Reviews

The Mabinogion by

iammyowngodandmartyr's review against another edition

3.0

One of the most unfortunate translations I've ever had to read holy shit. The expository info in the introduction was pretty interesting, but I should've just gotten the Davies.

rclyburn's review against another edition

I think I hate medieval literature. I hate the overt symbolism. I hate the switching of past to present tense. I hate the lack of the abstract or of introspection.

cheesiest_doodle's review against another edition

adventurous funny informative lighthearted reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

danahuff's review against another edition

5.0

I read this book as part of a Celtic Literature course that influenced my writing more than any other single course, and this book may have been the one book that influenced my writing more than any other book. There's a lot of magic in this book, and it has a treasured place on my bookshelf.

deckofkeys's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

Great mythology

madradian's review against another edition

3.0

I can't really say how this translation differs from others as this is the only translation I've ever read. The stories were interesting and I greatly enjoyed lines such "And he was baptized in the tradition of the day." to show that we know this was a pre-Christian time period.

caidyn's review against another edition

challenging medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

An interesting read and expansion of Arthurian mythology!

amelyy's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

3.25

all the stars for the second branch & branwen my beloved. the other stories are kinda meh to me.

brneely's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious 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

4.0

em_writing's review against another edition

5.0

This is an excellent and informative translation of a collection of Welsh tales.

Some of the tales are a little dull, and probably put the mediaeval courts to sleep, but you can hardly fault the translator for that, and in terms of Welsh history and an account of Welsh oral storytelling tradition, I think this particular text should be a staple in academic collections.

Also the tales that arent dull are hilarious and absurd and I will not stop telling my friends about them.