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Title: The First Two Lives of Lukas-Kasha by Lloyd Alexander ISBN: 0-14-130057-4 Publisher: Puffin Pub. Date: May, 1998 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.47 (17 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Another Classic by Lloyd Alexander
Comment: This is the eleventh or twelfth novel I've read by Alexander, and every one of them has truly deserved a five star rating. I know Alexander has built a strong legion of fans, but he should still be read more often. Few writers (especially in childrens' and young adult literature) give their readers more think about, and even fewer do so while entertaining as well as Alexander does.
The First Two Lives of Lukas-Kasha is one of Alexander's best. It is told with humor and is exciting. The protagonist is Lukas-Kasha who is the town rascal in a fifteenth-century European town. He runs across a magician who sends him into another life. He is Kasha, King of Abadan. He wants to continue his old rascally way, only with a lot more resources and freedom, but his position forces him to become involved in the country's affairs. It is in a disgraceful war, and the real power in the country lies with the Grand Vizier who is a tyrant. When Kasha is stripped of his position and the Grand Vizier becomes "king," the country is in severe danger, and Kasha (along with friends) must try to save the country and gain back power.
All of Kasha's experiences serve to give him insight into his old life. Kasha begins to grow up. He learns lessons about growth, responsibility, and personal values. He is profoundly changed by his experiences. Overall, The First Two Lives of Lukas-Kasha is excellent, and it wil serve well as a jumping point into some of Alexander's even better works like (his masterpiece) the Westmark Trilogy, (of course) the Prydain Chronicles, and The Marvelous Misadventures of Sebastian.
Rating: 5
Summary: Delightful
Comment: Remembering Lloyd Alexander from when I enjoyed his novels in grade school, I just had to pick up and read this book when a younger sibling checked it out of the library. It was every bit as entertaining and delightful as I remember his other books (mostly the Prydain Chronicles) to be. It tells the humorous tale of the town delinquent, Lukas Kasha, and how he is magically transported to the kingdom of Abadan where the people instantly hail him as king. All is not well in the kingdom; however, and the story shows how Lukas is transformed (almost against his will) into a mature and responsible man. Lloyd still spins a wonderful story, and "The First Two Lives of Lukas-Kasha" is guaranteed to entertain.
Rating: 4
Summary: Not a bad trip
Comment: "The First Two Lives of Lukas-Kasha" is a fast-paced, funny adventure by Newbery-winner Lloyd Alexander. It's got action, a dash of romance, humor, tragedy, and a moral lesson that doesn't beat you over the head. It's not quite perfect, but fairly close to it.
Lukas-Kasha is a professional bum, an accomplished slacker, a boy who takes great pride in doing nothing at all. But all that has to change when a strange magician sends him through time and space in a bucket of water. He washes up on a strange beach, and is quickly whisked off to the city of Abadan and is crowned King Kasha. (It was prophecied by the astrologer that the next king would come from the sea)
At first, Lukas is fine with this. Then he finds that the sinister vizier Shugdad is using him as a puppet -- and when he rebels, Shugdad plans to do away with him as he did the previous two kings. So Lukas runs away into the desert with a proud slave girl (Nur-Jehan) and a tart-tongued poet (Karim), to get help from the fierce, honorable Bishangaris. But Shugdad still wants to kill Lukas, and will do anything to get control of Abadan.
Alexander uses a cultural backdrop to most of his books -- most notably Wales in the Prydain Chronicles, but he also uses China, India, Greece, and so forth. This time, it's the Middle-East; he does an outstanding job of the exotic city of Abadan and the raw wilderness of the desert. There are some outstandingly funny scenes, such as Lukas tricking a merchant out of a horse. And the subplot about Lukas's growing selflessness is an excellent, subtle moral lesson.
Lukas is one of Alexander's most likeable heroes. He initially isn't very sympathetic because he is so proudly, insistently lazy, but his untapped decency wins out when he is called on to be a king, or a warrior, a trickster, or a peacemaker. He just needed something to spur him on. Nur-Jehan is flatter than most of Alexander's heroines, because she lacks that special spark that the other heroines do. Karim is likeably acidic, the voice of reason, and the astrologer Lucman is sweet because he simply cannot get his predictions right, until he's scrounging in the streets.
It's not Alexander's best, but it's up near the top of the list. "The First Two Lives of Lukas-Kasha" is definitely worth a read, and definitely a keeper.
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Title: The Foundling and Other Tales of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander ISBN: 0140378251 Publisher: Puffin Pub. Date: February, 1996 List Price(USD): $4.99 |
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Title: The Wizard in the Tree by Lloyd Alexander, Laszlo Kubinyi ISBN: 014038801X Publisher: Puffin Pub. Date: January, 1998 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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Title: The Book of Three by LLOYD ALEXANDER ISBN: 0440407028 Publisher: Yearling Books Pub. Date: 15 November, 1978 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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Title: The Town Cats and Other Tales by Lloyd Alexander, Laszlo Kubinyi ISBN: 0141301228 Publisher: Puffin Pub. Date: September, 1998 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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Title: Gypsy Rizka by Lloyd Alexander, S. November ISBN: 0141309806 Publisher: Puffin Pub. Date: 23 October, 2000 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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