The Xanadu Adventure

I've purchased a lot of Lloyd Alexander books to give to my grandchildren. I think that the Holly Vestper books are actully written at an easier reading level than the conceptional level warrants. Actually some appreciation for geography and cultures came be developed. The humor is great, even though after a couple of books, they become predictable, like a trade mark.

In 1876, the beautiful, courageous Vesper Holly of Philadelphia finagles her guardians,Mary and Brinton Garrett, into accompanying her and her persistent friend and admirer, Tobias Wistar Passavant (nicknamed "The Weed,")to Troy. Brinnie rightly protests that no one knows the location of Troy. Vesper, never one to be deterred by such a minor detail, explains that Troy is now known to be in Asia Minor near the Dardanelles Straits. Tobias has a theory that Greece is not the real cradle of Mediterranean civilization but that Troy is. Brinnie, who has accompanied Vesper on her other many adventures, is not eager to go on one instigated by The Weed. He nevertheless soon finds himself bundled onto a ship with Mary and the two young people sailing toward a mythical city - never suspecting that the unmourned, dead archvillain, Dr. Helvetius, is not. He has not only survived but he controls their movements from the time they step aboard. Dr. Helvetious has two passions - world domination and Vesper Holly. Through a corrupted scholar and archeologist, he guides Vesper and company to his latest dwelling, Xanadu, built to mimic the Coleridge poem. World domination he has in his sights through his monopoly of a new product called "oil," and Vesper is in his clutches. While Vesper doesn't have an understated bone in her body and flings herself into her final adventure with wit and verve, her author, who obviously loves this character and uses Brinnie as his alterego, is a master of understated humor and irony. Shot through with the author's trademark humor and nonstop action,this final adventure ends on a surprising and touching note. It contains hidden poignancy when this alterego goes where his author cannot go.

Lloyd Alexander gives us yet another delightful and intriguing adventure, with his gutsy, intelligent, fearless heroine leading her trusty band of fellow travelers. Like each of the five previous Vesper Holly adventures, this book could be read on its own. But we highly recommend starting at the beginning with The Illyrian Adventure. These are characters you'll want to spend lots of time with. We're especially grateful to Mr. Alexander for finishing up this thriller, and the series, in such a heartwarming and satisfying way. We are able to say goodbye to Vesper, knowing she's moving on in life in such an optimistic way. Bravo Lloyd Alexander!

Lloyd Alexander created a sort of female Indiana Jones in Vesper Holly, a cool, cultured adventure gal. Now in "The Xanadu Adventure," Alexander winds up the series with a final tense adventure, and a surprising -- and deeply satisfying -- finale. If only most series went out so gracefully. Vesper Holly loves archaeology and adventure. So when she is told that archeologist Herr Schliemann has found the ruins of ancient Troy, she's determined to go investigate further. So she and her friends Brinnie, his wife Mary, and the knowledgeable oddball The Weed (not his real name) set out to Hissarlik. But things rapidly go awry. A sinister boat captain dumps them off in the wrong place, and a sputtering archaeologist -- who claims he, not Schliemann, has found Troy -- turns out to be working for the malevolent Dr. Helviticus. And this time, the doctor has far-reaching plans not only to take control of the world's oil, but to rule the world itself from his own luxurious Xanadu... In a sense, "The Xanadu" adventure is Alexander at his best. The story moves fast, the settings are exotic yet familiar, and there's a good blend of humor and action -- one of the best scenes is when an opulent palace goes up in flames, courtesy of Helviticus's superweapon. Alexander also indulges a more scholarly side -- he focuses on Schliemann and the discovery of Troy to kick off the adventure. Later on, Helviticus quotes extensively from Samuel Taylor Coleridge's legendary "Kubla Khan," which Helviticus's own Xanadu is based on. But Alexander didn't just intend for this to be another Vesper Holly adventure. Sadly, it's the last one. So he wraps up a few personal threads for Holly, both involving Helviticus and concerning a certain young man. Alexander dips out of the action near the ending for a startlingly romantic scene, and the final scene is one of the sweetest he has ever written. Maybe the best thing about the Vesper Holly adventures is that Alexander doesn't turn her into a Lara Croft type. No blasting guns and acrobatics. Vesper uses her brain and wit as weapons against her brilliant opponent, with the assistance of her loyal pals. Although I did keep wondering why Helviticus would tell her every detail of his master plan as he did. Evil genius' prerogative, I suppose. The Vesper Holly series goes out with a bang in "The Xanadu Adventure," which is a good adventure in its own right, and a good final adventure for Vesper and Co.