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r_snail52's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Love this so so so so much absolute comfort book- so nice to traipse back into old welsh folktales
ewc's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75
jonvarner's review against another edition
5.0
Giving this any star rating is absurd. It's an invaluable cultural document, one of just a handful from several hundred years of Welsh history. Weird and difficult to comprehend from a modern standpoint, almost entirely alien to what we expect from literature.
Sioned Davies's translation focuses on the spoken nature of the tales and her copious endnotes are nearly as required as the text itself.
Sioned Davies's translation focuses on the spoken nature of the tales and her copious endnotes are nearly as required as the text itself.
elysephone_escapes's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Part audiobook listened (shoutout to Merlyn Cooper on YouTube for reading the exact translation I needed), part read in Kindle; all read out of order as the course decreed it.
I can't say that I read all the introduction or explanatory notes of course, but when it comes to classics, this is one of the good ones. The writing style is obviously a bit of a drag at times (I hope you like reading about every garment on the body of a knight), but the imagination and the beautiful bits of folklore are there.
Pwyll bodies, Bendigeidfran is badass and literally every single young woman in this book is described as the fairest woman the male character has ever seen. (no joke, literally take a shot every time they say that exact thing)
I can't say that I read all the introduction or explanatory notes of course, but when it comes to classics, this is one of the good ones. The writing style is obviously a bit of a drag at times (I hope you like reading about every garment on the body of a knight), but the imagination and the beautiful bits of folklore are there.
Pwyll bodies, Bendigeidfran is badass and literally every single young woman in this book is described as the fairest woman the male character has ever seen. (no joke, literally take a shot every time they say that exact thing)
bookish_skies's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.75
stryfe's review against another edition
My Celtic literature course covered only the Four Branches of the Mabinogi, so I can only review those, but I thoroughly enjoyed them!! <3
millie_yule's review against another edition
5.0
I went to great lengths (5 trips to the library) to find this edition of the Mabinogion after the one I was borrowing was no longer available. That is not a feat I would do for just any book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the Four Branches, The Dream of Rhonabwy, and Gereint Son of Erbin the most. I especially enjoyed reading them out loud as it’s easier to get the rhythm of reading the way. The introduction by Gwyn Jones and Thomas Jones was also very interesting. Highly recommend this edition to anyone interested in Welsh literature and culture.