I recommend this for anyone who's maxed out on Arthurian literature or Tain-like tales -- it's a great look at very different stories in the same sort of genre. ( )

Basic Reason for Beginning: Welsh legends! (I might have a terrible memory, but I do try to read many different kinds of fairytales and legends.)
Basic Reason for Finishing: Stubborn, stubborn.

Full review here ( )

Eleven Welsh stories dating from the 14th century shares much content with Morte d' Arthur. Arthur and Gwenhwyfar are principle characters. The tales shares parallels with Arthur, and Homer, and yet are much simpler and rustic. Comparatively, it's as if these tales were neither written by a single genius nor had time to be refined through successive iterations of storytelling. ( )

http://nhw.livejournal.com/877227.htm...

The collection of Welsh classic legends. The stories are not gems of perfection - internal inconsistencies and unresolved plot elements abound - but I found myself nonetheless carried along by most of them. Oddly enough the one that grabbed me most was Peredur, the story that later became that of Perceval or Parsifal, with his peculiar series of deeply symbolic adventures.

The Penguin explanatory apparatus was a bit annoying. A page at the start of each story, explaining what happened, and a long introduction (24 pages of a 300 page book) which all combined to present the Mabinogion as an object to study rather than literature to be enjoyed.

With all that editorial effort, I would also have liked some unpacking of the basic concepts of the Welsh society portrayed. There is a little of this - the translator explains the shifting meanings of arvei meaning first "weapons" but later "armour", and marchawg which shifted from being a mere "horseman" to a full "knight". But there were other concepts which the translator puts directly into English expecting that we will automatically understand what was meant in the original medieval Welsh: "king", "court", "girl", "to sleep with".

I'm very surprised that there is so little extant Welsh literature of that era; the Irish somehow must have preserved their manuscripts better? Or wrote things down sooner? ( )

The Mabinogion (Everyman Paperback Classics) by Gwyn Jones and Thomas Jones: This is not the most accessible translation of the Mabinogion, but it is the most literal, and most fully conveys the rhythmn and feel of the original language. Out of all the versions available this is my favorite. However, for a first time reader not familiar with the Welsh language, I think I would recommend Patrick Ford's "The Mabinogi" as being an easier read. ( )