Classic Books Store
The Mabinogion (Penguin Classics)
RRP: $12.00
Our Price: $9.60
You Save: $ 2.40 ( 20% )
Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
Author: Anonymous
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Average Customer Rating:
Our Price: $9.60
You Save: $ 2.40 ( 20% )
Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
Author: Anonymous
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Average Customer Rating:
Experimental feature: Order The Mabinogion (Penguin Classics) from the UK, Canada, Germany or France by clicking an appropriate flag below.
Some items available at Amazon.com are not available in all countries.
Some items available at Amazon.com are not available in all countries.
The Mabinogion (Penguin Classics) Description
Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 891.6631
EAN: 9780140443226
ISBN: 0140443223
Label: Penguin Classics
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 320
Publication Date: 1976-11-18
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Studio: Penguin Classics
Dewey Decimal Number: 891.6631
EAN: 9780140443226
ISBN: 0140443223
Label: Penguin Classics
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 320
Publication Date: 1976-11-18
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Studio: Penguin Classics
Editorial Review of The Mabinogion (Penguin Classics)
Customer Reviews of The Mabinogion (Penguin Classics)
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: The Mabinogian
Review: Simply horrible!
I can't imagine this entertaining any one.
That said, I suppose it has a small niche out there, some where.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Wonderful Classic
Review: It's The Mabinogian, you have to love it. It's really great for anyone, but especially good for anyone in Celtic Studies. Every Druid I have ever known had a copy too.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: The Mabinogion
Review: An excellent collection of Welsh tales from the high Middle Ages. Like the contemporary Gaelic mythology it leaves one pondering the meanings of so many of the storys' details long after they finish reading it; I think the significance of so much of their content is lost on us modern readers, and probably even on the men who initially wrote them down in the 12-14th Centuries. Overall, this version of the Mabinogion is a worthwhile look into the Medieval Welsh imagination, and a good book for anyone interested in Arthurian mythology.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Great collection of early Arthuriana, but a somewhat stilted translation
Review: Let me agree with a previous reviewer who commented on the change in translation style between the "Celtic" and "Arthurian" stories. It's quite pronounced and not commented on in the book. Still, this is a great collection of tales, perhaps a little unpolished.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: A good, readable translation of a mediocre collection
Review: I'm a fan of tradtional Germanic epics such as Beowulf and hte Saga of Burnt Njal, as well as a fan of other medieval literature, including Wolfram von Eschenbach's "Parzifal," which tells the same story as some of the "branches" (stories) of the Mabinogion. So I had high expectations for the Mabinogion.
Unfortunately, the book failed to live up to them. Out of the eleven mostly unrelated stories included in this volume, only a few really held my interest. In a work like this you expect an episodic, somewhat repetitive story, but the Mabinogion takes this to the extreme. A few of the stories are practically parodies of Arthurian romance; for example, "How Culhwch Won Olwen." In this story, the hero meets the heroine and is told that he must complete thirty-nine tasks to win her. The rest of the story consists of an account of the completion of these tasks, most of which don't rate more than about a sentence; plus a five-page list of all the knights of Arthur's court who helped him. Expanded to full length, this might be interesting, but as it stands it's about as exciting as reading Cliff's Notes. In addition, the Mabinogion's humor often falls flat, especially when compared with the Icelandic epics.
The Penguin Classics edition seems to be well-translated and well-annotated, but the book itself didn't hold my interest. Unless you're an Arthurian completist or a Welsh history buff, I'd give this one a miss.
Review Summary: The Mabinogian
Review: Simply horrible!
I can't imagine this entertaining any one.
That said, I suppose it has a small niche out there, some where.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Wonderful Classic
Review: It's The Mabinogian, you have to love it. It's really great for anyone, but especially good for anyone in Celtic Studies. Every Druid I have ever known had a copy too.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: The Mabinogion
Review: An excellent collection of Welsh tales from the high Middle Ages. Like the contemporary Gaelic mythology it leaves one pondering the meanings of so many of the storys' details long after they finish reading it; I think the significance of so much of their content is lost on us modern readers, and probably even on the men who initially wrote them down in the 12-14th Centuries. Overall, this version of the Mabinogion is a worthwhile look into the Medieval Welsh imagination, and a good book for anyone interested in Arthurian mythology.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Great collection of early Arthuriana, but a somewhat stilted translation
Review: Let me agree with a previous reviewer who commented on the change in translation style between the "Celtic" and "Arthurian" stories. It's quite pronounced and not commented on in the book. Still, this is a great collection of tales, perhaps a little unpolished.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: A good, readable translation of a mediocre collection
Review: I'm a fan of tradtional Germanic epics such as Beowulf and hte Saga of Burnt Njal, as well as a fan of other medieval literature, including Wolfram von Eschenbach's "Parzifal," which tells the same story as some of the "branches" (stories) of the Mabinogion. So I had high expectations for the Mabinogion.
Unfortunately, the book failed to live up to them. Out of the eleven mostly unrelated stories included in this volume, only a few really held my interest. In a work like this you expect an episodic, somewhat repetitive story, but the Mabinogion takes this to the extreme. A few of the stories are practically parodies of Arthurian romance; for example, "How Culhwch Won Olwen." In this story, the hero meets the heroine and is told that he must complete thirty-nine tasks to win her. The rest of the story consists of an account of the completion of these tasks, most of which don't rate more than about a sentence; plus a five-page list of all the knights of Arthur's court who helped him. Expanded to full length, this might be interesting, but as it stands it's about as exciting as reading Cliff's Notes. In addition, the Mabinogion's humor often falls flat, especially when compared with the Icelandic epics.
The Penguin Classics edition seems to be well-translated and well-annotated, but the book itself didn't hold my interest. Unless you're an Arthurian completist or a Welsh history buff, I'd give this one a miss.