- Hardcover: 718 pages
- Publisher: Overlook Press (1 April 2002)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1585672416
- ISBN-13: 978-1585672417
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 16.5 x 5.6 cm
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 3,101,123 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Synopsis
An omnibus edition containing four novels of the Mabinogion, which are based on epics and tales of medieval Welsh mythology.
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13 reviews
46 of 46 people found the following review helpful
An incredible treasure back in print!
14 Aug 2002
Format:Hardcover
Back in the early and mid 1970s a series of 4 fantasy novels written by one Evangeline Walton and based tightly on the Welsh myths known collectively as The Mabinogion were published in this country by Ballantine Books. THE PRINCE OF ANNWN; THE CHILDREN OF LLYR; THE SONG OF RHIANNON; and THE ISLAND OF THE MIGHTY were for many of us our first introductions to Celtic mythology. Ms. Walton was an expert storyteller, and having read the 1949 Gwyn and Thomas Jones translation of THE MABINOGION, and struggled through a Welsh-language version for young people called Y MABINOGI: CYFADDASIAD NEWYDD, I can say that her paraphrase of these tales is superb, faithful, and an incredibly exciting read!
The individual novels have long been out of print and hard to find. Overlook Press has just published the four novels together in one elegantly produced hardback entitled THE MABINOGION TETRALOGY.
Although Ms. Walton, who died in 1996 at age 92, began writing her novels decades before Tolkien began his, and her style is leaner and perhaps cleaner (aided, no doubt, by the fact that she was reworking already existing material whereas Tolkien was weaving entire worlds from his own yarn), the Tetralogy should appeal to a similar readership.
I can't recommend this edition highly enough!
36 of 38 people found the following review helpful
Matter is an A+; manner D-
7 Sep 2003
Format:Hardcover
This might very well be *most* poorly edited book I've ever purchased. Miss Walton's novels are wonderful, in every sense of that word; they rate 5 stars. The volume, though, merits no stars at all, thus my average of 2 stars. The book is utterly laden with distracting and misleading errors of all sorts. Words that make no sense in context substituted for what I know (having read the much better Ballantine paperback editions, years ago, and simply knowing the tales) should be there; whole passages repeated out of sequence. And I'm only some 50 pages into it! Overlook needs to fire whoever purported to edit this thing, and apologize to its customers...and to the memory of Evangeline Walton.
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Beautifully rendered Celtic myths
8 Sep 2002
Format:Hardcover
The Mabinogion is an ancient collection of Welsh mythology. There have been quite a few modern translations, especially with the current Celtic revival. In my opinion, however, this four volume set by Evangaline Walton is by far the best. Many myths and fairy tales, while still enjoyable to read, are written in a less than scintillating style. Events and characters are duly described in a kind of methodical history book manner. Walton, on the other hand, brings the characters and stories to life in a truly literary fashion. Thus, these volumes can be enjoyed not only by folklorists and Celtophiles, but also by anyone who loves good fantasy novels --or good novels in general. The Welsh language has long been a source for many fantasy writers, including Tolkien. Though I can't properly pronounce most of the words and names in the Mabinogion, just reading them sends the imagination on an astral journey. Arawn, King of Annwn (the underworld); Rhiannon, Gwydion, Arianrhod...It would be too confusing to go into the details of the stories, but they are almost all concerned with magical battles (of wits as often as with swords) between various mortals and gods. Many of the tales of the Mabinogion are related, but they are not continuous. You could read any one of the four volumes by itself, which may be forced upon some readers if they rely on finding them in used bookstores. Fortunately, there are quite a few editions out there, including some newer ones, so you should be able to buy them as a set.
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