Customer Reviews

Prince Ombra

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"Prince Ombra" is one of the more obscure, unusual fantasy books that will have people blankly staring if you mention that you enjoyed it. However, it is also an insightful study of human nature, good and evil, and an intriguing philosophical fantasy.

Bentley Ellicott was literally born to be a hero -- with a massive store of mythical knowledge and the information and a crippled leg. He knows that he was meant, like the thousand heroes before him since the beginning of time, to battle the incorporeal evil called Prince Ombra, who appears every so often to try to corrupt the world. Though he is considered peculiar and even dangerous by the inhabitants of his home town, he makes two friends: Slally, a girl who speaks in a nonsense language that only Bentley can understand, and Dietrich Kreistein, an elderly German shrink who gradually realizes who and what Bentley is.

The town is gradually being corrupted by malice as Ombra draws ever closer with confrontation in mind. Despite the finding of a magical stone that is the key to defeating Ombra, Bentley is tempted and shocked by new revelations about his family, his friends, the people around him -- and about himself. Will the thousand-and-first hero with a "borrowed heart" overcome his weaknesses and fears, or will Ombra triumph?

Perhaps the most moving message of "Prince Ombra" is that true heroes are not perfect, that they are tempted, sometimes fail, and need help like any other person. They also can't do everything: Bentley is unable to help everyone he loves. And defeating evil is more than simply getting rid of an evil person, but also overcoming one's own weaknesses as well. And while Bentley is the conflicted hero, the story also involves several subplots: Straitlaced Mrs. Tally and the much-maligned pretty girl Polly Woodhouse, the widowed, always-sad Mr. Ellicott and Slally's mother Ellen; McGraw, the embittered police chief who unknowingly combats Ombra's influence and questions his lack of faith; Slally, the lonely little girl who comes out of her shell for Bentley; Doctor Kreistein, the Merlin to Bentley's Arthur, who remembers Ombra's influence during World War II and is determined to help his charge.

It's also quite pleasant that rather than outright scares and cartoonish badness, Ombra's influence is quite realistic and all the more chilling. He enhances rage and negative emotions in even the nicest, most well-meaning of people. And people who are already rotten at heart willingly become his pawns, a disturbing and realistic portrayal of evil.

This book is more suited to young adults than to younger children, as there is some profanity (nothing too obscene), a tastefully-written but very disturbing scene of attempted child molestation, and a few sexual references (also discreet), and a truly horrifying scene with an insane pastor. Additionally, younger children may be confused by Bentley's confrontations with Ombra, and not catch on to the deeper undertones of this book. Fans of mythology will have a heyday with the variety of obscure hero stories from various cultures, and those who enjoy good writing will like the evocative, detailed language interspersed with small-town atmosphere.

However, teen or adult fantasy/horror fans will undoubtledly give "Prince Ombra" a permanent place on their shelves. A fast-paced, thought-provoking, one-of-a-kind book.

I agree with all the positive reviews of this story and the older editions of the book. HOWEVER! This edition has been edited to be more appropriate for younger readers even though it was not written for children. The result is that the narrative is non-sensical at times due to the slipshod manner of the edits.

The end of chapter 13 is the worst example that I am aware of as I have only had the mistakes drawn to my attention by my friend reading the story for the first time. Imagine my disappointment when she asked why a part of the story I remembered as very powerful simply did not make sense. I checked with an older edition and found missing paragraphs and rewritten sentences. I have no idea whether there are other significant problems, but this one was enough for me.

I will be buying a used copy to replace my friend's 'defective' edition.

Prince Ombra is an amazingly well-written novel that has the ability to capture its audience and keep them reading from the first page to the very end. Roderkick MacLeish's brilliant themes and characterization bring the book to life and make it meaningful to every reader--whether they are young or old. It is well worth the money to buy and time spent on reading this book, because it is full of meaning and intrinsic value which makes it a rare jewel in the literary world.

The characterization in Prince Ombra is a major factor in what makes this novel so enticing and enjoyable. The main character is Bentley Ellicott--an eight-year old boy with a life changing secret: he remembers where he came from before coming to earth, and beating within his body is the heart of a thousand previous heroes, including King Arthur and Hector from the Iliad. He knows that with this gift he has been given, he must defeat the essence of evil in the world: Prince Ombra. Because of this great task that he has been faced with, the development that Bentley goes through throughout the novel is stunning and realistic. He must come face to face with his fears and insecurities to save the world, and by doing so, he transforms into a mature and intelligent boy to fulfill his destiny. He is given a friend to help him along the way: Sally Drake. Sally is an interesting character in herself because she doesn't have the ability to speak coherently, and no one can understand her--except Bentley. When we are first introduced to Sally, she is shy and insecure, and is simply scared of everything around her. However, as the novel progresses and as her best friend works at becoming the hero he is destined to be, Sally matures and must face many hardships and trials that are placed upon her. She becomes Bentley's main support in his battle against the evils of the world. This friendship that Sally and Bentley share is full of happiness and realistic struggles that are enjoyable to read about and to learn from.

Every character in this novel develops in a stunningly realistic manner, and that makes Prince Ombra even more enjoyable. Multiple types of people are portrayed in this novel, and are changed and shaped by the events that take place. Bentley's father, Richard, must deal with the death of his wife and the apathetic feelings that he finds himself experiencing towards his son. Sally's mother, Ellen, has been through a hard divorce and attempts to let herself love again. Dietrich Kreistein, Bentley's psychologist, must decide whether to believe the seemingly insane claims that Bentley has given him, and must try to help himself overcome past horrors that he has had to face in his life. Every character is beset with realistic challenges and important decisions that they must make, which makes these characters relatable to the reader, and makes the novel even more enjoyable to read.

The themes portrayed in Prince Ombra are very deep and evoke many theological questions important to self-discovery, such as: is there such a thing as destiny? How can our fears be detrimental to our growth and fulfillment of our destiny? Were we chosen before coming to this earth to do a work for mankind? What is the true nature of evil and good in the world? All of these questions are addressed in Prince Ombra and whether we take the answers given in the novel literally or symbolically is up to us. Either way, this book promotes deep thinking and analysis of ourselves and our goals in life, yet is still adventurous and fun, and could be enjoyed by an expert of philosophy or a ten-year old boy.

The theme of friendship helping to overcome the obstacles in our lives is also very prominent and inspiring in this novel. Every character is beset with their unique set of challenges, and in order to overcome them, they are given friends to help them along the way. Bentley is given Sally, Richard is given Ellen, Mrs. Tally, a self-proclaimed widow, helps Polly Woodhouse, who, in turn, attempts to help Charlie Feavey. Through working together and providing support, these characters are better able to adapt to the changes that are wrought upon the town of Stonehaven where they live. These same ideas can be applied to our lives. Everyone needs a friend to help them get through challenges, and by becoming a friend to someone, you are helped as well. Although it is hard to get along with everyone all the time, it is possible to find compromises in stressful situations that make everyone as happy as possible. Prince Ombra reminds us of the importance of friendship and the impact we can make on someone's life by becoming their friend. Lives are changed by friendship, and lasting impressions can be made. We see this with all of the friendships in the novel, especially those of Bentley and Sally, and Richard and Ellen.

The realistic struggles of life in this novel are counter-balanced by the adventurous fun that the characters go through. Because of this, children could be just as satisfied with this novel as the adults that read it. There are many different layers of meaning in this book, and the reader can choose whether to delve down into the depths of human essence portrayed, or to keep their minds at the surface of the story, to enjoy it for its intrinsic amusement. Because the main character, Bentley, is only eight years old, the younger readers of this novel could better relate to him, and enjoy the fact that he is neither boring nor intimidating. There are many older characters in the novel as well, which face more adult problems that the more mature readers of this book would be able to relate to and learn from. The themes, although deep, are also simple, like the idea of fear, insecurity, and friendship. Everyone, whether young or old, faces these issues in their life, and because there is such a wide range of character types in this novel, this story can be appreciated and enjoyed by everyone who reads it.

Prince Ombra is so amazingly well done and contains such deep questions about the essence of life and being, and has such realistic character development, that it is easy to say that it has become one of the best books that I have had the privilege to read. It is versatile and could be enjoyed by many different audiences because of the nature of the characters and the adventurous plot that is mixed in with thought-provoking themes and motifs. I would suggest it to anyone who loves psychological fantasies and child-narrated adventure stories. I guarantee that those who read it will not be disappointed.

It's been a long time since I read this book, but it has never left me. I was so impressed by it that I keep recommending it to people to read.

I think it has one of the most wonderful and intriguing beginnings:

It is said-and it is true-that just before we are born,a cavern angel holds his finger to our mouths and whispers, "Hush! Don't tell what you know."
This is why we have a cleft on our upper lips and remember nothing of where we came from.
Towards the end of the last century-in 1978, to be precise-a smooth-lipped boy appeared in the world.

Doesn't that totally make you want to read it??? ;-)

Bentley Ellicott embodies the soul of the child, wanting at the same time to grow up and remain young forever. He has an impossible task ahead of him from square one in his life and he's known it since before he traveled the birth canal to join this mortal coil! I have read the book over 10 times since I found it in 1984, and I never grow tired of it. Every character is so special--from Polly to the misguided Mrs. Tally, to Bentley and Slally, the rememberer. I don't understand why Roderick MacLeish didn't write hundreds of books--I was so disappointed to find that there are basically only two or three. However, even if Prince Ombra were the only one MacLeish ever wrote, he spoke VOLUMES to our hearts as readers and humans. Don't miss this book--keep a copy on your book shelves, give it to your friends AND your enemies. You'll be doing the greatest mitzvah of all--teaching people to love each other, even when all the odds tell you NOT TO. Peace. . .

While some ads have likened this book to a cross between J.R.R. Tolkien, H.P. Lovecraft and Piers Anthony I found it to be closer to Ray Bradbury and some Stephen King.

Good and Evil have fought many times. Sometimes Good has won and sometimes Evil has. The time is fast approaching for the one-thousandth battle. A young boy will be the champion for Good. He remembers all that has occurred in these battles of the past. To prepare for his own battle he will have to find a teacher. Then he will have to steel himself to face the champion of Evil which will take the form of that which he fears the most.

As this secret war develops in a small American town we are given small glimpses of how the town, and the world in general, are being affected by the struggle. Eventually the final conflict occurs. I will not say how the battle goes or what the representative of Evil is, you'll just have to read it.

PRINCE OMBRA, while being a tale of Good vs. Evil, is also an interesting look into history. The book makes some very interesting points, including the true nature of Arthur and Excalibur. I have recommended this book to quite a number of people over the years and all who took my advice enjoyed it. It truly is one of the superior fantasy novels.

My father's and my taste in literature rarely concur, as I love horror and he is partial to Civil War adventures. One day many years ago when I had snubbed a suggestion of reading material he proffered-he came back later and handed me Prince Ombra. After I had turned him down I thought I'd be magnanamous and give this one a go. I read it in one sitting. I loved it. And since that day, my father and I are more openminded about one anothers suggestions. We both recognized and appreciated the tale of good vs evil. This book has everything a story should have . It took us both away and yet it gave us something in return-the simple realization that love is all-important and everything else will come out the way it is supposed to, in its own time. And Life does go on.

But Prince Ombra has stayed with me ever since I read it many years ago. The climax of the story, the confrontation between the champion of light with his most feared enemy (an event which has occurred many times in history), was a stunning revelation to me personally. The writing style is swift and yet deep. I got my teenage kids to read it and it was a hit with them too. Great stuff!

Stunning... That's all I can say about this book.

Comparison to Tolkien seems off base to me, though MacLeish is every bit as good a writer as Tolkien. Rather, this book is stylistically a contender with the very best of Ray Bradbury -- I'm thinking about "Something Evil This Way Comes". The use of language is deft and powerful, the characterizations are compelling despite their simplicity, and the thematic content left me contemplating the elemental stuff of existence.

When I started, I was not aware this book was supposed to be child's literature. At age 32, I found it absolutely gripping. Despite the mature themes -- and in part perhaps because of them -- I would like to read this book to my son (now age 4), chapter-style at bedtimes, when he is 8 or 10.

This book takes place in the late 20th century in a town on the northern coast of America, called Stonehaven. Here a bright, slightly crippled 8-year-old boy (Bentley Ellicott) has been chosen before birth to combat the evil in this world, like so many heroes before him. With him are two friends who will help prepare him for his destiny--Slally Drake, a 7-year-old "mute" girl who is Bentley's rememberer (a person who passes on history to weaken Prince Ombra's power on Earth), and Dr. Dietrich Kreistein, an old German psychologist who teaches Bentley through myths and stories how to defeat Prince Ombra. Out of all the characters in this book, Dr. Kreistein has to be my favorite.

As one reviewer on the back of this book wisely put it, Prince Ombra is "a combination of Tolkien and Stephen King". Although I've never read anything by Tolkien, there is a sense of fantasy and magic in this story. As for King, this book reminded me of Needful Things with the intertwining of small-town life. So, if you're a fan of either writer, then I highly recommend this book. It's a very interesting look at the continuous struggle between good and evil--and the overwhelming power of hope.