Peter’s Reviews > The Tain > Status Update

The battle between cu chulainn and Fer Dias is as exhilarating as it is heartbreaking.

The thing about this book, much like the Illiad, is that our understanding of the geography, the dynasties, and the people and things the royals own, all stems from the litanies recited. Whether it’s a poetic device which helps recitation, a tribute to the royals who listened, or another aspect of epic verse, these litanies are constant and very significant.

Cu chilainn’s sense of FairPlay is a bit …arbitrary and capricious. One minute he says he doesn’t kill charioteers, and a minute later…