You cannot fault its presentation. The immaculate cover based on one of Amy Jeff's dramatic prints which open each chapter. The free bookmarks, the postcards, its all very striking and atmospheric. Everything is telling you something rather unique and special lies within its hardcover. Its a cultural event. But is it? What exactly is this all about?
Wild, subtitled Tales from Early Medieval Britain, explores the Anglo Saxon poems gathered together in the Essex Book. But they are not really tales, more poetic evocations of a predicament or state of mind. There are fine new translations of the original poems at the back of the book by Dr Graham Young. Each chapter begins with Jeff's own prose versions of the poems. This is then followed by providing historical background detail. The missing context to explain to a 21st century reader where exactly the poems are coming from. So that is the set up.
I would question what the need for all this is. The original poems are brilliantly evocative in themselves. Why they need Jeff's prose versions is questionable and they tend to fall short in helping them be more comprehensible. They actually perform quite poorly in the job they appear to be setting out to do. The historical or mythic context she brings is fitfully interesting, but doesn't help that much in illuminating or evoking the world view being portrayed within the poems. This is comparable to a beautifully presented dissertation. I have to come to the conclusion that this presentational blitz is just that and little else. If you removed that, would this really be garnering this level of attention? I think not.
CARROT REVIEW - 2/8
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