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Alberic the Wise and Other Journeys
Three tales of wonder
Three quests for greatness
Three feats of imagination
Norton Juster, author of the beloved classic The Phantom Tollbooth, shares spellbinding stories that entertain and delight. The first is of Alberic and his endless search for wisdom--will his journey satisfy him in the end? The second reveals a boy with no illusions and a princess with no kingdom. The third is the tale of the richest monarch in the world--and the poorest. What they discover is as amusing as it is unexpected.
With beautiful illustrations by Domenico Gnoli, Alberic the Wise and Other Journeys is a book as rich in meaning as it is fun to read. "From the Trade Paperback edition."
Three quests for greatness
Three feats of imagination
Norton Juster, author of the beloved classic The Phantom Tollbooth, shares spellbinding stories that entertain and delight. The first is of Alberic and his endless search for wisdom--will his journey satisfy him in the end? The second reveals a boy with no illusions and a princess with no kingdom. The third is the tale of the richest monarch in the world--and the poorest. What they discover is as amusing as it is unexpected.
With beautiful illustrations by Domenico Gnoli, Alberic the Wise and Other Journeys is a book as rich in meaning as it is fun to read. "From the Trade Paperback edition."
ebook
First published January 1, 1965
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About the author
Norton Juster
27 books1,202 followersNorton Juster was an American academic, architect, and writer. He was best known as an author of children's books, notably for The Phantom Tollbooth and The Dot and the Line.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
September 10, 2011
Juster gets points for beautiful language, and his deeply allegorical tales may appeal to older children who enjoyed Natalie Babbitt. The first tale is about Alberic, a simple farmer who has his world shaken after a visit from an old, old man, an experienced traveler. The second tale is about a boy who loves a painting in a museum, and discovers that he can enter the painting and engage with its world. The third tale examines the nature of happiness through two kings, radically different rulers in radically different kingdoms. Interesting and thought-provoking, and somehow soothing!
June 5, 2025
"I did not restrain myself from getting whatever I wanted; I did not deny myself anything that would bring me pleasure. So all my accomplishments gave me joy; this was my reward for all my effort. Yet when I reflected on everything I had accomplished and on all the effort that I had expended to accomplish it, I concluded: “All these achievements and possessions are ultimately profitless – like chasing the wind! There is nothing gained from them on earth.”
Next, I decided to consider wisdom, as well as foolish behavior and ideas. For what more can the king’s successor do than what the king has already done? I realized that wisdom is preferable to folly, just as light is preferable to darkness."
Ecclesiastes 2:10-13
Juster's stories hinge on this above principle which I think is really cool.
Next, I decided to consider wisdom, as well as foolish behavior and ideas. For what more can the king’s successor do than what the king has already done? I realized that wisdom is preferable to folly, just as light is preferable to darkness."
Ecclesiastes 2:10-13
Juster's stories hinge on this above principle which I think is really cool.
May 28, 2025
Norton Juster's peak humor (though much more ironic and subtle in this than in The Phantom Toolbooth) combined with thought-provoking tales, worthy of Ecclesiastes, made this a great read.
Thanks for choosing it for our challenge, J!
Thanks for choosing it for our challenge, J!
May 12, 2021
Three marvellous, thoughtful variations on themes developed by a thousand fairy tale archetypes. A clever farmer boy seeks his fortune in the wide world; a prematurely cynical teenager becomes fascinated by a mysterious painting of a sad princess; two kings of vastly different countries simultaneously become curious about what lies outside their borders.
The fates found in these offbeat fairy tales are not what the reader expects. Anybody who has enjoyed Juster's The Phantom Tollbooth, or James Branch Cabell's bantering Jurgen, or other playful variations on the well-worn tropes of fantasy stories, will find these to be brief but amusing and thought-provoking diversions.
The fates found in these offbeat fairy tales are not what the reader expects. Anybody who has enjoyed Juster's The Phantom Tollbooth, or James Branch Cabell's bantering Jurgen, or other playful variations on the well-worn tropes of fantasy stories, will find these to be brief but amusing and thought-provoking diversions.
May 19, 2020
I was obsessed with The Phantom Tollbooth as a kid, so when I discovered this other Norton Juster book at a neighboring town's library, I was over the moon. Unfortunately, it disappointed me at the time - it wasn't bad, I just didn't get it. And that's because calling this a children's book is a bit of a stretch. It consists of three short stories, each of which is an elegiac, philosophical, poetical riff on fairy-tale structures. Are they parables, allegories, fantasy tales? Sure, all of the above. It's a heady mix for a 10-year-old, and the stories didn't stick with me. Reading them now, they have a sadness running through them that I wasn't capable of picking up at the time, but sure am now. They're perhaps a bit TOO beautifully written - they lack the omnivorous playfulness of Tollbooth - but, especially accompanied by Domenico Gnoli's gorgeous ink illustrations (in the same version I read as a kid), they present a lovely, melancholy diversion.
January 24, 2021
I enjoyed the story from which the book take its title, but otherwise could have skipped this book. Thankfully, it's short enough that I don't feel I wasted my time too badly.
March 21, 2021
Absolutely delightful. Somewhere in-between Dr. Seuss and Terry Pratchet with a touch of James Thurber. Recently departed Norman Juster sadly wrote too few books.
November 9, 2025
Three tales woven to entice one to see wisdom through a simple theme: finding one’s purpose or self worth can only take place if the first step is made to go on a journey of discovery.
Written for children but can be enjoyed by adults.
Written for children but can be enjoyed by adults.
December 3, 2017
Marvelous not-so-short stories from the author of The Phantom Tollbooth. Recommended for any fan of that book or any other good book.
The wordplay isn't quite as delicious as PT, but it's still dazzling at parts and always a pleasure to read. The characters and stories are fab. I'm so happy to read another classic from Juster!
Favorite bits:
"'I have at last discovered one thing,' he stated simply. 'It is much better to look for what I may never find than to find what I do not really want.'"
"Once again he felt the freedom and the joy of not knowing where each new step would take him, and as he walked along his stride was longer and stronger than was right somehow for a man his age."
From "She Cries No More":
He had decided at his last birthday [his 12th] that there was no way to be absolutely sure of anything. There were always two sides to every question and for every yes a no (not counting all the maybes). What one person liked another despised. What someone thought was surely right another was bound to find as surely wrong. And then besides all that, everything was always changing anyway. As soon as you'd become accustomed to summer, it became winter, afternoons invariably turned to evenings, the sixth grade to the seventh and friendships to only memories.
From "Two Kings":
It was a land of bountiful orchards, fat farms, busy workshops and happy people, and in order to make certain that everything remained so, the seasons themselves seemed to be in competition to see which could be most splendid and helpful. The summers were warm and bright and busy. The autumns, amber and ample. The winters, crisp and sharp and full of steamy laughter, and the spring, shy and gay, smelling of recent rain.
The wordplay isn't quite as delicious as PT, but it's still dazzling at parts and always a pleasure to read. The characters and stories are fab. I'm so happy to read another classic from Juster!
Favorite bits:
"'I have at last discovered one thing,' he stated simply. 'It is much better to look for what I may never find than to find what I do not really want.'"
"Once again he felt the freedom and the joy of not knowing where each new step would take him, and as he walked along his stride was longer and stronger than was right somehow for a man his age."
From "She Cries No More":
He had decided at his last birthday [his 12th] that there was no way to be absolutely sure of anything. There were always two sides to every question and for every yes a no (not counting all the maybes). What one person liked another despised. What someone thought was surely right another was bound to find as surely wrong. And then besides all that, everything was always changing anyway. As soon as you'd become accustomed to summer, it became winter, afternoons invariably turned to evenings, the sixth grade to the seventh and friendships to only memories.
From "Two Kings":
It was a land of bountiful orchards, fat farms, busy workshops and happy people, and in order to make certain that everything remained so, the seasons themselves seemed to be in competition to see which could be most splendid and helpful. The summers were warm and bright and busy. The autumns, amber and ample. The winters, crisp and sharp and full of steamy laughter, and the spring, shy and gay, smelling of recent rain.
July 12, 2020
CHOSEN QUOTES FROM THIS BOOK
ALBERIC THE WISE: There seemed no end to what he knew or what he cared to speak about, and speak he did, on and on through the day. His voice was soft and easy but his manner such that even his pauses commanded attention. And as he spoke his eyes sparkled and his words were like maps of unknown lands.
SHE CRIES NO MORE: Every time he thought about it he became more convinced that there was nothing that was really true and even less in which to believe.So it was simpler not to care about anything, for in that way he was never disappointed.
TWO KINGS: For as with many men who have much (and not only kings), it is only the thought of more which pleases them, or of having less than someone else which haunts their dreams. It is not a generous or a noble thought, yet there it was and there it had persisted for months, intruding on his otherwise perfect happiness.
ALBERIC THE WISE: There seemed no end to what he knew or what he cared to speak about, and speak he did, on and on through the day. His voice was soft and easy but his manner such that even his pauses commanded attention. And as he spoke his eyes sparkled and his words were like maps of unknown lands.
SHE CRIES NO MORE: Every time he thought about it he became more convinced that there was nothing that was really true and even less in which to believe.So it was simpler not to care about anything, for in that way he was never disappointed.
TWO KINGS: For as with many men who have much (and not only kings), it is only the thought of more which pleases them, or of having less than someone else which haunts their dreams. It is not a generous or a noble thought, yet there it was and there it had persisted for months, intruding on his otherwise perfect happiness.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 9, 2021
Fairy Tales of Three Meditations For Irony
The three well written tales in bradburian style and Dunsanian irony and sly humor. This is from the guy who gave us The Phantom Tollbooth classic. The guy who went traveling to find wisdom and perhaps himself. The boy who got caught up in the painting of a girl he had admired so much. The two kings, opposite of each other, went traveling to the other side of their kingdoms to discover what. Like yours truly said in the title, they’re meditations of irony. You never know what will happen till the end. However, did kinda expected to happen in Two Kings though. Still, didn’t detract the appreciation of it. Recommended.
The three well written tales in bradburian style and Dunsanian irony and sly humor. This is from the guy who gave us The Phantom Tollbooth classic. The guy who went traveling to find wisdom and perhaps himself. The boy who got caught up in the painting of a girl he had admired so much. The two kings, opposite of each other, went traveling to the other side of their kingdoms to discover what. Like yours truly said in the title, they’re meditations of irony. You never know what will happen till the end. However, did kinda expected to happen in Two Kings though. Still, didn’t detract the appreciation of it. Recommended.
October 29, 2021
These stories seem to like turning things on their heads, and I found them enjoyable. I'm not quite sure how old Alberic got as he spent two years learning every possible trade and craft before his first retirement. In the second story, I was waiting for the battle to be part of another painting in the museum that would upset the balance of the real world and those inside the paintings... but the story went another way that was still satisfying. The last story was a good one of ships (or kings) passing in the night with significant consequences. Like the 2nd story that lets you imagine the conclusion, it is intriguing to think of how each king goes on to live their life.
June 26, 2024
These stories are written in such beautiful language. The endings are all somewhat unusual, as they leave the reader to decide what the "lesson" behind the story is. Especially for the tale of Alberic it had me wondering whether the moral of the story is that one should not give up so easily (any artist will tell you that two years is not enough for mastery of an art) or that it is okay to be just average in one's talents and become and expert on living instead. After The Phantom Tollbooth - in which the "lessons" were so clearly spelled out - it was unexpected, but yet intriguing.
March 23, 2022
After reading The Phantom Tollbooth, my 14 year old and I decided to check into Juster’s other works. His picture books were solidly meh, but we found this book of short stories right up our alley. No, they aren’t as good as TPT, but honestly, could anything else be? But they are witty and full of delicious vocabulary, and give the reader bigger concepts to chew on. Recommend for reading aloud to the older crowd.
October 25, 2023
A collection of 3 short stories by Norton Juster, the author of The Phantom Tollbooth, a book I have always loved. My wife bought it a while back for me to read with the kids (now 9 & 10 years old), and I finally got to read it with them - the stories are very enjoyable!
November 29, 2010
A quick delightful set of 3 moral tales.It is a children's book, but adults will find it thought provoking. You can read it in 1 or 2 evenings, rather than watching TV.
November 28, 2010
Alberic the Wise is a simple and sweet morality tale that, in the end, says 'be yourself.' A very fast read for those times when you need a quick pick-me-up or a brief, but pleasant respite.
January 31, 2012
Three cautionary tales.
May 1, 2012
Good stories! You can't really call it a children's book, as the themes would probably be over their heads without a little explanation. I enjoyed it!
December 20, 2016
I love all the stories in this book. The one about the crying lady was my absolute favorite although I enjoyed the story about the 2 kings.
October 15, 2017
A lovely set of three thoughtful stories.
October 18, 2017
I needed something short to read today so it was nice to return to Norton Juster's writing. I really need to reread The Phantom Tollbooth soon!
December 1, 2017
Brilliant short stories accompanied by beautiful pen-and-ink drawings. I wasn't as thrilled with the third story as I was with the other two.
March 9, 2019
Good
I liked this book pretty much. It is such a good book I wood recommend reading it for others. Good
I liked this book pretty much. It is such a good book I wood recommend reading it for others. Good
January 14, 2023
Alberic the Wise: 5 Stars
She Cries No More: 3 Stars
Two Kings: 4 Stars
Average: 4 Stars
She Cries No More: 3 Stars
Two Kings: 4 Stars
Average: 4 Stars
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews