly!' But personaly I thought the young Indiana Jones books were better. I do really like the character Vesper Holly, but she tends to get on my nerves. It's still a good book, but not as action filled as I would have liked.

The plot is definately weaker then its friends, but it still is very good. Vesper is as smart as ever and Brinnie as dramatic. Four Stars.

Lloyd Alexander is one of the best authors of our time, and this book solidifies that fact.

I've read all the Vesper Holly books (and ADORED each of them) but I'd have to say that this is my favorite. (Followed closely by the El Dorado adventure.) Fantastic plot, funny, exciting, and it gets even more clear that Helvetius is infauated with Vesper - a twist to the series that I found intriguing. I'd love to see a book in this series where they had to work together to solve some mysterious caper - but then I'd love to see another book in this series period. Amazing books, and this is the best.

The Jedera Adventure is my absolute favorite Vesper Holly book! It's Vesper Holly, the headstrong 18-year-old my friends and I adored when we read the series, back in her most exotic and one of her wildest adventures. It's been years since I read this in middle school but Vesper, Brinnie, Helvitius, Maleesh, Jenna, the Tawarik (including a blue-skinned chieftain called An-Jalil) still shine, along with all the cast of the Vesper Holly adventures. I recommend this series for anyone who likes adventures- with the occasional hint of romance.

ISBN: 0847820122: Hundreds of illustrations - mostly color photos, but also plans, hard line presentation drawings, models, renderings, etc. in beautiful colors or B&W on glossy paper, brief project descriptions.
CONTENTS:
Introduction 6
Alex Gorlin: A New Modern Eclectic 10
The Ancient and the Modern 14
Frank Lloyd Wright and The Italian Villa 16
BUILDINGS AND PROJECTS
Villa Cielo 24
Villa Jovis 28
Villa Viare 38
Vittadini Pool House 46
Ca]lan Townhouse 50
Gobert Townhouse 54
Colonial Life Insurance Headquarters 56
Apartment for a Bibliophile 58
New York Apartment 62
Eclipse Townhouse 70
Country House Addition 78
Villa Marittima 84
Hansbrough House 94
Barrier-Hoover Townhouse 100
Tribeca Loft 106
Hadley Group Offices 112
West Village Roof Garden 118
Italic House 120
Rouse of the Glass Spine 122
Alabama House 124
Shadow House 126
Villa Amore 128
Ruskin Place House 130
Battery Park City North 140
Tribeca Massing Studies 142
Battery Park City Guard Booths 144
Tile Spreebogen Competition 146
Prado Museum Competition 150
Afterword 156
List of Projects 158
Awards and Honors 159
Exhibitions 159
Bibliography 159
Selected Writings 160

White, Donna. A Century of Welsh Myth in Children's Literature. Jefferson, N.C.: Greenwood, 1998. hardcover. pp. 162 ISBN: 0-313-30570-6.

In her book A Century of Welsh Myth in Children's Literature, Donna White contends, "Some of the best children's fantasy available is based on Welsh traditional literature" (142). Given the authors she chooses to examine, her argument is persuasive. Newbery Medal winners Lloyd Alexander and Susan Cooper, Guardian Award and Carnegie Medal recipient Alan Garner, and Tir na n-Og Award recipients Susan Cooper, Frances Thomas, and Jenny Nimmo all received recognition for their fiction based on Welsh legends.

"Although I am not the first person to have examined the influence of Welsh traditional literature on modern fantasy, I am the first to look at the material historically and chronologically as children's literature," says White. Her approach can be used as a companion piece to the best-known work on the subject, C. W. Sullivan's Welsh Celtic Myth in Modern Fantasy (1989) as well as to Kath Filmer-Davies's Fantasy Fiction and Welsh Myth: Tales of Belonging (1996). The studies by Sullivan, Filmer-Davies, and White overlap in coverage, but White's study of the techniques by which authors integrate the myths into audience-specific writings differs from Sullivan's research into the thematic influences on fantasy and Filmer-Davies's critique of themes within fantasy. White's approach is unique in both the scope of works covered and her focus on literature for children and young adults.

Noting the obstacles to incorporating myths originally intended for an adult audience into children's literature, White traces the evolution of the original Welsh tales, first into translations and re-tellings intended for a younger audience (1881 - 1988) and then into fiction drawing upon different elements of the original lore (1830 - 1990). She synopsizes each of the Four Branches of the Mabinogi in her Introduction, enabling the reader to derive meaning from references throughout the text without scurrying off to find the nearest translation of the myths. This section also introduces the seminal work by Lady Charlotte Guest. An Englishwoman who taught herself medieval Welsh, Lady Guest published the first complete English translation of the myths in a seven-volume set (1838 - 1845). Along with the Four Branches, Lady Guest included stories from the Red Book of Hergest and the Book of Taliesin. These tales together comprise The Mabinogion, while the Four Branches alone are known as The Mabinogi. Among the titles White discusses are Welsh author Kenneth Morris's Book of the Three Dragons (1930), the first attempt to fictionalize the Mabinogi in children's literature, Alan Garner's The Owl Service and Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain, thoroughly examining the influence of the Mabinogi on these gifted writers and explaining their influence on later authors. A section on "The Mabinogi in Fiction, 1970-1992," discusses works by Susan Cooper, Nancy Bond, Madeleine L'Engle, Frances Thomas, Louise Lawrence, Clare Cooper, Joan Aiken, Grace Chetwin, and Jenny Nimmo. Several pages are devoted to Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising sequence (1966-1977). Close to half of this chapter is dedicated to the works of Jenny Nimmo, including The Snow Spider (1986), Emlyn's Moon (1987) and The Chestnut Soldier (1989).

White's writing has many strengths; particularly interesting is her explanation for the fits and starts by which Welsh myth has proven influential. While many other countries embraced their folklore, Welsh authors never seemed to celebrate the rich wonder inherent in their lore that would lend it so readily to stories for young people. White attributes this to Anglicization in Wales that suppressed the country's culture and language. With the popularity of Garner and Alexander, another hurdle appeared -- few writers dared comparison with these masters of YA fantasy. White's commentary investigates the very different approaches each took in incorporating Welsh myths into their stories.

Beyond her scholarship, what makes White's book so enjoyable are her willingness to challenge earlier scholars and her humorous, conversational style. Although it is not necessarily an integral element to successful criticism, I enjoyed her dry sense of humor. She often provides personal translations for Welsh phrases.

Overall, White is engaging and eminently readable. Due to the chronological nature of the text (and the early thumbnail sketches of the Mabinogi), the chapters may not be as effective when read independently, although readers familiar with the subject will certainly benefit. This excellent study belongs in public and college libraries and is recommended to scholars of both Welsh lore and children's literature.

When Coll's pig, Hen Wen, was kidnapped by King Arawn, Coll knew that he had to rescue his pig. Coll immediately sets out on a journey to save his favorite pig. Along the way, he meets Ash-Wing the owl, Oak horn the stag, and Star-nose the mole. Join Coll and his friends on their bold and dangerous journey to Annuvi

As you might know Jean-Paul Sartre is one of the most famous French philosophers, novelists, and play writers during the early 1900's. "Intimacy" by Sartre is probably considered one of his less famous works, unlike his most influential book of 20th-century philosophy - "Being and Nothingness".

This might sound quite dissapointing but Intimacy is one those books which takes constant re-reading, analyzing, and reading within context. If you are into philosophy this piece of work is completely crucial to anyone interested in reading about post-modern philosophy and existentialism.

In "Intimacy", Sartre deals with the various mazes of human freedom, about the necessasry suffering. Lulu a "dirty" wife who is married to Henri only because of his relatively high tolerance and his own unique manner of expressing or feigning un-concern. Lulu is left free to "wander" but Henri the husband is the point of -"departure and return". There exists the conflict of psychologies: Henri, with his devotion for the Swiss, seems to be ridgid and sexually sedated. He is split between righteous piety and sexual desire, to speak with Sartre's philosophy in mind.

Lulu is the sensual and free woman. Her temperment is one that exceeds the rules and regulations of marriage. She is faithful to the physical desire she has for a young skilled bed partner waiter, Pierre but nothing else. She also is both spiritually and physically devoted to a lesbian named Rirette. Lulu is strangely repulsed by men, and then yet she is attracted to them. She attempts to resolve the conflict by having her lebian mate- Rirette, a third choice.

The theme of the whole story might be: Bodily conciousness and then once realizing its existence, what to do with it? Pretend that the body does not exist? That a person is not capable of being sexually exicted? Sartre would support a strict adherence to the body as body, and desire as desire, and that a person not deny "his self", but accept it, and be faithful to it's capacity.

Rirette regrets ripping Lulu away from Henri at the end of the story, but since Lulu has expressed her love for her homosexual partner, what more can she do? Her sexual jealousy has been nullified, Lulu can't stop loving Rirette. Rirette ends the story with the acceptance of Lulu as an individual. So in the end society does have its large impact on the individual, Lulu is far from free of guilt, worry, and sexual repression.

Like I said, philosophy is not my strong point so I had to read some sections a couple of times. If you can conceptually grasp half of this stuff it will change your deep down views about human psychology and sexual desire. I reccomend reading books on "how to read Sartre" before attempting to read this one. I am a philosophy novice but I surely know when there is GOOD writing.

This is a story about an adventure that starts by mistake. (Well, it must have been a mistake.) The usual themes of good and evil, courage and loyalty, are woven together with quiet humor

Ever wonder how the top-ranked reviewers force their way to the top?

They click on their own reviews over and over.

So brilliant. So clever. But not "well-done"! Certainly not the mark of a professional.

The new rule of thumb: lower rankings equal better reviews!

My 10 year old son has been reading this book to me, and as we are nearing the end, I find that it is breaking my heart. I love the way Lloyd Alexander had made characters so believable that I have to assume that they are all based in some way on real people. The relationship between the Boy and the Gawgon is made even more special by the fact that the Gawgon's own son died at about that same age as her pupil David is. The Gawgan shows David that History and learning can be fun, and her greatest gifts to him are sets of history books and post cards of great artworks. As the Great Depression looms, she gives him something that changes the way he sees the world. I highly recommend the book to anyone who enjoys reading or history, or who has a Gawgon of their own, or wishes they did.

I have been a big fan of Lloyd Alexander's work ever since I was 9 years old and read "The Book of Three." While this book is definitely different from the fantasy books that he's known for, it still has the delightful, real, memorable characters he so effortlessly creates.

"The Gawgon and The Boy" is the story of David, a young boy growing up in Depression-era Philadelphia. After a bout with pneumonia, David discovers that he has fallen so far behind in school that he needs a tutor. So his Great Aunt Annie steps up to the challenge. At first, David is a bit afraid of her: she's old, she seems a bit cranky, and well, he overheard one of his other aunts calling her a "Gorgon," which he mistook as "Gawgon." But the more he gets to know her, the more he likes her, until she becomes so much to him than a tutor: she is his friend and his mentor.

This book struck a very personal chord with me since I, too, had my own "Gawgon" growing up. My Great Aunt LouElla was my inspiration, my mentor, and the person I most wanted to be when I grew up. Like David's Gawgon, my great aunt had traveled all over the world and always had fascinating stories to tell, whether from her life experiences or from books. After reading this book, I sobbed-- which I almost never do when reading books-- thoroughly touched and moved. I felt like the book was not only a tribute to his mentor, but also to mine, and to all the other people who have inspired children to learn and grow.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of this book are David's stories that he intersperses in the narrative. In these stories, he often writes about characters in books he's read or imagines himself on one of The Gawgon's adventures. This is a great technique and really showed not only David's growth as a writer, but also the deepening of his relationship with The Gawgon. (And they are hysterical, too! My favorite is the Swiss Alps one!)

If you love to read, go on adventures, or laugh, this would be a great choice. It's an inspiring and funny look into the beginnings of one of America's most beloved children's book writers. I also recommend sharing it with your mentor. Alexander has outdone himself again!

David (also known as The Boy, laddie-buck, blighter, and Bax) thinks that getting out of school is the best thing that could happen to him after he nearly dies. That is, until his parents decide he is going to have a tutor instead. This fact is made even worst when they decide that Aunt Anne will teach him. She doesn't need a salary, which is good since it's during the Depression, and she needs something to do. David dreads his first day until he realizes that it's actually the best thing that could have ever happened.

I think this is a good book for anyone eight or older to read.

I read this book aloud to my 3 oldest children (13,11,8 yo).

To be fair, it had some good qualities:
It was funny in some places, although usually just to ME; Most of the humor went right over the heads of my children who were in the intended age range! It did have a likeable main character, and a likeable secondary character (the "Gawgon".)

But these qualities were not enough to redeem this book. The eccentric relatives were apparently added for comedic effect or possibly to lengthen a rather short book. But they were just WEIRD to us and left us wondering why they were even mentioned... to torment us? Yuck. We'd rather have more interaction between the main characters.

For some reason, few paragraphs were more than a sentence or two long. You just don't appreciate a well-organized paragraph until you read through an entire book without them.

My kids like almost anything I read to them. They were glad when this one was over (SO WAS I.)

This is a poor and forgettable book. It introduces us to young and newly orphaned Vesper Holly. Upon learning that her adventurer father has died, her reaction is along the lines of "jolly good, let's have some tea." (In the story she is from Philadelphia, but she's written like she's English, hence the tea. Sorry to any English people out there, but I'm not owning this sociopath as American.) I think that this was supposed to be spunky, but that isn't how it comes off. The same flat cruelty and lack of care for other people runs through the story. It is broken by occasional sentences in which Vepser expresses saddness about the caste system in Illyria and is disturbed that one of the Illyrians she meets, Nilo, may be killed in civil war.

On to the plot... ...Vesper convinces her newly designated guardian (our narrator) to accompany her to the land of Illyria to continue her father's research and try to find an army of magical warriors from an Illyrian legend which her father had believed truly existed. She meets the Zentan (Illyrian upper caste) king, and they discuss the caste system in Illyria. She is then off to do archaeological research with some help from her Illyrian (Illyrian lower caste) guide, Nilo. Together they uncover mystery and subterfuge and discover the secret of the magical army of legend, all while remaining completely two dimensional and unsympathetic.

The underlying mystery of an ancient secret that could hold the key to uniting castes in the present, or driving them further apart if things didn't work out, wasn't bad. Had there been, say, some character development, this book might have been able to ride on that. As it is the characters are badly written, the plot is bland and doesn't hold together, and there is no redemption from elsewhere, like stellar prose or something. This book is not worth the paper it is printed on. A child who was extremely into the genre might be OK reading this, but their parents and peers aren't going to find anything.

I'm 21, and I must say I love the Vesper Holly books as much as I did when I first discovered them at age 10. I read them over and over again through my teen years. They're like a cross between Indiana Jones and the Adventures of Tintin, with an added bonus--an original female heroine! As a young girl I admired Vesper and all her intelligence and pluck; she's a great role model for smart, ambitious girls who want to make discoveries. These books are funny, intelligent, and genuinely exciting. They are honest, lighthearted, goodhearted fun. I was delighted to discover that Lloyd Alexander has recently written a series finale (Xanadu Adventure). They're at a young adult reading level (good for ages 9-16) but are also great books for reading out loud with kids from ages 7 to 107.

Vesper, with a heart as big as her brain and her endearing knacks for mathematics, historical puzzles, and banjo music is a truly trailbrazing heroine in young adult literature. (Keeping track of her numerous and various admirers and enemies, and bumbling along with her humorous guardian, Brinnie, is fun, too!)

Thank you, thank you, Lloyd Alexander!

I did not like The Illyrian Adventure because I didn't like because the main character. Vesper is a know it all. She can speak five different languages and can figure clues out before anyone else. Her arm was cut and she didn't even worry about it. Someone was stalking them and Vesper knew how to get out of it. She just wasn't believable.

The Illyrian Adventure is about a girl whose Dad died. He was an archaeologist. His daughter, Vesper, and her guardian went to Illyria. When they got there they met King Osman. He gave them permission to go through Illyria and finish what her father had started, to find the treasure. On the trip someone was following them. They found someone to help in their adventure. Find out if Vesper and her Guardian find the treasure by reading the Illyrian Adventure.

I would recommend it to anyone who likes adventure and mystery. I would recommend it to anyone eleven to thirteen.

I've been a Lloyd Alexander fan for a long time. His Westmark Trilogy and Prydain Chronicles are certainly some of my favorities for their high adventure, dry wit, and extraordinary depth. I've even exchanged letters with Alexander. Needless to say, I've been excited to begin the Vesper Holly books for a long times, and while this one is not quite up to the level of Westmark and Prydain, I am not disappointed.

Vesper Holly is quite a girl. She has a knack for getting into finding trouble and adventure. In this novel, she drags her Uncle Brinnie to Illyria and into a civil war with its roots in ancient mythology. Together, Vesper and Brinnie have to try to unite the country by bringing together the king and the leader of the rebel forces. Of course, the plot contains a lot of murder attempts and quick escapes and mysterious plot twists. It's certainly a fun, fast ride.

There is a lot that's great about this book. I'm always a stickler for good high adventure, and the humor, action, and characters of The Illyrian Adventure provide that. The only problem with the book is that it stops there. Where Prydain and Westmark have underlying messages about such things as political philosophy, the nature of heroism, and the ability of love to cut through the chaos of the world, this book did not have that depth. Certainly, read this book, but read Westmark and Prydain first.

Readers may already know veteran author Lloyd Alexander, especially his Prydain and Westmark fantasy titles. Not as many are familiar with Alexander's indomitable red-haired heroine, Vesper Holly. The Illyrian Adventure is the first of a series of books featuring this plucky young woman and her guardian Uncle, affectionately called Brinnie. This book is a delightful romp, a sort of young readers' Indiana Jones without the snakes.

Vesper Holly is a young lady who is determined to clear her late father's name and discover the secret of Illyria's greatest legend. To do so, she enlists the help of her resourceful uncle and leads them off into the Illyrian countryside where they will face assassins, betrayals, rebellions and impending war. To Holly, this is all simply part of the marvelous excitement of her adventure. Nothing sets her back or leaves her daunted, and she will lead the rest of the characters by the ears if necessary to accomplish her goals. The overall impression is charming, but a bit on the thin side. At only 132 pages, it's not so surprising that the book has less development than some of Alexander's more extensive works. Still, the book lacks the flavor of originality. Evil royal viziers and noble rebels are a bit too stereotyped for me to be completely forgiving. The keen young heroine, her more staid guardian and wild adventures across the globe smacks more of serial writing than strong story crafting. The serial quality can be seen in the number of Vesper Holly adventures that exist, although many may be out of print currently.

I've nothing against a good serial, but I do want readers who might have read other Alexander works to be aware of the nature of these stories. There's also a level of unreality to the world of Vesper Holly. While the perils are frequent, the threats seldom feel that dangerous-none of the main characters ever seems seriously hurt for long. Still, the adventure can make for some exciting reading and can be perfect for the young reader who hasn't cracked longer books yet. Children who are fresh from the Magic Tree House series or The Secrets of Droon may be just the audience for Vesper Holly. The books are not particularly scary, there is no gore and there is nothing in the way of sexual innuendo. While violence is necessarily part of the adventure, it is kept at a comfortable distance.

I can only give this particular book three stars, as I have read better stories by this author. But I do think the book is a delightful lightweight read for the right audience. It's vivid and charming and an easy read. For those who enjoy Vesper's story, she's got several more! The sequel to this one is The Eldorado Adventure. For those who may be looking for other adventure tales, I also recommend The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, about mutiny, murder and betrayal on the high seas.
Happy Reading! ^_^ Shanshad

All the wizards have long since departed this land for Vale Innis - but one has been left behind. When Mallory's favourite oak tree is felled, she finds a surprising discovery inside: an old wizard named Arbican who's desperate to follow his fellow wizards across the sea. The orphaned Mallory has grown up with stories of magic and enchantment, and couldn't be more delighted with the discovery - especially if there's a chance that she can go with him. Mallory does not have the most wonderful life as scullery maid to the nasty Mrs Parsel, but Arbican has bigger problems: his magical powers have been severely depleted, and if he does not reach Vale Innis soon he faces imminent death.

It sounds like another wonderful Lloyd Alexander story, but sadly "The Wizard in the Tree" falls short on several levels. It is a very slim novel, and so does not have time to delve very deeply into character or plot development - instead the story is made up of Mallory and Arbican running from various members of the neighbourhood who are intent on exploiting Arbican and harming Mallory. This complete lack of likeable secondary characters is surprising for Alexander, since friendship and teamwork is a major theme of many of his other books (particularly his beloved "Chronicles of Prydain"). Although Mallory is a spunky young heroine, Arbican is not as easy to like. He's bad-tempered and arrogant, faults that are not balanced or made endearing with the inclusion of more likeable traits. The more intriguing magical elements of the plot are overshadowed by the sinister designs of the corrupt Squire Scrupner who is too much of a one-dimension villain to be particularly interesting (a greedy land-developer who's out for all he can get). There's also some surprisingly strong language: Mallory is called "slut" throughout the novel by various characters.

Alexander also adds a general theme of environmentalism and love of country-side that is much akin to Tolkien's use of the topic with his Ents versus Saruman subplot. However, his general setting of early 19th century countryside, with rustic occupations and dialect is quite appealing, and his commentary on the true nature of magic is thought-provoking (though sadly there's not enough of it).

Laszlo Kubinyi provides simple, but lovely illustrations that portray Mallory particularly well and capture the time-period of the story in the clothing and hairstyles of the characters.

Ultimately, it is a harmless enough story, but is simply not up to the exceptional standards of other Lloyd Alexander publications.

Mallory is not happy, and is living a miserable existence. She is an orphaned teenager being raised in rough manner by her new guardian, who mostly uses her as a slave which includes regular beatings. To make matters worse her idyllic village is being taken over by a greedy local squire who is scheming to take away the local farms and businesses. In their place will be the shops, farms, and Inns that he will own, and the verdant farmland will be dug up for coal.

Mallory always loved the old stories of magic and wizards. Unbelievably, she manages to rescue a real wizard named Arbican trapped in a tree. The wizard she finds is shockingly different than in the stories. He won't grant 3 wishes for one thing even though she rescued him. And to top it off, rather than showing his gratitude and helping her in her miserable state, he is permanently grouchy and wants to leave immediately. Confusingly for Mallory, she has to feed him and protect him, rather than the other way around.

The plot has many surprises and keeps you guessing. It delivers plenty of suspense and big surprises. I believe that in the long run the story is about the magic that we all have within, through perseverance, ingenuity, bravery, and other positive traits that get us through hard times. Arbican's magic takes a back seat to all of these, but usually in a hilarious way. When he is able to use his magic, it is usually done wrong... such as the time he wants to fly and turns himself into a goose instead. "Catch hold! The spell's gone wrong! Pull me down! I'm floating away!"
It is a short book, but fast-paced at 134 pages. Great coverart. There is a lot if fun in this story, it is a quick read, with an upbeat ending. I recommend.

Well, compared to a several books by Lloyd Alexander, this book isnt nearly as interesting or fun as others. However, it's still a very good book and, as all Lloyd Alexanders, a great read with very cool characters.

In the story The Wizard in the Tree By Lloyd Alexander Mallory and a wizard named Arbacan experienced some terrifying adventures. If you like scary adventures, this is the book for you.
When Mallory finds Arbacan in the tree, Arbacan explains that he got put in the tree because Wizard are not supposed to fiddle with nature in the human world before they leave to Vale Innis. If they fiddled with the environment before they left they would be a part of whatever they fiddled with. When Mallory finds somewhere for Arbacan to stay, she goes and get food. When she brings the food back, Scrupnor the squire follows her. He chases Arbacan and Mallory for hours. Finally they get caught.
Will Mallory be forced to be Scrupnor's slave? Will Arbacan get beaten until he grants wishes for Scrupnor? Will Arbacan escape or not? Will Mallory escape? My favorite part is when Mallory and Arbacan have to sneak past all of Scrupnors guards. Will they sneak out without getting caught? They experience fabulous adventures until Arbacan has to leave to Vale Innis. Arbacan gives Mallory a magical gift before he leaves. What power does this gift has? Will Mallory be able to see Arbacan when she needs a friend? I encourage you to read The Wizard in the Tree.

I never thought I'd give two stars to a Lloyd Alexander story, but sadly this story is far below his usual fare. After reading the similar "Cat Who Wished To Be A Man" I expected excellence from this book. I was somewhat disappointed.

Mallory is a young girl who loves stories about magic and wizards and so forth; she also lives in a village ruled over by the repulsive Squire Scrupner, who is milking the people for money while masking it under faux benevolence. But when she notices an oddity about an old oak, she finds a real live -- and very cranky -- wizard inside!

Arbican was a powerful wizard who broke a certain law, and ended up sealed inside the tree. Thus, he hasn't been able to follow his fellow wizards across the sea, and his magic has gradually seeped away. Mallory agrees to keep Arbican a secret from her shrewish inkeeper and her spineless husband, and especially from Squire Scrupner.

But soon Arbican is revealed to the Squire--who uses him as a scapegoat for the death of the old squire. Mallory and Arbican end up in a perilous situation, with the squire determined to commit murder again.

It took me a while to understand why I disliked this book. Finally I figured out why: the story just lacks what we expect from Lloyd Alexander. With the greedy squire/mayor sapping money from the townsfolk, and the intervention of a magical being, it is similar in some respects to "Cat", but lacks what made that other book so appealing.

It lacks the supporting characters that Alexander does so well, and thus we get a rather stifling view of this invented land. His trademark humor and wit are rather underdone, as the only person with wit is Arbican and his seems to be a rather malicious one. Also, most of the characters other than Mallory are completely unsympathetic: The squire is detestable, so is the fawning woman that Mallory lives with, her husband is a first-order wimp, the farmer is a thief and child-abuser, his son is about the same, Arbican never apologizes for his snappishness or really does much at all, and only really shows much graciousness at the end.

The story gets two stars for being written in Lloyd Alexander's excellent style, and also for featuring the nice, fantasy-fed heroine Mallory.

Unfortunately Mallory cannot save this tale. I can only speculate that Alexander was experiencing a rather dreary view of humanity while writing this story, and scoot on to something else.