The Mabinogion

The Mabinogion (translated by Lady Charlotte E. Guest)
Published by Dover Publications, Inc. in 1997
Genres: Fiction
Pages: 224
Format: Paperback
 Composed in a golden age of Celtic storytelling in the thirteenth century or earlier, this collection of 12 Welsh prose tales is a masterpiece of European literature. Though written down in the Middle Ages, these stories are thought by scholars to be probably much older, perhaps going back to the dawn of Celtic civilization.
They fall naturally into several groups: the Mabinogion (stories) proper, composed of the four tales of Pwyll, Branwen, Manawyddan, and Math; the two short pieces The Dream of Maxen Wledig and Lludd and Llevelys; the incomparable Kilhwch and Olwen, one of the earliest Arthurian tales in Welsh; The Dream of Rhonabwy, a romantic look back to the heroic age of Britain; and the three Arthurian romances proper: The Lady of the Fountain, Peredur the Son of Evrawc, and Geraint the Son of Erbin, with their abundant evidence of Norman-French influences. Also included is Lady Guest's translation of Taliesin, the story of the famous bard. Destiny, magic, chance, knightly feats of arms, love, and betrayal — all are here in these ancient, beautifully crafted stories, sure to delight scholars, students, general readers, and any lover of myth and legend.

My Thoughts 

You do not really "review" stories like this, you can only say if they click with you or not and show your appreciation.

I have read the stories in a collection of simplified Celtic legends and myths, so this is the first real translation of these stories that I've read, therefore I cannot really compare it to newer translations. I can just say that the translation matched my idea of how these types or stories, legends and myths are translated due to previous experiences with this genre.

I personally liked the four main branches of the Mabinogion and The Dream of Maxen Wledig the best, maybe since those were the easiest to follow. Kilhwch and Olwen was good but I have to admit that all the names made reading a bit difficult (but a lovely experience since I love Welsh), while the colours and horses, etc.  of The Dream of Rhonabwy

was marvelous, though impossible to keep track of. 
These stories had a feeling rawer, truer and closer to the roots of stories than the following three Arthurian romances, which are also good but with the Norman-French influences and references to God, one step away from especially the four "proper" Mabinogion stories. Of these three I liked the first and third the best. Peredur's story was a bit long and winding and all his dealings and discourses with different ladies made for a kind of uphill battle to read. Geraint's story is an example of "ask your wife before you assume stuff" and you wonder at the patience of Enid, who in today's world would probably have hit Geraint over the head with a fry pan at quite an early point in the story.

All in all it was wonderful to read the origins of many books and book series I have read before this: The Chronicles of Prydain, some bits in the Fionavar Tapestry, etc.. The names of peoples and places remind you again why JRR Tolkien had Welsh as his inspiration for Sindarin Elvish.