On the Verge of Lunacy

This collection of the majority of European mythology will make the lover of myths cry out for joy. Bulfinch's Mythology includes Greek and Roman myths; Norse; Celtic; Arthurian and British legends (Beowulf, Hereward and Robin Hood); tales of Charlemagne's Paladins; and a few Egyptian and Eastern (Zoroastrian/Persian, Hindu, Buddhist) myths and legends. The stories are limited however and only the more popular tales are included. It is a general overview of most myths but the focus, as expected, is still on Classical Mythology. The pages dedicated to the Greek and Roman gods take up most of the book, followed by Charlemagne's Peers. Despite my disappointed to find that I'd be reading stories I'm already familiar with, the book does have its surprises. There is a chapter dedicated to monsters and how myths are formed. Some of the epics are summarized, much to my dismay, but it might be a good introduction for readers who find the longer versions too te...

This book is an attempt to combine all the stories about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table from various sources to make a cohesive, fluid story. It is made up of sixteen chapters beginning in the prophecy of Arthur's birth to his defeat by Sir Modred. From chapter five to thirteen, however, the focus shifted to his well-known knights. There was very little attempt at characterization. Arthur and his knights were just as elusive and mysterious as they were before and after I read the book. There was no attempt to portray him as something else other than what the sources say. The book is just a narration of the events from his birth to his death and the things that happened in between. I cannot empathize with any of the characters even if some of them were portrayed as almost invincible, brave men and the best fighters in the world. Despite that, I'd still recommend this book to those who are interested in the Arthurian legends, particularly to those who are ...

This is a must-read for people who love the Arthurian legends. The selections were chosen from The Mabinogion and Le Morte d'Arthur and were divided into eleven major parts. It was also arranged chronologically although there will be hints about the coming events in the first few chapters. Major characters like Lancelot, Merlin and others have sections or 'Books' dedicated to them. I advise the reader to not skip the introduction. It provides some background about the legends, the sources, and even a little bit of history about Britain. Except for the hints that will spoil the mysetery for first-time readers of the Arthurian legends, this a fun and easy read. Only the important figures were included in this as well as most of the well-known stories about Arthur and his Knights. I'm giving this book a 9 out of 10 rating . I recommend The Mabinogion by Lady Charlotte Guest for further reading.

This is a collection of twelve interconnected stories of the heroic age of the British Isles. Those who are fans of legends about King Arthur will find this book interesting. Note however that this is not exactly about Arthur himself. There are some disputes to the meaning of mabinogion but I'll just go with the more popular translation of the word mabinogi which is "aspirant to bardic honor" or "someone who is apprenticed to a bard." The following are the tales included in this book: The Lady of the Fountain Peredur the Son of Evrawc Geraint the Son of Erbin Kilhwch and Olwen or The Twrch Trwyth The Dream of Rhonabwy Pwyll Prince of Dyved* Branwen the Daughter of Llyr* Manawyddan the Son of Llyr* Math the Son of Mathonwy* The Dream of Maxen Wledig The Story of Lludd and Llevelys Taliesin *Four Branches of the Mabinogion The author provides an introduction about how she chose to include the twelve stories listed above.  She also provided a ...