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Reviews
The Tangled-Coated Horse and Other Tales: Episodes from the Fionn Saga by Vera Bock, Ella Young
sayre_morgan's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
1.5
tealmango's review
2.0
Read the full review here: http://newberyandbeyond.com/newbery-roundup-january-2017/
Short, mythological stories about ancient Ireland. I'm not a big fan of myths or short stories, so this book didn't really do it for me.
Short, mythological stories about ancient Ireland. I'm not a big fan of myths or short stories, so this book didn't really do it for me.
triscuit807's review
3.0
Yet another early 20th c. re-telling of folk tales, this time the saga of Finn Mac Cool of Ireland. One of the biggest challenges of this one is the strange anglicization of Irish names, place names, and mythical beings. I have no problem with Fionn/Finn but some of the others are very odd: Uail/Cumhall/Cool, Sovan/Samhain, Dahna/(Tuatha de) Danaa, Shee/Sidhe, etc. - while others are unchanged (Diarmid, Cunnaun). It made the slightly familiar fairly difficult to track. The language used in the book is that of oral tradition and adds more complexity to the book. I think it would be an interesting read-a-loud. I read this for my 2018 Reading Challenge and my Newbery Challenge (Honor book 1930).
angielisle's review
1.0
This 1930 Newbery Honor Book introduces children to Irish mythology; however, the author presents a Christian/Anglicized (bowdlerized) version of these stories, which makes them feel like wonder tales rather than complete account of the Fenian Cycle.
This is another book I'm glad to finish. The language is archaic and tedious - I'm not sure why all these early Newbery authors thought that talking down to their child-readers would sell books. It's rough reading and makes the authors seem pompous. A kid doesn't learn anything if they put the book aside for easier reading material.
I had to look up a couple words -modern day kids will as well- and, once I looked them up, Ms. Young's decision to use them frustrated me. Example: hydromel. The author chose to use a Greek word for mead. Why didn't she introduce readers to 'mid,' the Irish version of the word? There are so many other world views imposed on these tales that they lost the flavor of Ireland. The names are really all that remain Irish and I wish the author would have included a pronunciation guide for them. Researching how the names are said pulled me out of the story and sent me to the internet, where I found better versions of these tales told in modern voices that will keep children's attention.
This is another book I'm glad to finish. The language is archaic and tedious - I'm not sure why all these early Newbery authors thought that talking down to their child-readers would sell books. It's rough reading and makes the authors seem pompous. A kid doesn't learn anything if they put the book aside for easier reading material.
I had to look up a couple words -modern day kids will as well- and, once I looked them up, Ms. Young's decision to use them frustrated me. Example: hydromel. The author chose to use a Greek word for mead. Why didn't she introduce readers to 'mid,' the Irish version of the word? There are so many other world views imposed on these tales that they lost the flavor of Ireland. The names are really all that remain Irish and I wish the author would have included a pronunciation guide for them. Researching how the names are said pulled me out of the story and sent me to the internet, where I found better versions of these tales told in modern voices that will keep children's attention.