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Liked It ““This book has changed my entire way of looking at the world. It is an inspirational work of art. The entrancing mythological imagery is interwoven through enigmatic settings like the patterns of a Celtic knot-work motif. It is sensuous; an embodiment of the medieval romance and a testament to...” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It “These stories are not really myths, romances, legends or folktales, but somehow straddle the boundaries between all of them. While I did enjoy this book, I gave it the low rating because it is curiously divided in quality almost neatly in half. Most of its first half is slow at best, unreadable...” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“These stories are not really myths, romances, legends or folktales, but somehow straddle the boundaries between all of them. While I did enjoy this book, I gave it the low rating because it is curiously divided in quality almost neatly in half. Most of its first half is slow at best, unreadable at worst. Yet the last half is definitely worth reading.
Michael wrote this review Friday, October 2 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be, "convoluted". Sioned Davies, in her introduction, calls this translation by Lady Charlotte Guest not overly flowery with antiquarian language, but the prose seems to me almost exactly the opposite. The worst story is "Kilhwch and Olwen or the Twrch Trwyth". It contains about six pages of names alone, of persons whom the hero abjures to help him in his quest, and when he arrives at his destination he is challenged not to one or three impossible tasks in order to win the woman he desires, but thirty nine, all of which are described to him and then described as he and the six pages' worth of warriors attempt them, and what follows is, well, almost impossible to follow.
There are some real gems in this collection, however, the best of which is the Arthurian romance, "The Lady of the Fountain", which features, notably, a magical ring of invisibility, one of the precursors to Tolkien's Ring discussed in John Ratlieff's writing. Also notable are "Pwyll Prince of Dyved", "The Dream of Maxen Wledig", "Peredur Son of Evraw" and "Geraint the Son of Erbin", all romances rather like fairy tales, and "Taliesin", a story more like a folktale, but laced with verse. The bottom line here seems to be that the Mabinogion story cycle will be enjoyed (for the most part) by those deeply interested in history, folklore and myth; but anyone looking for a light read, or a book to "dip" into, will likely come out of this disappointed. ”““This book has changed my entire way of looking at the world. It is an inspirational work of art. The entrancing mythological imagery is interwoven through enigmatic settings like the patterns of a Celtic knot-work motif. It is sensuous; an embodiment of the medieval romance and a testament to the Celtic sense of earthly grace. It is also an interesting look into the psychology of the medieval mind. A mystery; a puzzle. One dimensional, but with countless layers within. Overall, one of my all-time favorite books! ””
Jesse E wrote this review Saturday, February 7 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“an ancient welsh myth cycle in pretty readable form. but i must admit to a bit of slogging during some passages.”
Anne H wrote this review Wednesday, June 4 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Okay, I admit it...this one's hard to wrap my brain around, but that doesn't keep me from enjoying it! Little by little, I'm working my way through it. It's fun to try to figure out how to pronounce all the names!”
Bonita M wrote this review Tuesday, December 11 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This book is on my list of books to read soon. I started it several years ago, and vow to get going on it again. Some of the Welsh names threw me the first time.”
Ray Mona wrote this review Saturday, November 24 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Beautiful interpretation of Welsh myth comprised of four books -- The Prince of Annwn, The Children of Llyr, The Song of Rhiannon, and The Island of the Mighty. Walton provides a fascinating look at how the Celtic and Pictish cultures might have interacted (and the conflicts that may have resulted) if they met. But more than that, her deep love for the stories is reflected on every page.”
fremount wrote this review Monday, June 4 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
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