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monsterful_alex's review against another edition
3.0
The collection of stories is entertaining and comforting in its classic fairytale format. The little details, such as the descriptions of how everyone sits at the table, add so much flavour to the narratives. The notes also give an additional insight into Welsh language, culture and habits. While to original 'mabinogi' are only the first 4 branches, the other stories following the knightly endeavours of the Arthurian legends, the collection create an all encompassing national spirit, giving legitimacy to Welsh rule and power through geographical symbolic naming (how London was named, the dream of Emperor Maxen explaining Roman conquer etc.). That being said, the later Arthurian stories were much more sexist and reductive of their women characters, and the knights were undoubtedly a bunch of obnoxious arrogant jerks (the jocks of the middle ages, no doubt). 'How Culhwch won Olwen' is a pretty boring tale which has a very strenuous narrative, costisting of lists of Welsh names and ridiculous quests, such as obtaining a comb out of a magic boar's head so that Culhwch can marry a stranger whom he never met because his step mother told him to. The four branches of the Mabinogi were by far my favourite, especially the second branch when Bendigeiedfran crosses the Irish sea like he's out on a stroll and the Irish are wondering why that mountain keeps coming closer, while his sister Branwen is smugly waiting for him, knowing that the only reason he came to save her is because she taught a bird to speak Welsh and deliver a message to him - like a BOSS.
eithe's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
ikon_biotin_jungle_lumen's review against another edition
I certainly did not anticipate finding this book. I've always loved the ancient legends of King Arthur & the accompanying lore, but had no idea that the earliest (decipherable) iterations of this mythos existed in the form of the Mabinogi. It was certainly a shock to find so many familiar names from fiction. I can only assume that authors such as Robert Jordan and Lloyd Alexander (and even the creators of Fire Emblem) have turned to the Mabinogian for literary inspiration time out of mind.
hstapp's review against another edition
3.0
These tales can be boring but they have enough points of interest that they remain interesting over all. The most interesting are probably the Arthur tales. Though written by a different culture than the tales we are used to they still sound very Arthurian. The tales without Arthur are more classic Celtic/Norse feeling.
dllh's review against another edition
3.0
I'm glad I read this, but I mostly didn't enjoy it very much. It was hard for me to retain specifics, in part because so many of the names were weird and in part because the stories' events often seem random, with cause/effect and time seeming sort of slippery. I did like some of the individual stories, and it was neat to read some of the Arthurian stories, but on the whole, I read these to get a flavor of some of the history of our literature more than for enjoyment.
revolution666's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
alliebarlow's review against another edition
3.0
No star review.
I read the tale of Peredur for a module at university.
I read the tale of Peredur for a module at university.