Reviews

The Mabinogion by

jennykeery's review against another edition

4.0

The Mabinogion is a collection of Welsh myths and legends, some of which involve King Arthur. The translation I read was written by Lady Charlotte Guest in 1812. I picked this up because I bought a modern retelling and wanted to understand the references, and I ended up really enjoying it! There's some seriously baffling justice in here though - one woman's husband is killed and the murderer is asked to do right by her and marry her himself (presumably so she doesn't starve to death having lost her husband's income). I'm very glad I don't live in the past.

lleullawgyffes's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

indigo78180's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.25

I had fun with all the strange and wonderous adventures in the Mabinogion! The names were hard to keep track of for me, but it was cool to see some precursors to Malory's Le Morte and Tennyson's Idylls of the King.

spacestationtrustfund's review against another edition

3.0

I've read previously Charlotte Guest's edition (which, dating back to the early 19th century, excised various more "explicit" scenes), Gantz's edition (which is truer to the original Welsh, albeit a bit dated, since it's from the 1970s), and now Sioned Davies's edition, from 2008, which is my favourite by a long shot.

Davies includes footnotes, a lengthy introduction including both historical context and content analysis, and appendices; she's a scholar who knows her field well, and it shows. The language is reminiscent of the original Welsh, specifically in regards to rhythm and syntax, as well as the choice to use Welsh names rather than their English equivalents. Davies's edition reads like a performance, which is delightful.

lukerik's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

abomine's review against another edition

adventurous challenging slow-paced

3.0

ultimatecryptid's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Beautiful collection of tales, with incredibly informative annotations. 

arthurbdd's review against another edition

3.0

The Mabinogion is really a rather random and muddled collection, with only the Four Branches really belonging together and a lot of important contextual information simply being missing. Nonetheless, Gantz' translation does a good job of teasing the best out of the material. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/2022/05/19/the-muddle-of-the-mabinogion/

lewcharl's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

schaffyd's review against another edition

adventurous challenging informative lighthearted medium-paced

4.0