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A review by mediaevalmuse
The Táin: From the Irish Epic Táin Bó Cúailnge by Louis le Brocquy
5.0
I'm probably biased. I'm a medievalist who studies Old English and Old Irish literature for a living. But seriously, how can I not review one of my favorite editions of one of my favorite pieces of literature of all time? Especially one that comes with some fancy ink paintings of Cu Chulainn's warp spasm.
But to be clear, rather than evaluate the story itself, I'm going to offer some notes on the translation and on this specific edition of The Tain.
Things I Liked
1. Translation: One of the things I really like about Kinsella’s translation is that it retains some of the syntax of the original language. Old Irish syntax is terrible in that it’s confusing, but once you get it, it’s actually kind of fun and adds a lot of quirkiness (for lack of a better word) to the text. Kinsella manages to keep some of the original qualities of the language while rendering it into a form that is easily understandable for the modern reader.
2. Illustrations: Holy crap the illustrations in this book are awesome. They’re some ink brush drawings that are somewhat minimalist, but I think they add to the story of The Tain by giving a visual element that enhances some of the indescribable feelings of the original epic. For example, Cu Chulainn’s warp spasm is very difficult to picture, but the ink drawing for it is brilliant and captures the essence of what the story is describing.
3. Inclusion of Essential Elements: The Tain isn’t just in one version in one manuscript - it’s in a couple. And it’s in pieces. Kinsella does a service to his audience by including some elements in his translation that I’ve found to be lacking in others (such as the entire “Pillow Talk” episode). By including so much, Kinsella gives readers the best possible text to read in modern English.
Things I Didn't Like
1. Lack of Elements: Inevitably, when a translator has to piece together a “best text” from two different versions, he or she is bound to leave some things out. Such is the case with Kinsella’s version, but a lot of what is missing can be found in others. Overall, I don't think it's dire.
2. Notes: The notes in this version are a little difficult to use because they are all in the back and they are not marked in the corresponding lines in the main text. This means a lot of flipping back and forth and not knowing which lines in the text have notes as you’re reading.
Recommendations: Read this book if you're at all a fan of medieval history, medieval literature, or ancient Ireland. Seriously, it's amazing.
But to be clear, rather than evaluate the story itself, I'm going to offer some notes on the translation and on this specific edition of The Tain.
Things I Liked
1. Translation: One of the things I really like about Kinsella’s translation is that it retains some of the syntax of the original language. Old Irish syntax is terrible in that it’s confusing, but once you get it, it’s actually kind of fun and adds a lot of quirkiness (for lack of a better word) to the text. Kinsella manages to keep some of the original qualities of the language while rendering it into a form that is easily understandable for the modern reader.
2. Illustrations: Holy crap the illustrations in this book are awesome. They’re some ink brush drawings that are somewhat minimalist, but I think they add to the story of The Tain by giving a visual element that enhances some of the indescribable feelings of the original epic. For example, Cu Chulainn’s warp spasm is very difficult to picture, but the ink drawing for it is brilliant and captures the essence of what the story is describing.
3. Inclusion of Essential Elements: The Tain isn’t just in one version in one manuscript - it’s in a couple. And it’s in pieces. Kinsella does a service to his audience by including some elements in his translation that I’ve found to be lacking in others (such as the entire “Pillow Talk” episode). By including so much, Kinsella gives readers the best possible text to read in modern English.
Things I Didn't Like
1. Lack of Elements: Inevitably, when a translator has to piece together a “best text” from two different versions, he or she is bound to leave some things out. Such is the case with Kinsella’s version, but a lot of what is missing can be found in others. Overall, I don't think it's dire.
2. Notes: The notes in this version are a little difficult to use because they are all in the back and they are not marked in the corresponding lines in the main text. This means a lot of flipping back and forth and not knowing which lines in the text have notes as you’re reading.
Recommendations: Read this book if you're at all a fan of medieval history, medieval literature, or ancient Ireland. Seriously, it's amazing.