The Book of Merlin

The "Book of Merlin" is a compilation of Larry Beckett's translation of Berlin's poems. The collection is undeniably comprehensive offering a harmonious sync of verses. The emotional turbulence depicted in the poems resonates the ebb and flow of life's ragged and tumultuous moments, drawing parallels to combat. It's a balanced composition residing in a realm that is neither shabby nor overwhelmingly potent. However, as a reader, I found myself struggling to establish a personal connection with the book. The poems didn't quite resonate with me on a personal level. While the collection lacks a bit of the depth and substance, it stands as an excellent starting point for those venturing into the world of poetry. Its accessibility and balanced tone make it a suitable choice for new readers.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

These poems are as magical as Merlin himself, flitting between a variety of registers and tones, each sparkling with an indelible charm that keeps the reader turning the pages until the book has completed itself as a mantra.

I don't read many poetry books. I don't know why but poetry normally makes me feel sad, but I enjoyed this one. Maybe I should try poetry books with some historical base like this one.

The myth of King Arthur always intrigued me and this book only helped with my fangirling.

I don't usually read poetry, but with a title like this, I had to.

It was enjoyable, easy to read, and had a lot of history and myth-based poems in it.

And every time I read the name Taliesin, all I could think of was the voice actor Taliesin Jaffee in the Arthurian times, chatting with Merlin.

The Book of Merlin finds the words of Merlin brought together in one place for the first time ever.

It starts with the poem Green Commander; with the clash of steel and battle, with "warriors, weapons, and with long spears." Merlin the Wild flees the battle, and finds solace in nature with the wild animals, detailed in the poems "The Shoat" and "The Wolf." As he begins to lose his grip on reality, he begins his prophecies which forsee Wales plunged into war and the rise of Uther, Ambrosius, and Arthur.

He is taken back to court but states "nothing can lure me away from the green woods so dear to me". Returning to the wild, Merlin accepts his place in the forest and continues to prophesize the future.

Although a modern take, The Book of Merlin withholds traditional form and language; so whilst it feels like a fresh and modern retelling, the world created is still very much placed within the 6th century. The prose maintains strong authenticity, showing Merlin's descent into madness whilst the seasons change around him.

Each poem changes its audience; from the wolf who starves with him in the midst of winter "hard hunger has weakened us," to his fellow poet Taliesin and to the oak trees around him. This creates a very vivid sense of the loosening of his lucidity and creates a narrative arc of time passing.

This book for me a mix between poetry and prose and one that gave chills down my spine from the start. As a fanatic of Arthurian lore, this was a fascinating new take on one of the well-known characters from it. I thought the language was vivid and dramatic, the imagery powerful and each poem in the collection brought in a new idea or theme; betrayal, romance, longing, nature, and conflict. I will be adding this book to the shelves of my 100-strong book collection on Arthurian Legend.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

As a Welshman and lifelong fan of Welsh myths and legends (including Arthurian), I’m delighted that the ancient poetry of Merlin has finally been collated into one accessible collection. The author deserves nothing but praise for having accomplished this not-insignificant task. It is high time the true legend of ancient Britons was brought to the fore rather than the romanticised, popular Arthurian stereotypes perpetuated by art, literature, and cinema.

However, this collection lacks a decent introduction, including setting the historical context for non-Britons and offering a glossary to non-Welsh speakers. It feels a bit ‘one-dimensional’ and could do with a heavyweight foreword from a distinguished Professor or scholar.

Thanks to Livingston Press and NetGalley for granting this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was grateful to get to read this work of poetry. I enjoyed it immensely, a beautiful and at time, touching work. We will be ordering it for our library for certain.