Frank Delaney

Books: Folklore | Mythology

Legends of the Celts (1989)

Celtic legends and folklore that has been "translated" into modern prose. Part of me thinks that in a way this is like making a book of the Cliff Notes to Shakespeare, but the other part of me wants to enjoy the story without getting lost in trying to decipher centuries old prose and terms. So all in all I think it is a good thing, and I did enjoy the book. These are of course very shortened versions of the tales, but you do get the flavor and idea of the story, and much more easily than in reading a more "direct" translation. In other words, I recommend this book if you want to know the stories and don't mind them shortened with some detail left out. In a way, now that think about it, this book is the opposite of most trends regarding folklore and folktales: instead of taking a short and simple story and stretching it into a 500 page book (well, 500 pages with huge margins and large typeface) he does somewhat the opposite. Both concepts are equally valid I think, as long as you know what you are getting in advance.

Publisher: ing Pub. Co