The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen

This is the first of Lloyd Alexander's books that I have read. I came across it by accident at the local library and felt mildly curious about it. I read the entire book in one (very long) sitting and was so pleased with it that the next day I read it again, savoring little gems of dialogue and observation and subtle humor. It's not a perfect book but it is a book I'll return to because (like the Six Gifts in the story) there is much more to it than first meets the eye.As other reviews have noted, the story (actually, stories within stories) is richly endowed with myth and legend. I don't know how much of the mythic/fantastic content is a retelling of traditional Chinese folklore and how much of it is direct from Alexander's imagination, but in any case, he brings a refreshingly light and skillful touch to telling stories with deep roots.The book does leave me curious to explore traditional Chinese myths and legends - a vein of folklore with which I'm not very familiar but which based on this book may well hold storerooms of hidden treasures.The story Alexander tells concerns the inner journey just as much as it concerns an outer journey. There are a number of quotes from Taoist and other mystical tradition that indicate Alexander is aware of this, but he is too good a writer to be heavy-handed about it.Stories in the myth/legend genre risk falling into stereotypical characterization - good guys versus bad guys - and Alexander doesn't entirely escape this. However, the main characters do do have some complexity and life, they can do unexpected things and they can change. Even the main Bad Guy has some good traits at the beginning, although by the end he is simply vain and vicious. The minor characters are fun to read about but for the most part they are streretypical - particularly the greedy merchants, the vacuous officials and the wandering sages.Whether you are reading this book for yourself or reading it to your child you will be glad to know that this book is written with a good heart. It is an invitation to life, wisdom and compassion told with keen observation and a great sense of humor.

My son absolutely loved this book and has read it several times. A must-have on any good reader's shelf!

A huge fan of Alexander's Prydain stories, I was deeply impressed by the Kestrel series as well. Just when I thought my top ten favorite books were set in stone, I read this delightfully profound archetypal adventure filled with vibrant, colorful characters whose seemingly insurmountable challenges wend through exciting, unpredictable yet insightful resolutions. A great read to curl up to at the end of the day!

A great book of values from my favorite author for youth and children's books. A lot of moral analogies and metaphors can be found in this and all of Lloyd Alexander's books.

Yay awesome. I've been trying to remember the name of this book to buy it for over 5 years. Eureka!

Definitely in line with his other writings, great author with epic tales on the mind.

Lovely book.

I think I have a problem. This is my ninth Lloyd Alexander book since May. It’s also one of the very best of his work. Here’s the problem, though: Every time I read another Alexander novel, I say it’s his best work. But I think I mean it this time. “The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen” ties together all of Alexander’s strengths: humor, conflicted characters, fun twists on cultural mythology (China this time), a spunky heroine, and a well-expressed, never preachy lesson.Prince Jen is going on an adventure, but not the ordinary kind. No one wanted him to go in the first place because they said it was silly to look for a legendary kingdom that may or may not hold the secret to being a perfect ruler. And he’s taking some strange gifts for the king of this place: a plain sword, a saddle, a wood flute, a bowl, a paint box, and a paper kite. But Master Wu, that wise old traveler, said they were just right, so off Jen goes.But of course, everything goes wrong, and Jen ends up captured, imprisoned, and just plain humiliated any number of times. Plus he tends to give away the king’s gifts! But he meets some wonderful friends: Moxa the Mad Robber, Chen-cho the crazy artist, and the clever and brave Voyaging Moon. Together, they just might find the secret of the kingdom of T’ien-kuo.Remember when I said Alexander was funny? Here are some examples. Prince Jen’s servant, Mafoo, says to him, “I know you’re good-hearted, well-meaning, kindly, with a sweet and innocent nature. Therefore, you’re about to do something stupid.” And Moxa proves his madness with his first lines: “Be calm! I only want to rob you!”One of the other things I loved most was the treatment of this book’s villain. Like Arawn of Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain, he was a terror, but unlike Arawn, he and his progression into evil felt completely human. (Think the tale of the sword from Alexander’s “The Foundling” if you’ve read that.) A good villain deserves a good backstory, and that’s what we get.Honestly, I don’t know what else to say without babbling about the greatness of Lloyd Alexander. Except this: please, please give “Remarkable Journey” a try. Even if you’re not a fantasy fan, you’ll find something to love.