User:P64/FSF/Alexander

The Marvelous Misadventures of Sebastian
Author	Lloyd Alexander
Cover artist	Jacob Landau
Language	English
Genre	Fantasy novel, Children's literature
Publisher	E. P. Dutton
Publication date	1970
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print (hardcover)
Pages	204 pp
ISBN	0-525-34739-9 (first edition, hard)

Tuck, Donald H. (1974). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Chicago: Advent. p. 6.^{[clarification needed]}

Tunnell, Michael O. (2003). The Prydain Companion: A Reference Guide to Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles. New York: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 0-805-07271-3.

Reading level: Ages 12 and up
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); First Edition edition (April 1, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0805072713
ISBN-13: 978-0805072716
Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches

Michael O. Tunnell is the author of several books for young readers, as well as educational books in the field of children’s literature. A longtime scholar of Lloyd Alexander’s work and a professor of children’s literature at Brigham Young University, Mr. Tunnell lives in Orem, Utah.

the Amazon listing includes an excerpt, the entire entry for Achren.

Alexander, Lloyd (1999). The Book of Three. New York: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 0-805-06132-0.

PZ7.A3774Bn

Alexander, Lloyd (1999). The Black Cauldron. New York: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 0-805-06131-2.

PZ7.A3774B1 (typo for 'Bl'?)

Alexander, Lloyd (1999). The Castle of Llyr. New York: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 0-805-0613###.
Alexander, Lloyd (1999). Taran Wanderer. New York: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 0-805-06134-7.

PZ7.A3774Tar

Alexander, Lloyd (1999). The High King. New York: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 0-805-0613###.
Alexander, Lloyd (1999). The Foundling and Other Tales of Prydain. Expanded Edition. New York: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 0-805-06130-4.

"Revised Edition": primarily, expanded by the Prydain Pronunciation Guide; limited to insubstantial wording of the Foreword, Author's Note

Citations

Alexander, Lloyd (1999). The Black Cauldron. New York: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 0-805-06131-2.
Alexander, Lloyd (1999). The Foundling and Other Tales of Prydain. Enlarged Edition. New York: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 0-805-06130-4.
Tuck, Donald H. (1974). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy: a bibliographic survey of the fields of science fiction, fantasy and weird fiction through 1968. Volume 1: Who's Who, A-L. Chicago: Advent:Publishers. ISBN 0-911682-20-1.

Tuck

Volume 1: Who's Who, A-L (1974) 0-911682-20-1

Volume 2: Who's Who, M-Z (1978) 0-911682-22-8

Volume 3: Miscellaneous (1982) 0-911682-26-0

Prydain

The) Chronicles of Prydain —

The) Prydain Cycle —

The) Prydain Chronicles —Dutton 1997 endpapers(Jen)

The Bantam Doubleday Dell BFYR "Yearling" edition (April 1990, printing 51) BT includes Author's Note p7-8 and tale alone.

A two-page Map follows the Author's Note in each book. They differ, with less detail in the larger scale 1968 version (HK & Foundling[identical]). Copyrights 1964 BT, 1965 BC, 1966 CL, 1967 TW, 1968 HK/Foundling. The first two include the routes of Taran & Co. marked with heavy arrows.

"Author's Note" ...

"Prydain Pronunciation Guide" appears identically in all six 1999 editions.

So does "About the Author", where the four latter Prydain chronicles match BT & Foundling[identical] except that each begins with the following one or two pars.

About the Author

Coll and His White Pig (1965)

he recalls purchasing "a children's version of the King Arthur stories. That started his interest in tales of heroes and led him to the Mabinogion, ..."

"His particular interests are cats and music and he has now taught himself Welsh."

The Truthful Harp (1967)

"Some years ago he bought an ancient Welsh harp and tried unsuccessfully to learn to play it. In time, the strings broke one after another, but Mr. Alexander refuses to suggest why that may have been."

text pagespans 3-186, 5-178, 3-170, 3-218, 3-248

The Book of Three — ["About the Author" identical to The Foundling]

LC Summary: Taran, APK to a famous oracular sow, sets out on a hazardous mission to save Prydain from the forces of evil.

The Black Cauldron 181-82 — In writing the Chronicles of Prydain, Mr. Alexander says, "There was nothing to do but keep on. The story insisted on being written. ... The people in it were born, like most children, at unlikely and inconvenient times. Gurgi, for example, appeared in the predawn hours. .. Suddenly there he was, with his groanings and moanings, looking like a disordered owl's nest." The author first met the hopelessly distraught and harassed Gwystyl while sitting, under protest, in a dentist's chair.

LC Summary: Taran, APK of Prydain, faces even omore dangers as he seeks the magical Black Cauldron, the chief implement of the evil powers of Arawn, lord of the Land of Death.

The Castle of Llyr (For the friends of the Companions, fondly) 173-74 — Readers who have enjoyed Mr. Alexander's partiality to cats will find particular satisfaction with the first appearance of a feline in Prydain in this book. In fact, Mr. Alexander claims that LLyan was "inspired by the letters of two literary-minded cats, denizens of the household of a certain editor. They insisted that in a land like Prydain the prototype of cat-greatness must exist—and it turned out they were right."

LC Summary: When Princess Eilonwy is sent to the Isle of Mona for training, she is bewitched by the evil enchantress Achren, so Taran and other friends must try to rescue her.

Taran Wanderer 221-22 — Readers who, like Taran, have failed in something at which they very much wanted to succeed may be interested to learn about Lloyd Alexander's similar disappointment. He admits, "I once did indeed work with clay at the potter's wheel, but though I loved the craft as much as Taran did, my own efforts turned out even worse than his."

LC Summary: The fourth book of the Prydain cycle tells of the adventures that befell Taran when he went in search of his birthright and the truth about himself.

The High King 251-53 — Although the imaginary realm of Prydain slowly grew from the diverse elements of Lloyd Alexander's research, many aspects have a very personal meaning to him. Like Taran the APK, Mr. Alexander tried his hand hopefully but unsuccessfully at weaving and pottery; he is a would-be musician, and what might be the prototype of Fflewddur Fflam's harp, broken strings and all, stands on a mantel at home; he admits to being as distraught as Gwystyl and as fearful as Gurgi.

With this fifth and last book of the Chronicles of Prydain, Mr. Alexander completed a work of some thousand pages and close to a quarter million words. With each successive volume, he received growing amounts of mail from curious friends of the Companions. He says, "one of the hardest things during the writing of The High King was resisting the temptation to reveal the ending ahead of time to a number of readers (not all of them young people, either) who were most impatient to find out who Taran really was. I couldn't even let on whether their guesses were right or wrong. But now that the secret has been told, I hope those readers who guessed almost right will still be surprised."

LC Summary: In this final part of the chronicles of Prydain, the forces of good and evil meet in an ultimate confrontation, which determines the fate of Taran the APK who wanted to be a hero.

The Foundling and Other Tales of Prydain

ISFDB

Lloyd Alexander at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database

Prydain series listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database

The Prydain Chronicles title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database — omnibus including five chronicles, only six Foundling stories, plus p769 "Guide to Pronunciation" (1991) uncredited essay

The Foundling ...

711 Foundling Feb 1977 The Fantastic Imagination [I] [: An Anthology of High Fantasy]; Aug 1992 Visions & Imaginings: Classic Fantasy Fiction; Oct 2001 The Little Big Book of Chills & Thrills;
721 Stone
731 True Enchanter
741 Rascal Crow
751 "The Sword Dyrnwyn" Oct 1975 The Year's Best Fantasy Stories
761 The Smith ..." Dec 1978 The Fantastic Imagination II

Pronunciation

Gurgi, GHER-ghee, is listed in the Prydain Pronunciation Guide, 1999 expanded edition of The Foundling and Other Tales of Prydain‎. --P64 (talk) 16:20, 20 December 2011 (UTC)

Books by Lloyd Alexander

Front endpapers of The Iron Ring (1997, hc) groups books for young people and adults separately. The Internet Speculative Fiction Database groups (speculative) fiction, non-genre, and non-fiction separately. Speculative fiction comprises 80% of the books listed by ISFDB, as classified there; earliest Time Cat (1963). Evidently Time Cat is his first fantasy for children or young adults; not his first book for children unless we have reliable distinction between children and YA.

These are all the non-genre and non-fiction books, as classified by ISFDB, plus the translations listed by Dutton only. Dutton provides no information but title and classification.

for Young People –Dutton

non-genre –ISFDB

My Cats and Me (1989) not listed –D perfunctory listing –I

The House Gobbaleen (1995 picture)

non-fiction –ISFDB

My Five Tigers (1956) Autobiographical/pets; Border Hawk: August Bondi (1958) Historical biography of August Bondi for children; The Flagship Hope: Aaron Lopez (1960) Historical biography of Aaron Lopez for children
for Adults –Dutton

non-genre –ISFDB

Park Avenue Vet (1962) with Louis Camuti perfunctory listing –I

Fifty Years in the Doghouse (1963) Concerning William Michael Ryan and the American [SPCA]

non-fiction –ISFDB

And Let the Credit Go (1955) Autobiographical/work at a bank; Janine is French (1958) Autobiographical/wife; My Love Affair with Music (1960) Autobiographical
Translations –listed only by Dutton: Nausea by Jean-Paul Sartre; The Wall by Sartre; The Sea Rose by Paul Vialar; Uninterrupted Poetry by Paul Eluard

Welsh mythology

Four Branches of the Mabinogi

Pwyll Pendefig Dyfed • Branwen ferch Llŷr • Manawydan fab Llŷr • Math fab Mathonwy

Arthurian

Culhwch ac Olwen • Preiddeu Annwfn • Iarlles y Ffynnon • Geraint ac Enid • Peredur fab Efrog • Breuddwyd Rhonabwy • Gereint filius Erbin

Other

Ystoria Taliesin • Cad Goddeu • Trioedd Ynys Prydain • Breuddwyd Macsen • Englynion y Beddau • Giant tales • Cyfranc Lludd a Llefelys

Characters

Afaon fab Taliesin • Amaethon • Arawn • Arianrhod • Arthur • Afallach • Beli Mawr • Bleiddwn • Blodeuwedd • Bedwyr • Bendigeidfran • Branwen • Cai • Caradog ap Bran • Caswallawn • Ceridwen • Cyledr Wyllt • Cigfa • Creiddylad • Culhwch • Cyhyraeth • Dôn • Drudwas • Dylan ail Don • Dywel fab Erbin • Edern ap Nudd • Efnysien • Elen • Elffin ap Gwyddno • Eliwlod • Eufydd • Euroswydd • Geraint • Gilfaethwy • Glewlwyd Gafaelfawr • Goewin • Gofannon • Goreu fab Custennin • Gronw Pebr • Gwawl • Gwern • Gwrhyr • Gwyddno Garanhir • Gwydion • Gwyn ap Nudd • Gwythyr • Gwalchmei • Hafgan • Hefeydd • Hueil mab Caw • Hychddwn • Hyddwn • Iddog ap Mynio • Idris • Llefelys • Lleu • Llŷr • Lludd • Llwyd • Mabon • Madoc ap Uthyr • Macsen Wledig • Mallt-y-Nos • Manawydan • Math • Matholwch • Menw • Modron • Morfydd • Morfran • Nisien • Olwen • Penarddun • Penpingion • Peredur • Pryderi • Pwyll • Rhiannon • Sanddef • Seithenyn • Taliesin • Tegid Foel • Teyrnon • Ysbaddaden

Animals and creatures

Adar Llwch Gwin • Adar Rhiannon • Afanc • Cafall • Ceffyl Dŵr • Cewri • Coblynau • Coraniaid • Cŵn Annwn • Cyhyraeth • Dreigiau • Gwyllgi • Gwyllion • Llamhigyn y Dŵr • Morgens • Plentyn Newid • Pwca • Twrch Trwyth • Tylwyth Teg

Locations

Annwn • Cornwall (Celliwig) • Caer Sidi • Cantre'r Gwaelod • Dyfed (Arberth, Gwales) • Gwynedd (Aberffraw, Arfon, Ardudwy, Caer Dathyl) • Ireland • London (Ludgate)

Miscellaneous

Caledfwlch • Cauldron of rebirth • Llech Ronw • Thirteen Treasures of the Island of Britain

Sebastian

The Marvelous Misadventures of Sebastian (1970) is a fantasy novel for children or young adults by Lloyd Alexander. It is set in Hamelin-Loring, a fictional country in 18th century Europe.[back inside jacket says 18c]

It is a kind of farce.

subtitle perhaps "A Grand Extravaganza, Including a Performance by the Entire Cast of the Gallimaufry-Theatricus"

Soon he meets a boy who is Princess Isabel in disguise (he soon learns), the capable Nicholas who is leader of the resistance in disguise (he learns at the end). --a cat, a circus,

Like Westmark, H-L may be on the verge of revolution. --or peaceful transition to

It won the annual National Book Award for Children's Literature in 1971.

Hamelin-Loring is ruled by a cruel oppressor, Count Grinssorg, the Regent of young sheltered Princess Isabel. Sebastian is fourth fiddle in the orchestra of Baron Purn-Hessel but the first chapter tells "How Sebastian Lost His Place" by an arbitrary command of the visiting Royal Treasurer, after set off on foot with his fiddle and bow and some extra clothes.

In 204 pages there are 33 chapters with titles that begin "How ..."; 22 begin "How Sebastian ...".^[1]

Employing all the traditional elements of romantic fantasy to high comic effect, this entertainment nevertheless recognizes a universally important aspect of life -- a personal responsibility for a disciplined development of one's own gifts. A sense of fun and a sense of hope are always special strengths, and both are superbly shared here with generations of readers who are going to continue to need them. —citation of the National Book Award judges [back inside jacket]

"imaginary 18th century country" ... "it is not such a great leap from mythic pre-Roman Wales to Hamelin-Loring, since both are products of loving interests: the one in Arthurian legends; the second in the life of Mozart and in trying to learn to play the composer's music on the violin." [back inside jacket]

^ The Marvelous Misadventures of Sebastian, table of contents.

[1] The Marvelous Misadventures of Sebastian, table of contents.

[1]