Three Princes of Serendip

by Elizabeth Jamison Hodges

There are several versions of this long tale; the earliest in Italian dates from 1557. In this 1964 version, Miss Hodges relates the several accidental discoveries and achievements of the three princes in descriptive prose; the elaborate palaces of Persia, the heavily jewelled princesses and golden clothed king form sharp contrasts to the pastoral green forests and black, foaming sea which the princes face on their way. While many of the devices and personages hail from a familiar fairy land, some of the bizarre adventures are distinctive.

Genres: Fiction

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1964

About the author

Graduated from Radcliffe College (1931) and Simmons College (1937). Was librarian at Boston Public Library (1937-41), Detroit Public Library (1941-43), and at public libraries in Watertown, Leominster, Belmont, Massachusetts as well as the Robbins Library in Arlington, Massachusetts. Following World War II she was the command librarian for the Third Army in Germany, establishing libraries for American occupation troops. She taught creative writing at the Harvard Institute for Learning in Retirement for 20 years.

Reviews

[Miriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

My dad was really big on reading aloud to me and my sister at bedtime. He did normal books, like A Little Princess and Winnie the Pooh. But my dad was a huge folklore and mythology fan, so we also read books like the grand Hindu epic The Ramayana and the Chinese tales of the Monkey King from Journey into the West.

And we also read The Three Princes of Serendip.

It's literally impossible for me to view this book without extremely thick nostalgia goggles. That my dad found a copy of this book at all is extremely impressive. It was out of print when I was young and copies were rare. My dad also taped in extra illustrations by the artist that hadn't made it into this edition, along with the closing pantoums. I have the same book he read to me on my bookshelf today, and looking through it, I realized how much my dad loved me and how much dedication and effort he put into giving me this book and the marvelous world in it.

This book is my dad's expression of love to his children.

So yeah, I love this book. Because this is the incredible gift my dad gave me, and how could I not wholeheartedly love that?

[Elinor Loredan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I should be enchanted by this book with its magical elements, fairy tale setting, and creative, intricate plot. But somehow I couldn't get into the story or feel at all attached to the characters. Maybe the princes are too perfect. Maybe the language, though consistent with fairy tale style, is too grand and stiff. I'm not sure. But though I'm very impressed by the features of the story, and though it has a lot of high stakes and high emotions, I wasn't affected by it in a deep or strong way.

[Gyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the kind of enchantment that every middle-school student needs to be dazzled by. ...that's why I'm reading it when I'm how old?

[Peggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first collection of folk/fairy tales I've read in decades, and what a refreshing read it was! I didn't start with high expectations, except that it was recommended by a library patron where I work. But the brothers' quest and the surprises they met along the way held my interest to the end. Indeed, their adventures seemed to be the essence of "serendipity". The language and composition is not what children would expect from present-day writers, but it flowed along smoothly for me.

[G.G. Melies · Rating 5 out of 5]

En lo corto que es se logra apreciar una buena historia con originalidad y sabiduría. Deja una moraleja que para mí es la lotería de poseer la sabiduría. Te puede salir bien o mal, dependiendo la propia realidad y las personas con las que interactuamos. Andar con cautela y ojo con la soberbia por poseerla.

Linda historia. A veces pienso si habrá sido real.

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read-aloud with very manageable fairly self-contained chapters that build the story.

A pronunciation guide might be helpful.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Three Princes Of Serendip