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Epic Continent: Adventures in the Great Stories of Europe
These are the stories that made Europe.Journeying from Turkey to Iceland, award-winning travel writer Nicholas Jubber takes us on a fascinating adventure through our continent's most enduring epic poems to learn how they were shaped by their times, and how they have since shaped us. The great European epics were all inspired by moments of seismic The Odyssey tells of the aftermath of the Trojan War, the primal conflict from which much of European civilisation was spawned. The Song of the Nibelungen tracks the collapse of a Germanic kingdom on the edge of the Roman Empire. Both the French Song of Roland and the Serbian Kosovo Cycle emerged from devastating conflicts between Christian and Muslim powers. Beowulf, the only surviving Old English epic, and the great Icelandic Saga of Burnt Njal, respond to times of great religious struggle - the shift from paganism to Christianity. These stories have stirred passions ever since they were composed, motivating armies and revolutionaries, and they continue to do so today.Reaching back into the ancient and medieval eras in which these defining works were produced, and investigating their continuing influence today, Epic Continent explores how matters of honour, fundamentalism, fate, nationhood, sex, class and politics have preoccupied the people of Europe across the millennia. In these tales soaked in blood and fire, Nicholas Jubber discovers how the world of gods and emperors, dragons and water-maidens, knights and princesses made our their deep impact on European identity, and their resonance in our turbulent times.
307 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 27, 2019
36 people are currently reading
848 people want to read
About the author
Nicholas Jubber
9 books46 followersI'm a writer and traveller, with a passion for history and a pair of itchy feet. I'm fascinated by storytelling, nomadism, exploration and the connections (or misconnections!) between past and present.
I've written four books so far. My latest is Epic Continent, about some of Europe's iconic tales and my adventures amongst them.
Before that was The Timbuktu School for Nomads, about my experiences amongst nomads in North Africa.
The Prester Quest, my first book, sets out from the canals of Venice to the highlands of Ethiopia, following the mission of a medieval physician sent in search of a mythical priest-king. It won the Dolman Travel Book Award.
My second book, Drinking Arak off an Ayatollah's Beard, explores the Persian-speaking world through the lens of an 11th century epic poem, travelling from Tehran to the tomb of a medieval Sultan in Afghanistan.
I have written for The Guardian, The Observer, the TLS, the Globe and Mail and BBC Online, amongst other publications; spoken on BBC Radio 4 and NPR in the US; and have written plays performed at the Edinburgh Festival, the Finborough Theatre and the Actors' Centre.
I've written four books so far. My latest is Epic Continent, about some of Europe's iconic tales and my adventures amongst them.
Before that was The Timbuktu School for Nomads, about my experiences amongst nomads in North Africa.
The Prester Quest, my first book, sets out from the canals of Venice to the highlands of Ethiopia, following the mission of a medieval physician sent in search of a mythical priest-king. It won the Dolman Travel Book Award.
My second book, Drinking Arak off an Ayatollah's Beard, explores the Persian-speaking world through the lens of an 11th century epic poem, travelling from Tehran to the tomb of a medieval Sultan in Afghanistan.
I have written for The Guardian, The Observer, the TLS, the Globe and Mail and BBC Online, amongst other publications; spoken on BBC Radio 4 and NPR in the US; and have written plays performed at the Edinburgh Festival, the Finborough Theatre and the Actors' Centre.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
March 13, 2020
Epic Continent by Nicholas Jubber is a fascinating journey through Europe exploring Europe's epic poems, from the Odyssey to Beowulf, and their impact on the European identity. It is hard to classify this book into a particular genre because it’s much more than a travelogue. Epic Continent is a part history book, part travelogue and a part literary critique and it also has a lot of commentary on the current socio-political environment.
The author travels to real-life places. from Greece to Iceland, where the epics happened (or supposed to have happened). He explores the impact of the epics on both European and national identity, how relevant they still are in today's times, what they once meant, how they were shaped by their times, and how they are impacting the European society even today. Epic Continent explores how ideas of nationhood, class, and politics have been shaped for the people of Europe and the deep impact of these epics on European identity, and their resonance in our turbulent times.
The Odyssey tells of the aftermath of the Trojan War. The Song of the Nibelungentracks the collapse of a Germanic kingdom on the edge of the Roman Empire. Both the French Song of Roland and the Serbian Kosovo Cycle cover the Christian-Muslim conflict. Beowulf, the only surviving Old English epic, and the great Icelandic Saga of Burnt Njal are also covered.
The book is a mix of travel, history and literary criticism of the Epics. At the same time, there is a lot of focus on modern Europe, on the refugee crisis and unity; Jubber meets a lot of refugees on his journey and the refugee crisis and social unrest are reflected in these tales.
The mix of travel with literature and history is an interesting one but the mixing of too many topics did make the book cluttered. The constant shifting of focus from the epics to modern issues didn’t really work for me. In the end, it seemed like the book had too many things to focus on and got distracted from the more interesting things like traveling and history.
Epic Continent is a travelogue with a focus on literature and it will appeal more to people interested in literature, but the interesting way of presenting the locations and their history is what makes the book truly unique.
Many thanks to the publishers Nicholas Brealey Publishing, author Nicholas Jubber and Netgalley for the ARC.
The author travels to real-life places. from Greece to Iceland, where the epics happened (or supposed to have happened). He explores the impact of the epics on both European and national identity, how relevant they still are in today's times, what they once meant, how they were shaped by their times, and how they are impacting the European society even today. Epic Continent explores how ideas of nationhood, class, and politics have been shaped for the people of Europe and the deep impact of these epics on European identity, and their resonance in our turbulent times.
The Odyssey tells of the aftermath of the Trojan War. The Song of the Nibelungentracks the collapse of a Germanic kingdom on the edge of the Roman Empire. Both the French Song of Roland and the Serbian Kosovo Cycle cover the Christian-Muslim conflict. Beowulf, the only surviving Old English epic, and the great Icelandic Saga of Burnt Njal are also covered.
The book is a mix of travel, history and literary criticism of the Epics. At the same time, there is a lot of focus on modern Europe, on the refugee crisis and unity; Jubber meets a lot of refugees on his journey and the refugee crisis and social unrest are reflected in these tales.
The mix of travel with literature and history is an interesting one but the mixing of too many topics did make the book cluttered. The constant shifting of focus from the epics to modern issues didn’t really work for me. In the end, it seemed like the book had too many things to focus on and got distracted from the more interesting things like traveling and history.
Epic Continent is a travelogue with a focus on literature and it will appeal more to people interested in literature, but the interesting way of presenting the locations and their history is what makes the book truly unique.
Many thanks to the publishers Nicholas Brealey Publishing, author Nicholas Jubber and Netgalley for the ARC.
May 17, 2019
Epic Continent is writer, traveller and passionate history lover Nicolas Jubber's fourth book and explores the connection between storytelling, both the past and present and the impact centuries-old tales still have throughout Europe today. It looks at some of the continents iconic tales in context — split into six parts and topped and tailed by a prologue and epilogue, this book really captures the imagination and is a truly fascinating read.
The different sections each dedicated to an influential, enduring poem or story are as follows: The War That Launched a Thousand Ships — The Odyssey, Elegies for an Everlasting Wound — The Kosovo Cycle, A Song for Europe — The Song of Roland, The Taste of Götterdammerung — The Nibelungenlied, How to Kill a Monster — Beowulf, and finally - A Wasteland of Equals — Njal's Saga. The inclusion of Sources, Further Reading and Bibliography sections at the back are a nice touch for those who wish to read more on the subject.
Jubber depicts the places he travels to in such a rich and vivid way that it's very easy to pick this up and lose a few hours between the pages and before you know it you've turned the last one. The way the author links the times in which these epics were written to the tumultuous modern times in which we live is incredibly interesting and is the perfect illustration of how history is forever doomed to repeat itself.
The potent mix of travel, history and literature is compelling and will appeal to a wide range of readers. It also highlights the fact that the state in which Europe currently finds itself in terms of the refugee crisis, widespread division and loss of confidence in the political establishment is reflected in these tales of old. Many thanks to John Murray for an ARC.
The different sections each dedicated to an influential, enduring poem or story are as follows: The War That Launched a Thousand Ships — The Odyssey, Elegies for an Everlasting Wound — The Kosovo Cycle, A Song for Europe — The Song of Roland, The Taste of Götterdammerung — The Nibelungenlied, How to Kill a Monster — Beowulf, and finally - A Wasteland of Equals — Njal's Saga. The inclusion of Sources, Further Reading and Bibliography sections at the back are a nice touch for those who wish to read more on the subject.
Jubber depicts the places he travels to in such a rich and vivid way that it's very easy to pick this up and lose a few hours between the pages and before you know it you've turned the last one. The way the author links the times in which these epics were written to the tumultuous modern times in which we live is incredibly interesting and is the perfect illustration of how history is forever doomed to repeat itself.
The potent mix of travel, history and literature is compelling and will appeal to a wide range of readers. It also highlights the fact that the state in which Europe currently finds itself in terms of the refugee crisis, widespread division and loss of confidence in the political establishment is reflected in these tales of old. Many thanks to John Murray for an ARC.
February 9, 2020
Before the written word, stories were spoken, and those that were popular became learnt by others and spread further afield. The best known of them, such as Odyssey and Beowulf, became epics in their own right. We now know them, as they have been written down and even transferred to the screen, but are the people where these stories emerged from still aware of them?
Award-winning travel writer Nicholas Jubber, decided to find out for himself if he could still find traces across the European continent of these stories in the countries that they originated. Beginning in Chios, just of the Turkish coast is where he starts looking for The Odyssey, the story of the aftermath of the Trojan War. Here it doesn’t take long for him to find traces from the story on the wall in graffiti, as well as meeting people who still seek meaning and comfort from the tales. He listens to recitals, debates over gritty coffee about the power it still has and manages to mislay various things…
The second story in the book is the Serbian Kosovo Cycle. This is about the battle between the sultan Murad and Prince Lazar. It is a fairly bloody and brutal affair if truth be told, and it is often recited by guslars, or bards, who play a single-stringed instrument called the gusle. It was a story of rebellion too, as the recitals evolved as they were under the Turkish occupation, before becoming more written down in the early nineteenth century. There is a much darker and more recent aspect to them though, the stories were used as propaganda by Milosevic who exploited it to bring his own conflict to the region. The stories that he is following through Europe tend to be draped over the culture of each of the countries, but this story is unique that one of the main characters, Prince Lazar, remains can still be seen in a church in Ravanica. He wanted to hear the epic recited by a gusle, heading to the mountains, he didn’t know if he would find one though.
The third story in the book is the French Song of Roland, another battle between the forces of Christendom and Islam. The story was originally written in the eleventh century and then was rediscovered in the Bodleian library by a French scholar who was following a mention in Chaucer. Since that, a further nine manuscripts of the epic have been found. But as it is a French story, the place to start would be Sicily and then onto Spain, before eventually making it to France. Sicily is an amazing island, I know, I saw a little of it last year and it has long been a melting pot of cultures and civilisations. Whilst there he visits the puppeteers in Palermo who have been performing the story for several generations; this may be the last though as people are more interested in their phones that performances.
A brief trip across Sardinia takes him to Saragossa in Spain for the next element in this epic, there he sees the influence that the Moors had over the town before moving onto Roncesvalles to see the place where a major battle took place in the epic. Then on a train to the town of Rocamadour in France to experience the Black Madonna in the twelfth century Chapel of Notre Dame.
Another country and another epic beckons, this time it is Germany and the fantastical The Song of the Nibelungen tracks the collapse of a Germanic kingdom on the edge of the Roman Empire involving dragons, murder and betrayal. All a bit Game of Thrones really… This is another of those stories that was misappropriated by the government of the time. The German Nazi government in the 1930s used the messages within for their own propaganda.
Finally, we make it to the UK for Beowulf, that was first written down around 1000 years ago, but first came to light because of the work of an Icelandic bibliophile. It was first seen as a Danish story but has now come to be the only surviving Old English epic. It is full of fantastical tales and elements like the dark fens, feasting in old halls and dragons one again that is somehow familiar to us. This may be because of one JRR Tolkien who robustly interpreted it and used many of the themes in his own books.
The final epic in the book is the great Icelandic Saga of Burnt Njal. there is still the tumult of murder, revenge and betrayal that we have come to expect from the other stories, but Unlike all the others this one has a lawyer in the story. The place is quite spectacular from his descriptions in the book as well as being incredibly wet and windy from the storms. It is so very different from where he began his journey in the balmy Mediterranean in Greece.
This is the second book of Jubber’s that I have read and it is as equally enjoyable as that other one. Epic Continent is part history book, part travelogue and him seeking those threads that run right back to the stories of old. It is quite staggering to think that words that were written a millennia ago still can have power and most importantly resonance in the modern world. It is sometimes amusing and I like his sense of immediacy that he comes across in his writing as he deals with the minutiae of daily life as he travels. Well worth reading.
Award-winning travel writer Nicholas Jubber, decided to find out for himself if he could still find traces across the European continent of these stories in the countries that they originated. Beginning in Chios, just of the Turkish coast is where he starts looking for The Odyssey, the story of the aftermath of the Trojan War. Here it doesn’t take long for him to find traces from the story on the wall in graffiti, as well as meeting people who still seek meaning and comfort from the tales. He listens to recitals, debates over gritty coffee about the power it still has and manages to mislay various things…
The second story in the book is the Serbian Kosovo Cycle. This is about the battle between the sultan Murad and Prince Lazar. It is a fairly bloody and brutal affair if truth be told, and it is often recited by guslars, or bards, who play a single-stringed instrument called the gusle. It was a story of rebellion too, as the recitals evolved as they were under the Turkish occupation, before becoming more written down in the early nineteenth century. There is a much darker and more recent aspect to them though, the stories were used as propaganda by Milosevic who exploited it to bring his own conflict to the region. The stories that he is following through Europe tend to be draped over the culture of each of the countries, but this story is unique that one of the main characters, Prince Lazar, remains can still be seen in a church in Ravanica. He wanted to hear the epic recited by a gusle, heading to the mountains, he didn’t know if he would find one though.
The third story in the book is the French Song of Roland, another battle between the forces of Christendom and Islam. The story was originally written in the eleventh century and then was rediscovered in the Bodleian library by a French scholar who was following a mention in Chaucer. Since that, a further nine manuscripts of the epic have been found. But as it is a French story, the place to start would be Sicily and then onto Spain, before eventually making it to France. Sicily is an amazing island, I know, I saw a little of it last year and it has long been a melting pot of cultures and civilisations. Whilst there he visits the puppeteers in Palermo who have been performing the story for several generations; this may be the last though as people are more interested in their phones that performances.
A brief trip across Sardinia takes him to Saragossa in Spain for the next element in this epic, there he sees the influence that the Moors had over the town before moving onto Roncesvalles to see the place where a major battle took place in the epic. Then on a train to the town of Rocamadour in France to experience the Black Madonna in the twelfth century Chapel of Notre Dame.
Another country and another epic beckons, this time it is Germany and the fantastical The Song of the Nibelungen tracks the collapse of a Germanic kingdom on the edge of the Roman Empire involving dragons, murder and betrayal. All a bit Game of Thrones really… This is another of those stories that was misappropriated by the government of the time. The German Nazi government in the 1930s used the messages within for their own propaganda.
Finally, we make it to the UK for Beowulf, that was first written down around 1000 years ago, but first came to light because of the work of an Icelandic bibliophile. It was first seen as a Danish story but has now come to be the only surviving Old English epic. It is full of fantastical tales and elements like the dark fens, feasting in old halls and dragons one again that is somehow familiar to us. This may be because of one JRR Tolkien who robustly interpreted it and used many of the themes in his own books.
The final epic in the book is the great Icelandic Saga of Burnt Njal. there is still the tumult of murder, revenge and betrayal that we have come to expect from the other stories, but Unlike all the others this one has a lawyer in the story. The place is quite spectacular from his descriptions in the book as well as being incredibly wet and windy from the storms. It is so very different from where he began his journey in the balmy Mediterranean in Greece.
This is the second book of Jubber’s that I have read and it is as equally enjoyable as that other one. Epic Continent is part history book, part travelogue and him seeking those threads that run right back to the stories of old. It is quite staggering to think that words that were written a millennia ago still can have power and most importantly resonance in the modern world. It is sometimes amusing and I like his sense of immediacy that he comes across in his writing as he deals with the minutiae of daily life as he travels. Well worth reading.
September 1, 2019
The idea is if you can’t travel, read a travelogue. Isn’t that one of the best things about reading? The ways it can sort of supplement the real life, providing whatever excitement isn’t there. So the main appeal of this book to me was all the traveling. And thematically it was attractive too, I’m all about stories and the author chose to follow the trails of some of the world’s oldest, epics and sagas. And so, he does, story after story, epic after epic, he traverses Europe, from popular to fairly remote destinations, all done on a realistically low budget, so his travels are accessible, even repeatable by the readers, if one so chooses. And then there are serious literary analyses of these epics too, in fact a significant percentage of this book is literary criticism, so you can simultaneously appease your wanderlust and your inner book nerd. And it’s all very well presented, from the initial summary of the chosen epic as a section starter to the individual selections for each chapter. I was familiar with some of the more famous ones and delighted to discover the somewhat lesser known ones. It did take the spotlight off of the travels, which wasn’t ideal, but manageable. What didn’t really work for me though is the fact that the author chose to also utilize this book as a platform to speak about the immigration crisis in Europe. Everywhere he went he encountered migrants and refugees in various states of legality and a considerable amount of pages dedicated to pondering the situation. It is all tied in thematically, after all so many epic sagas tell tales of people going on quests from one place to another, but…but…it seemed like too much for one book, at least for the book I wanted to read. One theme is good, two is great, but three just seemed like a company. It detracted from the more interesting (to me anyway) things like traveling and sagas. After all, the book is titled Epic Continent as in the continent of epics, not epic immigration crisis. And yes, I absolutely understand the appeal of using a given platform to espouse personal views, frankly I’ve done it myself in my reviews, things just slip out. But then again this wasn’t some random review read by a few (and thank you the few the awesome who do read mine), this is a book with a specific description that produces certain specific expectations and so the subsequent heavy seasoning of author’s political agenda served as a detractor to having those expectations met. Irrespective of where you stand on immigration crisis, actually. I just wanted a vicarious literary travel adventure. At any rate, this was the author’s personal Odyssey (that’s also the first epic of the book), his chosen direction, I salute his efforts and his journey. It produced an interesting if imperfect book that has many enjoyable aspects to it. Just wished it had different concentrations of ingredients as in heavy on travel, medium to light heavy on epics, light on politics. But then again that’s a completely personal preference. User mileage may vary. Thanks Netgalley.
In memoriam…this was the very last book I read on my Kindle, before it went to retire to the Amazon trade in farm. So a few words seems due. My Kindle was a gift, a random act of kindness from a GR friend and all the more special for it, my first ereader too. My Kindle and I were together for 8 years or so and while I initially resisted its digital appeal for almost a year, eventually it won me over and after a while became my exclusive method of reading. By the time of its retirement it was just about brimming over with books. We’ve spent every day together. Thousands and thousands of books. Freebies, previews, ARCs, Netgalley, gifts, library loans…books I would not have been able to read otherwise. I’m not a digital person by nature and never have I had a gadget more practical and reliable and enjoyable. For most of its life my Kindle worked perfectly. It’s desire to retire was sudden and then all at once. I should mention that Amazon’s trade in program is very nice and easy to use. So yeah. Thanks, Tim, wherever you are for a lovely gift. Thanks to whoever invented Kindles. RIP my best digital friend. You were an infinitely superior company to most carbon based lifeforms and we've shared some great times together Love, me.
In memoriam…this was the very last book I read on my Kindle, before it went to retire to the Amazon trade in farm. So a few words seems due. My Kindle was a gift, a random act of kindness from a GR friend and all the more special for it, my first ereader too. My Kindle and I were together for 8 years or so and while I initially resisted its digital appeal for almost a year, eventually it won me over and after a while became my exclusive method of reading. By the time of its retirement it was just about brimming over with books. We’ve spent every day together. Thousands and thousands of books. Freebies, previews, ARCs, Netgalley, gifts, library loans…books I would not have been able to read otherwise. I’m not a digital person by nature and never have I had a gadget more practical and reliable and enjoyable. For most of its life my Kindle worked perfectly. It’s desire to retire was sudden and then all at once. I should mention that Amazon’s trade in program is very nice and easy to use. So yeah. Thanks, Tim, wherever you are for a lovely gift. Thanks to whoever invented Kindles. RIP my best digital friend. You were an infinitely superior company to most carbon based lifeforms and we've shared some great times together Love, me.
June 27, 2020
A fantastic premise that actually turns out to be a piecemeal glance at various European epic tales.
There is not enough sense of place, and it’s often hard to see the full significance of the places visited.
The book relies on being read with companion books that actually explain the epic stories that are referenced.
For me, the greatest disappointment was the writing. An attempt to be romantic or at least lyrical comes across as laboured. And, frankly, tiresome: it’s like reading the unedited work of an enthusiastic sixth form poet.
There is not enough sense of place, and it’s often hard to see the full significance of the places visited.
The book relies on being read with companion books that actually explain the epic stories that are referenced.
For me, the greatest disappointment was the writing. An attempt to be romantic or at least lyrical comes across as laboured. And, frankly, tiresome: it’s like reading the unedited work of an enthusiastic sixth form poet.
July 9, 2019
This is an exciting and extremely well-written book. You really get a sense of the excitement Nick felt on his travels. I was lucky enough to go to a talk he was giving about the book and its themes, so I was able to hear the whole thing in his voice which was fun. It was really interesting to read accounts from/about people living in the areas these epics were set, and hearing how they still resonate today.
October 31, 2020
Nicholas Jubber unternahm in mehreren Etappen eine Low-Budget-Reise durch Europa auf den Spuren klassischer Epen, der Odyssee, dem sog. Kosovo-Zyklus, dem Rolandslied, dem Nibelungenlied, der Beowulf-Legende und der isländischen Brennu-Njáll-Saga. Jubber reiste zur Zeit der Brexit-Abstimmung durch ein sommerlich liebenswertes Europa, zu Fuß, mit dem Bus, mit der Fähre, eine Art zu reisen, die ausgiebig Gelegenheit bietet, mit den Menschen zu sprechen.
Seine literarische Reisegeschichte wird auf dem Cover von einem Drachen-Stencil vor orangenem Hintergrund illustriert. Die Farbe Orange setzt sich fort auf Trennseiten zwischen den 6 Kapiteln, die das entsprechende Epos in weißer Schrift auf Orange abbilden, und zieht sich weiter auf dem Buchschnitt, wo eine zarte orangene Linie optisch die Kapitel unterteilt. Der Autor sucht auf seiner Umrundung Europas dessen Wurzeln in Heldenmythen, die stets in Zeiten von Kriegen und großen Erschütterungen entstanden. Epen (mündlich vorgetragene Heldengeschichten) bilden seiner Ansicht nach ein dichtes Wurzelgeflecht, das er mit seiner Reise durchdringen wird. Verschiedenste Geschichtenerzähler waren u. a. Gesprächspartner, die Volksgut bewahren und weitergeben.
Die zeitlosen Abenteuer des Odysseus spiegelt Jubber in seiner Begegnung mit Flüchtlingen auf Chios, auch sieht er Parallelen zwischen Odysseus und seiner eigenen Heimkehr aus dem West-Jordan-Land, eine verblüffende Gemeinsamkeit zwischen Außenseitern. Komplizierter zu vermitteln als die Odyssee scheint mir dagegen der 600 Jahre alte Kosovo-Zyklus, dessen Heldenmythen und Schuldzuschreibungen den Konflikt bis heute lebendig halten. In Dubrovnik beginnt für Jubber die Welt des Roland, das Rolandslied zähle neben dem Nibelungenlied und der Beowulf-Legende zu Europas bedeutendsten Epen. Während der Autor der Rolle des Puppentheaters für die Weitergabe von Epen und Mythen nachspürt, führt ihn seine Recherche in Italien wieder mit Flüchtlingen aus Afrika zusammen. Spanien konfrontiert ihn mit der Rolle der Mauren in seiner komplexen muslimisch-christlichen Geschichte, die Pyrenäen schließlich beherbergen das Kloster, in dem im 11. Jahrhundert das Rolandslied entstand. Jubber befasst sich am Beispiel des Rolandslieds gezielt mit dem Zurechtbiegen von Geschichte in Überlieferungen als Mittel zur Rettung des Nationalstolzes. Er verdeutlicht, dass Helden formbar sein können und (wie beim Balkan-Epos) verschiedenste Interessengruppen sich ihrer bedienen können, nicht immer mit ehrenhaftem Motiv.
Sein Besuch in Rocamadour konfrontiert den Autor mit seinem eigenen Katholizismus, am Ort, an dem das Schwert aus dem Rolandslied im Felsen stecken soll. Das Nibelungenlied zeigt eine Wende von der rein männlichen Besetzung in Epen aus Kriegszeiten zu Konflikten, an denen auch Frauen beteiligt sind. In Worms schließlich, am Beispiel der Kriege des 20. Jahrhunderts, fragt sich der Autor kritisch, ob Krieg überhaupt eine Lösung sein kann.
Eine weitere Reise nach Island schließt den Kreis der Epen mit Beowulf, der Basis unserer Faszination durch Monster, sowohl Blaupause für Helden der phantastischen Literatur, als auch Inspiration für Chrichton, Gaiman, Gardner und Tolkien. Selbst beim Vorlesen des „Wind in den Weiden“ meint Jubber nach seiner Europareise eine Verbindung zu Beowulf zu sehen. An Beowulf wird kein Phantastik-Interessierter vorbeikommen. Eindrucksvoll fand ich besonders, wie am Beispiel Islands der Zusammenhang von Erzählkultur, Belesenheit und literarischer Tradition deutlich wird. Kein Land bringt, gemessen an der Bevölkerung, so viele Autoren hervor wie Island.
Nicholas Jubber sieht Epen als Vorgänger unserer Soaps, beide Formate binden Zuhörer und Zuschauer an sich. Flucht und Angst vor Überfremdung waren auf Jubbers Reise wiederholt Thema, im Grunde ein Motiv für ein Epos des 21. Jahrhundert. Die Masse des Stoffs habe ich in nur kleinen Portionen aufgenommen. Dem Autor gelingt es, mein Interesse für Heldenepen und Heldenmythen zu wecken, indem er Reiseerlebnisse, überlieferte Texte, die Symbolik von Ungeheuern und europäische Geschichte in großem Bogen zu einem plausiblen Ganzen zu verknüpft.
Seine literarische Reisegeschichte wird auf dem Cover von einem Drachen-Stencil vor orangenem Hintergrund illustriert. Die Farbe Orange setzt sich fort auf Trennseiten zwischen den 6 Kapiteln, die das entsprechende Epos in weißer Schrift auf Orange abbilden, und zieht sich weiter auf dem Buchschnitt, wo eine zarte orangene Linie optisch die Kapitel unterteilt. Der Autor sucht auf seiner Umrundung Europas dessen Wurzeln in Heldenmythen, die stets in Zeiten von Kriegen und großen Erschütterungen entstanden. Epen (mündlich vorgetragene Heldengeschichten) bilden seiner Ansicht nach ein dichtes Wurzelgeflecht, das er mit seiner Reise durchdringen wird. Verschiedenste Geschichtenerzähler waren u. a. Gesprächspartner, die Volksgut bewahren und weitergeben.
Die zeitlosen Abenteuer des Odysseus spiegelt Jubber in seiner Begegnung mit Flüchtlingen auf Chios, auch sieht er Parallelen zwischen Odysseus und seiner eigenen Heimkehr aus dem West-Jordan-Land, eine verblüffende Gemeinsamkeit zwischen Außenseitern. Komplizierter zu vermitteln als die Odyssee scheint mir dagegen der 600 Jahre alte Kosovo-Zyklus, dessen Heldenmythen und Schuldzuschreibungen den Konflikt bis heute lebendig halten. In Dubrovnik beginnt für Jubber die Welt des Roland, das Rolandslied zähle neben dem Nibelungenlied und der Beowulf-Legende zu Europas bedeutendsten Epen. Während der Autor der Rolle des Puppentheaters für die Weitergabe von Epen und Mythen nachspürt, führt ihn seine Recherche in Italien wieder mit Flüchtlingen aus Afrika zusammen. Spanien konfrontiert ihn mit der Rolle der Mauren in seiner komplexen muslimisch-christlichen Geschichte, die Pyrenäen schließlich beherbergen das Kloster, in dem im 11. Jahrhundert das Rolandslied entstand. Jubber befasst sich am Beispiel des Rolandslieds gezielt mit dem Zurechtbiegen von Geschichte in Überlieferungen als Mittel zur Rettung des Nationalstolzes. Er verdeutlicht, dass Helden formbar sein können und (wie beim Balkan-Epos) verschiedenste Interessengruppen sich ihrer bedienen können, nicht immer mit ehrenhaftem Motiv.
Sein Besuch in Rocamadour konfrontiert den Autor mit seinem eigenen Katholizismus, am Ort, an dem das Schwert aus dem Rolandslied im Felsen stecken soll. Das Nibelungenlied zeigt eine Wende von der rein männlichen Besetzung in Epen aus Kriegszeiten zu Konflikten, an denen auch Frauen beteiligt sind. In Worms schließlich, am Beispiel der Kriege des 20. Jahrhunderts, fragt sich der Autor kritisch, ob Krieg überhaupt eine Lösung sein kann.
Eine weitere Reise nach Island schließt den Kreis der Epen mit Beowulf, der Basis unserer Faszination durch Monster, sowohl Blaupause für Helden der phantastischen Literatur, als auch Inspiration für Chrichton, Gaiman, Gardner und Tolkien. Selbst beim Vorlesen des „Wind in den Weiden“ meint Jubber nach seiner Europareise eine Verbindung zu Beowulf zu sehen. An Beowulf wird kein Phantastik-Interessierter vorbeikommen. Eindrucksvoll fand ich besonders, wie am Beispiel Islands der Zusammenhang von Erzählkultur, Belesenheit und literarischer Tradition deutlich wird. Kein Land bringt, gemessen an der Bevölkerung, so viele Autoren hervor wie Island.
Nicholas Jubber sieht Epen als Vorgänger unserer Soaps, beide Formate binden Zuhörer und Zuschauer an sich. Flucht und Angst vor Überfremdung waren auf Jubbers Reise wiederholt Thema, im Grunde ein Motiv für ein Epos des 21. Jahrhundert. Die Masse des Stoffs habe ich in nur kleinen Portionen aufgenommen. Dem Autor gelingt es, mein Interesse für Heldenepen und Heldenmythen zu wecken, indem er Reiseerlebnisse, überlieferte Texte, die Symbolik von Ungeheuern und europäische Geschichte in großem Bogen zu einem plausiblen Ganzen zu verknüpft.
January 20, 2020
A fascinating journey across Europe from the site of one epic poem to another, starting in Greece with The Odyssey, then to The Kosovo Cycle, The Song of Roland, The Nibelungenlied, Beowulf, and ending in Iceland with Njal's Saga. I learned a lot of European history, filled in some literary gaps, and thoroughly enjoyed the style of the author. I read with my iPhone dictionary close at hand and jotted down a couple dozen new-to-me words, plus some wonderful turns of phrase.
March 14, 2020
Really interesting, fascinating book.
March 25, 2022
Really really boring. A complete waste of money. Couldn't finished it even though I tried too many times to continue reading it.
March 3, 2023
A lot of work for no payoff.
I don’t know what made me buy this, but I’m getting nothing out of it.
I don’t know what made me buy this, but I’m getting nothing out of it.
May 22, 2023
Interesting attempt to connect the past upheavals in Europe that led to the epic poems he follows to the modern issues facing the continent.
October 21, 2019
“Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it. “
-George Santayana
Nicholas Jubber maps our past to our present through six classic tales from European history.
I had the chance to review a pre-release copy of the “Epic Continent” by Nicholas Jubber. Nicholas has several books relating to travel, but this one was interesting because it outlined the relationships between the classic European epic poems and classics with the historical wars and migrations of people across Asia and Europe.
From the Odyssey to Beowulf, he was able to map relationships and historical events and show the back story on how these classics came to be and why they are so endearing.
Flowing through six individual epics, a mix of the familiar from college days (the Odyssey, Beowulf) and then some not so well known (the Kosovo Cycle, Njal’s Saga) and uses them to create a journey that begins in Greece, crosses the Balkans, across Britain, through Scandinavia, and finally Iceland.
One of my favorite parts is how he describes an evening in a bar in Athens and listening to ordinary people recite and share the Odyssey with heartfelt passion.
Some readers will immediately relate to a traveling father managing his daily schedule problems, but he slowly weaves passages that made me feel like a walk-in history with a taste of JRR Tolkien or the “Game of Thrones.”
I am partial to the North of Spain from my family ties, and “The Song of Roland” touched me with some of the references to Basque culture. Not some much for it is historical value, but how Jubber relates the tales to their national interests. The national interests that were then and now manipulated possibly into propaganda to feed to the masses.
Some readers may think this comparison is a stretch, but when Jubber references politicians in Kosovo, London, and Washington DC and connects this logically to books like “The Art of War,” I believe it is worth discussing.
I enjoyed this book and will keep it as a reference in my work of Latin travel and Romance languages.
He maps the movement of tribes through migrations and the effects of the pressures of change in society. I enjoy his style of intertwining the tales with how the period folk embraced the stories and how modern people use stories like these to persuade the people of their countries to lean one way or another.
-George Santayana
Nicholas Jubber maps our past to our present through six classic tales from European history.
I had the chance to review a pre-release copy of the “Epic Continent” by Nicholas Jubber. Nicholas has several books relating to travel, but this one was interesting because it outlined the relationships between the classic European epic poems and classics with the historical wars and migrations of people across Asia and Europe.
From the Odyssey to Beowulf, he was able to map relationships and historical events and show the back story on how these classics came to be and why they are so endearing.
Flowing through six individual epics, a mix of the familiar from college days (the Odyssey, Beowulf) and then some not so well known (the Kosovo Cycle, Njal’s Saga) and uses them to create a journey that begins in Greece, crosses the Balkans, across Britain, through Scandinavia, and finally Iceland.
One of my favorite parts is how he describes an evening in a bar in Athens and listening to ordinary people recite and share the Odyssey with heartfelt passion.
Some readers will immediately relate to a traveling father managing his daily schedule problems, but he slowly weaves passages that made me feel like a walk-in history with a taste of JRR Tolkien or the “Game of Thrones.”
I am partial to the North of Spain from my family ties, and “The Song of Roland” touched me with some of the references to Basque culture. Not some much for it is historical value, but how Jubber relates the tales to their national interests. The national interests that were then and now manipulated possibly into propaganda to feed to the masses.
Some readers may think this comparison is a stretch, but when Jubber references politicians in Kosovo, London, and Washington DC and connects this logically to books like “The Art of War,” I believe it is worth discussing.
I enjoyed this book and will keep it as a reference in my work of Latin travel and Romance languages.
He maps the movement of tribes through migrations and the effects of the pressures of change in society. I enjoy his style of intertwining the tales with how the period folk embraced the stories and how modern people use stories like these to persuade the people of their countries to lean one way or another.
April 28, 2019
Epic Continent is a literary travelogue that charts the locations, history, and reception of six European epics. Focusing on change, war, and dominant narratives, these stories often span locations and Jubber travels across Europe, from Greece and Turkey of the Odyssey to Iceland for the Saga of Burnt Njal, to follow their progress. They are all major works—most will be familiar in name if not content, especially Beowulf, the Odyssey, and Song of Roland—and the focus is on major moments in history and important landscapes. At the same time, there is a lot of focus on modern Europe, on the refugee crisis and unity; Jubber meets a lot of refugees on his journey and also notices how similar tensions are found in the epics themselves.
The mix of travel with literature and history is an interesting one, feeling similar to other writers who combine specific journeys to find the locations of things and stories with descriptions of the people they meet there and their own reactions. The personal—from the lives of the refugees Jubber meets to a continuing theme of grief and dealing with it—is surprisingly present in a book about travelling through the great epics. Much of these stories' reception history is tinged with the same violence, conflict, and ideological problems as occurs in the stories themselves (most obviously the Nibelungenlied and the Kosovo Cycle) and Jubber tries to highlight this, though it is clear he would need more space to fully explore the issues. Instead, the book has to pass through a lot of material in a short space, fitting six epics into one book.
It is likely that Epic Continent will draw in people interested in the epic works, but what is perhaps most notable is the way Jubber's travels through their locations and history give space to reflect on modern Europe and its divisions and problems. In some ways it is a manifesto for cross-border stories and a shared epic tradition, even though the history and content of these is not straightforwardly good.
The mix of travel with literature and history is an interesting one, feeling similar to other writers who combine specific journeys to find the locations of things and stories with descriptions of the people they meet there and their own reactions. The personal—from the lives of the refugees Jubber meets to a continuing theme of grief and dealing with it—is surprisingly present in a book about travelling through the great epics. Much of these stories' reception history is tinged with the same violence, conflict, and ideological problems as occurs in the stories themselves (most obviously the Nibelungenlied and the Kosovo Cycle) and Jubber tries to highlight this, though it is clear he would need more space to fully explore the issues. Instead, the book has to pass through a lot of material in a short space, fitting six epics into one book.
It is likely that Epic Continent will draw in people interested in the epic works, but what is perhaps most notable is the way Jubber's travels through their locations and history give space to reflect on modern Europe and its divisions and problems. In some ways it is a manifesto for cross-border stories and a shared epic tradition, even though the history and content of these is not straightforwardly good.
May 26, 2020
Thoroughly enjoyed Nicholas Jubber's "Epic Continent: Adventures in the Great Stories of Europe"! History meets travelogue meets literature and folklore and mythology, tied up with a bow of observant social commentary. I know a thing or two about these subjects, and I learned so much more from this book. Jubber follows in the footsteps of European epics - The Odyssey, The Song of the Nibelungen, The Song of Roland, The Kosovo Cycle, Beowulf, AND The Saga of Burnt Njal - across their regions of origin. Not only does he make keen observations about the stories themselves, he keeps them closely knit to the present - how these tales impact the lives being lived in these regions today, and when epic is used to justify the worst in us. But he never loses sight of their creativity, their beauty, and their connection to our most fundamental human emotions and experiences.
(Is it selfish if I'd like him to write another one? There are more epics out there!)
I actually had to buy a second copy of this book for my dad - a voracious non-fiction reader. He came to Canada as a refugee in Europe's post-WWII diaspora, and this book resonated so strongly with him. He is still talking about how "It just brings everything together!"
Warmly recommended!
*
A couple of tiny excerpts (I stuck dozens of tiny bookmarks throughout, it's such a rich book):
"Because the Odyssey isn't dead literature - that's the exciting thing about the most enduring stories. They keep going, regenerating as the world changes around them. Imagine the plot as a series of news headlines: men rushing away from a war zone, stranded on the islands of the Mediterranean, desperately seeking a place to call home. Comparing present-day trauma to long-ago tales from the past doesn't insult either, so long as you recognise the value of both."
*
"The seventh-century Frankish King Dagobert claimed ancestry from King Priam, the Norman chief Rollo traced his line to the Trojan Antenor and the Roman poet Virgil wrote one of the most influential epics, the Aeneid, about a rare Trojan survivor. Tellingly, it is the losers they identify with, not the winners; the Asians, the refugees, scattered from their homeland. Loss and destruction are not simply the themes leaking out of the epics, they are the foundation on which European culture was built."
(Is it selfish if I'd like him to write another one? There are more epics out there!)
I actually had to buy a second copy of this book for my dad - a voracious non-fiction reader. He came to Canada as a refugee in Europe's post-WWII diaspora, and this book resonated so strongly with him. He is still talking about how "It just brings everything together!"
Warmly recommended!
*
A couple of tiny excerpts (I stuck dozens of tiny bookmarks throughout, it's such a rich book):
"Because the Odyssey isn't dead literature - that's the exciting thing about the most enduring stories. They keep going, regenerating as the world changes around them. Imagine the plot as a series of news headlines: men rushing away from a war zone, stranded on the islands of the Mediterranean, desperately seeking a place to call home. Comparing present-day trauma to long-ago tales from the past doesn't insult either, so long as you recognise the value of both."
*
"The seventh-century Frankish King Dagobert claimed ancestry from King Priam, the Norman chief Rollo traced his line to the Trojan Antenor and the Roman poet Virgil wrote one of the most influential epics, the Aeneid, about a rare Trojan survivor. Tellingly, it is the losers they identify with, not the winners; the Asians, the refugees, scattered from their homeland. Loss and destruction are not simply the themes leaking out of the epics, they are the foundation on which European culture was built."
June 2, 2019
Thanks to John Murray Press and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is a pretty cool idea for a book. The author goes on a personal odyssey, visiting the locations from some of the great European 'epics' - myths, legends, literature and folklore, whilst exploring his own life and the impact these tales still have on cultures and people today. What an awesome premise for a book.
The epics included are:
The Odyssey
The Kosovo Cycle
The Song of Roland
The Nibelungenlied,
Beowulf
Njal's Saga
I was familiar with The Odyssey (obvs), The Nibelungenlied and Beowulf but had only heard of the others in passing, so it was really interesting to learn more about these and the countries in which they are set.
I found the author's writing style to be engaging and evocative and his background as a travel writer was clear. As well as being an engrossing travelogue, the book also felt deeply personal. Make no mistake though, there are no luxury hotels or glamping experiences here.
As the author criss crosses across Europe, he is reflects on his own life whilst also experiencing the modern issues of the countries he visits and how these parallel the epic stories they birthed. This was more successful in some cases than others, and the links to modern events were not always coherent or clear. I also thought it would have been beneficial to have a short summary of each of the featured epics at the beginning of each section, particularly as I was not familiar with them all.
The book has been comprehensively researched, and the provision of Further Reading and Bibliography sections are useful for signposting readers to find out more about the featured epics.
Overall, a pleasure to read and I finished this book feeling more than slightly jealous of the author despite some of the hairier situations he experienced on his journey around the eponymous 'Epic Continent'.
This is a pretty cool idea for a book. The author goes on a personal odyssey, visiting the locations from some of the great European 'epics' - myths, legends, literature and folklore, whilst exploring his own life and the impact these tales still have on cultures and people today. What an awesome premise for a book.
The epics included are:
The Odyssey
The Kosovo Cycle
The Song of Roland
The Nibelungenlied,
Beowulf
Njal's Saga
I was familiar with The Odyssey (obvs), The Nibelungenlied and Beowulf but had only heard of the others in passing, so it was really interesting to learn more about these and the countries in which they are set.
I found the author's writing style to be engaging and evocative and his background as a travel writer was clear. As well as being an engrossing travelogue, the book also felt deeply personal. Make no mistake though, there are no luxury hotels or glamping experiences here.
As the author criss crosses across Europe, he is reflects on his own life whilst also experiencing the modern issues of the countries he visits and how these parallel the epic stories they birthed. This was more successful in some cases than others, and the links to modern events were not always coherent or clear. I also thought it would have been beneficial to have a short summary of each of the featured epics at the beginning of each section, particularly as I was not familiar with them all.
The book has been comprehensively researched, and the provision of Further Reading and Bibliography sections are useful for signposting readers to find out more about the featured epics.
Overall, a pleasure to read and I finished this book feeling more than slightly jealous of the author despite some of the hairier situations he experienced on his journey around the eponymous 'Epic Continent'.
March 23, 2022
This is an excellent book, but next time lets all have a whip around and forward Nicholas Jubber some funds! I don’t think I have read a book where the author is so hard up for cash, sleeping behind the bins in Vienna, on rocky beaches in Greece, in bus stops with Syrian refugees.
Nicholas sets off on his Europe on the very cheap tour in order to show us the foundation myths of our continent and how they resonate today. From the mighty but familiar Odyssey to the frighteningly still pertinent Kosovo Ring Cycle, the clash of religious civilisations in the Song of Roland, to the frankly mad Nibelungenlied, to our own Beowulf and finally to the far north for Njals Saga in Iceland. Some of these maybe familiar, others you will want to explore more immediately on finishing this book, but as Nicholas shows us through his shoestring travels round Europe, all are still celebrated, held in esteem, argued over or are claimed for legitimacy. These myths live on, informing ideas of nationalism, right and wrong and cultural determinism.
Nicholas is a wonderful guide to these Epic tales, and well versed in all of them, but his prosaic suffering, travelling in poverty around a very modern Europe, shows us that though these tales can be hundreds and even thousands of years old, perhaps the nature of humankind has not progressed so much. This was a constantly fascinating journey through a modern Europe, looking at ancient foundation myths that illuminate our present.
Nicholas sets off on his Europe on the very cheap tour in order to show us the foundation myths of our continent and how they resonate today. From the mighty but familiar Odyssey to the frighteningly still pertinent Kosovo Ring Cycle, the clash of religious civilisations in the Song of Roland, to the frankly mad Nibelungenlied, to our own Beowulf and finally to the far north for Njals Saga in Iceland. Some of these maybe familiar, others you will want to explore more immediately on finishing this book, but as Nicholas shows us through his shoestring travels round Europe, all are still celebrated, held in esteem, argued over or are claimed for legitimacy. These myths live on, informing ideas of nationalism, right and wrong and cultural determinism.
Nicholas is a wonderful guide to these Epic tales, and well versed in all of them, but his prosaic suffering, travelling in poverty around a very modern Europe, shows us that though these tales can be hundreds and even thousands of years old, perhaps the nature of humankind has not progressed so much. This was a constantly fascinating journey through a modern Europe, looking at ancient foundation myths that illuminate our present.
December 22, 2019
Epic Continent: Adventures in the Great Stories of Europe is, in it's essence, a traveler's journal. The author has set upon a pilgrimage - to visit regions of myths and legends, of Europe's epics and heroes. The epics that guide him are:
The Odyssey,
Kosovo Cycle,
The Song of Roland,
The Nibelungenlied,
Beowulf and
Njal's Saga.
On his travels, the author sets upon himself a task of discovering the meaning of the epics for the inhabitants; what they once meant and what they mean now; do they still hold value or are they discarded as relics of past. He tries to depict how the tales and epics formed the mindset of the people and influenced their lives.
The book itself is an interesting and a fun read, but the real value of the book is in motivating the reader to indulge in the epics themselves and visit settings where they take place.
The Odyssey,
Kosovo Cycle,
The Song of Roland,
The Nibelungenlied,
Beowulf and
Njal's Saga.
On his travels, the author sets upon himself a task of discovering the meaning of the epics for the inhabitants; what they once meant and what they mean now; do they still hold value or are they discarded as relics of past. He tries to depict how the tales and epics formed the mindset of the people and influenced their lives.
The book itself is an interesting and a fun read, but the real value of the book is in motivating the reader to indulge in the epics themselves and visit settings where they take place.
January 14, 2022
I would like to look at this book again and see how in time these stories were sprouted during a solar event, as I read Solar History: The Connection of Solar Activity, War, Peace and the Human Mind in the 2nd Millennium
"It is because they are so powerful that they can be grossly manipulated. Because they burn with such vitality, because they push deep roots into our cultural soil....These are the storieson which Europe was founded, and they will be there until the end, still warniing and tempting, goading and bemusing, like prickly gods whose motivations remain hidden to mere mortals. Getting rid of these stories, burning the books, would be like stoking a bonfire for a panther and the snow leopard."
"All have influenced the development of the modern nation-state."
"It is because they are so powerful that they can be grossly manipulated. Because they burn with such vitality, because they push deep roots into our cultural soil....These are the storieson which Europe was founded, and they will be there until the end, still warniing and tempting, goading and bemusing, like prickly gods whose motivations remain hidden to mere mortals. Getting rid of these stories, burning the books, would be like stoking a bonfire for a panther and the snow leopard."
"All have influenced the development of the modern nation-state."
March 17, 2020
A very layered and provocative travel book, quite different from other examples of the genre. The author follows a trail of epic stories, from the Odyssey to one of the Icelandic Sagas, and in the process asks deep questions about European identity and how we treat strangers coming to our continent. I believe some of the questions posed in this book will become increasingly urgent as time goes on. Rather than just going for a long solo walk, as most travel writers do these days, he combines his walks (some of which are very exciting, like the one through a storm in Iceland) with seeking out people who have an interesting perspective on storytelling. This ranges from puppeteers in Sicily to a Bosnian poet who wrote poetry to survive in a concentration camp. Some of these interviews are amongst the best parts of the book, which offers as vivid and textured a depiction of Europe today as I've read. Sadly, I fear many readers will miss the point.
August 15, 2024
Etwas ganz anderes als ich Erwartet habe und dazu noch nicht wirklich Spannend.
Ich hatte ein Buch über die Hintergründe der Mythen Europas erwartet. Woher sie stammen, was sie vermitteln sollen, wie sie sich verändert haben, wie sie die Menschen beeinflusst haben, was sie beibringen sollen.
Stattdessen bekomme ich den Reisebericht des Autors durch halb Europa zu lesen, wie er mit mal mehr mal weniger Erfolg versucht die Mythen auf heutige Gegenenheiten anzuwenden z.B. die Fahrt des Odysseus mit dem Flüchtlingszustrom.
Die eigentlichen Mythen sind furchtbar gekürzt jeweils auf eine Seite gepackt, auf Orangenes Papier mit weißer Schrift. Schwer zu lesen.
Auch fande ich die Unterhaltungen die er auf seiner Reise mit Einheimischen geführt hat sehr langweilig und ich musste mich zwingem weiterzulesen.
Für mich leider ein Flop.
Ich hatte ein Buch über die Hintergründe der Mythen Europas erwartet. Woher sie stammen, was sie vermitteln sollen, wie sie sich verändert haben, wie sie die Menschen beeinflusst haben, was sie beibringen sollen.
Stattdessen bekomme ich den Reisebericht des Autors durch halb Europa zu lesen, wie er mit mal mehr mal weniger Erfolg versucht die Mythen auf heutige Gegenenheiten anzuwenden z.B. die Fahrt des Odysseus mit dem Flüchtlingszustrom.
Die eigentlichen Mythen sind furchtbar gekürzt jeweils auf eine Seite gepackt, auf Orangenes Papier mit weißer Schrift. Schwer zu lesen.
Auch fande ich die Unterhaltungen die er auf seiner Reise mit Einheimischen geführt hat sehr langweilig und ich musste mich zwingem weiterzulesen.
Für mich leider ein Flop.
June 30, 2020
This was part European travelogue, part homage to notable European epic tales. The author travels the places in these tales attempting to tie together these famous places where these tales take place and how they have impacted the culture of Europe of today, often crossing borders (for example, The Song of Roland takes place in at least 3 different countries). Some of the epics I was familiar with such as The Odyssey and Beowulf but less familiar with stories such as The Kosovo Cycle. I enjoyed the fresh perspective on the stories and want to go and delve into some of the unfamiliar ones. I found the writing a bit dry and draggy at times, but I think that can sometimes happen with travelogues...overall a good read if you are a fan of travel writing and ancient literature.
May 8, 2022
3.5 stars. I had expected this to be more of a travel story where he'd follow the stories around Europe and I'd be furiously noting down places I wanted to visit. There was some of that but it was more limited than I expected (he only visits a couple of places from the Odyssey for example) and on this score I found it a little disappointing. What I found more interesting was the way the stories are still being used/misused/abused today from Hitler to Icelandic independence to the Balkan conflict to Brexit and Marine Le Pen, as well as his encounters with refugees and his identification of the epics as often being refugee stories as well.
August 23, 2019
Epic Continent by Nicholas Jubber is a very well written and fascinating journey through Europe on the footsteps of six European epics. But it is so much more than a travelogue - from Greece to Iceland the author weaves a common thread through the epics and the places connected to them. He explores the impact of the epics on both European and national identity, how through the decades politics has used and abused them, and how relevant they still are in today's turbulent political and social climate.
July 25, 2021
One of the most interesting concepts for a travel book! Jibber travels through Europe bringing it to life through epics from centuries ago, and making connections with people places and politics today.
My only complaint is his over-use of obscure words. I think I have a pretty good vocabulary, but I had to keep looking things up. The overly verbose descriptions made reading sense at time.
Also, some of the modern political commentary can be quite naive. e.g. “Maybe if today’s leaders could just read one or two sagas they’d be more considerate!”.
My only complaint is his over-use of obscure words. I think I have a pretty good vocabulary, but I had to keep looking things up. The overly verbose descriptions made reading sense at time.
Also, some of the modern political commentary can be quite naive. e.g. “Maybe if today’s leaders could just read one or two sagas they’d be more considerate!”.
October 16, 2021
Three of the 6 epics covered I know well, 3 only vaguely. The book provided a great summary of the themes of each and analysis of their modern relevance. It encompassed the positive sides of their interpretation but id not shy away from their misuse and harmful philosophies. In addition the author provides a commentary on the modern status of Europe and the challenges faced by refugees, and a bracing description of his own low cost travels. A comfy read from my arm chair of travails in burning sun or biting rain.
January 10, 2022
This book doesn’t really focus on the classical and medieval epics as much on modern politics and how the epics are thought of today. There were mistakes in recounting the plots of the different epics and the whole book seemed a bit like an excuse for the author to travel around Europe (while also complaining about doing so quite a lot). While I agreed with the politics of the book, I think some of the connections being made between modern politics and these texts was a bit of a stretch and a general understanding of the epics themselves and their actual context would have been useful.
March 10, 2022
Mostly listened to this while falling asleep, but interesting enough to go back to each chapter and re-listen the next evening from the last remembered. Ended up getting some of the German/Icelandic epics (nebilungs) since I hadn’t been familiar with them prior to the authors review.
February 7, 2023
Great - interesting- wonderful descriptions of landscapes - fascinating tying together of myths epics with history past and present - richly dense with descriptions and history - I shall certainly be re-reading the epics mentioned with this new perspective
April 23, 2019
Review to come.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews