The three short-listed authors for the English-language 'Wales Book of the Year' Award
I Spy Pinhole Eye, Philip Gross (Cinnamon Press)
Carry Me Home, Terri Wiltshire (Macmillan)
The Compilation of the Four Branches of the Mabinogi, Nikolai Tolstoy
(The Edwin Mellen Press)
The Wales Book of the Year Award has come up with something of a surprise in its English language category short list. One of the chosen books is Nikolai Tolstoy's The Compilation of the Four Branches of the Mabinogi. I haven't yet read it and Amazon are currently selling it for £85 so unless the award leads to a cheaper version I don't suppose its sales will be widespread. Tolstoy's book on the Myrddin legend was a piece of popular scholarship that has many detractors among specialists. In the current book I understand he attempts to place the tales in the context of eleventh century historical events. This might not be to the taste of those who were enthusiastic about his portrayal of Myrddin as a remnant druid.Whether it will please the academic community any better is another question. I'd be interested to hear from readers of this blog who might have the answer.
2 comments:
I haven't seen this, so thanks for drawing it to my attention. I won't be buying it, but I'll press the UL into service! He's a very nice man---but that Myrddin book was ghastly.
Not a clue, and in that price category I might never learn the answer. Unless you read it and share it with the rest of us ;-)
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