The El Dorado Adventure [Paperback]

Lloyd Alexander (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Dutton Childrens Books, New York, New York, U.S.A. (1987)
• ASIN: B001KVIBEU
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Few writers have inspired as much affection and interest among readers young and old as Lloyd Alexander. At one point, however, it seemed unlikely that he would ever be a writer at all. His parents could not afford to send him to college. And so when a Philadelphia bank had an opening for a messenger boy, he went to work there. Finally, having saved some money, he quit and went to a local college. Dissatisfied with not having learned enough to be a writer he left at the end of one term. Adventure, he decided was the best way. The United States had already entered World War II. Convinced that here was a chance for real deeds of derring-do, he joined the army -- and was promptly shipped to Texas where he became, in disheartening succession an artilleryman, a cymbal player in the band, an organist in the post chapel, and a first-aid man. At last, he was assigned to a military intelligence center in Maryland. There he trained as a member of a combat team to be parachuted into France to work with the Resistance. "This, to my intense relief, did not happen," says Alexander. Instead, Alexander and his group sailed to Wales to finish their training. This ancient, rough-hewn country, with its castles, mountains, and its own beautiful language made a tremendous impression on him. But not until years later did he realize he had been given a glimpse of another enchanted kingdom. Alexander was sent to Alsace-Lorraine, the Rhineland, and southern Germany. When the war ended, he was assigned to a counterintelligence unit in Paris. Later he was discharged to attend the University of Paris. While a student he met a beautiful Parisian girl, Janine, and they soon married. Life abroad was fascinating, but eventually Alexander longed for home. The young couple went back to Drexel Hill, near Philadelphia, where Alexander wrote novel after novel which publishers unhesitatingly turned down. To earn his living, he worked as a cartoonist, advertising writer, layout artist, and associate editor for a small magazine. It took seven years of constant rejection before his first novel was at last published. During the next ten years, he wrote for adults. And then he began writing for young people.Doing historical research for Time Cat he discovered material on Welsh mythology. The result was The Book of Three and the other chronicles of Prydain, the imaginary kingdom being something like the enchanted land of Wales. In The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen Alexander explored yet another fantastic world. Evoking an atmosphere of ancient China, this unique multi-layered novel was critically acclaimed as one of his finest works. Trina Schart Hyman illustrated The Fortune-tellers as a Cameroonian folktale sparkling with vibrant images, keen insight and delicious wit. Most of the books have been written in the form of fantasy. But fantasy, Alexander believes, is merely one of many ways to express attitudes and feelings about real people, real human relationships and problems

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A high point in the series!, October 23, 1999

By 

Gen (Washington) - See all my reviews

This review is from: El Dorado Adventure, The (Paperback)

This book is one of the high points in the Vesper Holly series, and I hope it becomes available again soon. Though not *quite* as good as the Jedara adventure, it still sparkles, and you get more insight into Helvetius. (Who I think is a fascinating bad guy, and who makes or breaks a book.) Vesper gets to be incredible and brave - but she also she admits she's wrong. It's a nice treat.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Vesper Holly strikes again!, July 3, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: El Dorado Adventure, The (Paperback)

Alexander's Vesper Holly books combine the best of adventure and humor. Evil villains, wild chases and a wonderfully comic style make this a treat for anyone over the age of 10 or so. A great role model for girls, Vesper takes no guff from anyone. These will also be enjoyed by fans of Elizabeth Peter's (adult) books starring Amelia Peabody.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best in the Seris, June 6, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The El Dorado Adventure (Mass Market Paperback)

i love the whole seris, but this is my fav. so i will review the whole seris just on this page.

Vesper Holly is great, kinda like a girl indana jones (only vesper has HONOR.) the first book is great! but she remaines completely calm, even when stabbed, a good thing, but kinda annoying. she figures out mystries in a snap, if u r slow, it would be annoying, but i am always just 3 or 4 words ahead of her. a great book b'cuz it is awesomly written, told well, intreging, funny and a real page-turner

the sencod 1, my fav, is her nemissis from the prevoius, try ing to get revenge, a chase a mystry a battle of them trying to outwit eachother at evry turn, funny adventureous, definatly the best.

in the third, the same bad guy returns not naer as good, but still exalent

the fourth and fith are really great, suspenceful, funny , clever but is has been to long since i read them to say more than they were better than the 3rd but not as good as the 2nd

in the 6th (the xanadu adventure) it is really much like the others, not a formula, but it was slightly perdictable, and i dougt that heleviuts died,

the five stars are for this- the El Dorado Adventure, the others i would give 4 1/2 or 4 stars all in all a very good serias. but could have been better if vesper was the eensyins bit slower, her being SO lighting fast, and so exeseinly smart is a good thing, but annoying to the not quite so clever readers, still its worth your while two read