Scan barcode
chrism6's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
colorfulleo92's review against another edition
Dnfed it at 20% not going to count it at my monthly or yearly reads. I might come back to this at one point but I'm not in the right headspace for the way the text is. Struggled getting anything out of it.
catrink's review against another edition
4.0
A wonderful collection of tales from medieval Wales that were gathered together and published in the 19th century after being translated by Lady Charlotte Guest. The tales range from themes from Celtic mythology, Arthurian romance, and some fascinating interpretation of British Isles history.
brendan_h's review against another edition
4.0
The first four stories are really excellent, weird old stuff from pre-christian Wales that move quickly and are consistently entertaining and surprising. I found the Arthurian stories a little less interesting, though not terrible by any stretch. The Welsh taxonomy is just fantastic, and puzzling out the correct pronunciation of character and place names (with the help of the pronunciation guide) is a great game. Wales seems to get short shrift among Celt-crazy Americans, and it seems a bit unfair after reading this.
Also recommended if you enjoyed Lloyd Alexander in your youth, as he clearly drew heavily from this and similar sources.
Also recommended if you enjoyed Lloyd Alexander in your youth, as he clearly drew heavily from this and similar sources.
balletbookworm's review against another edition
4.0
My massive issues with remembering Welsh pronunciation aside, this collection of Welsh-originated tales is fun to read. It is important to note that, by the time the Branches and Welsh Romances were written down, they were heavily Chritianized by about 1400 AD so the original Celtic mythology had been altered. The later Romances are very similar to Malory, if you've read any Le Morte d'Arthur.
sarah_emtage's review against another edition
4.0
Some of the stuff that happens in this book is downright bonkers.
thymenvb's review against another edition
5.0
The Four Branches of the Mabinogi were amazing! But some of the other stories were not as interesting
5 stars to Sioned Davies and this edition though!! She put so much effort and passion into the translation and notes and it really added a lot
5 stars to Sioned Davies and this edition though!! She put so much effort and passion into the translation and notes and it really added a lot
othersideoftherain's review against another edition
4.0
love these tales but this isn’t my favorite translation or edition; some formatting choices makes it difficult to navigate, though I do enjoy the Welsh pronunciation guide in the beginning.
turtlekat23's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
3.5
This is a collection of very old shorter stories. I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys books or stories for their own sake or fairy tales. They are similar to other stories but different enough to warrant their own read too.