Porius

[Tegernacus]

has anyone read this book? Porius by John Cowper Powys?

www.amazon.co.uk/Porius-Novel-John-Cowper-Powys/dp/1585673668/

John Heath-Stubbs:

The Welsh have never really taken to Arthur, and he’s not nearly as important to them as he is to the English. Owen Glendower is much more important to the Welsh. I think that John Cowper Powys’ Porius gives an awfully plausible picture of the sixth century, with these people of Roman descent living on in their ruined palaces, surrounded by resurgent paganism. I think it must have been very like that.

the reading companions:

www.powys-lannion.net/Powys/Keith/PoriusAids.htm

worth reading (for entertainment value), or something of "The Last Legion" type sillyness?

[Heron]

aliguana said:

has anyone read this book? Porius by John Cowper Powys?

www.amazon.co.uk/Porius-Novel-John-Cowper-Powys/dp/1585673668/

John Heath-Stubbs:

The Welsh have never really taken to Arthur, and he’s not nearly as important to them as he is to the English. Owen Glendower is much more important to the Welsh. I think that John Cowper Powys’ Porius gives an awfully plausible picture of the sixth century, with these people of Roman descent living on in their ruined palaces, surrounded by resurgent paganism. I think it must have been very like that.

the reading companions:

www.powys-lannion.net/Powys/Keith/PoriusAids.htm

worth reading (for entertainment value), or something of "The Last Legion" type sillyness?

Yes I was once an avid reader of J.C. Powys (and his brothers Llewelyn and T.F.). Porius is not the easiest of his books to read. I think you need to be a devotee to tackle it . I'm not sure if the one advertised is the original published version (which was abridged) or the longer re-issue by Rivers press which is very long. Owen Glendower is a much more accessible book and, although set in a later period, also deals with legendary Brythonic material. JCP was steeped in this stuff especially in his later novels written after he returned from American to live in North Wales.

There is a large commentary industry and regular conferences etc to discuss his work, or at least there were, I'm a bit out of touch now.

[Tegernacus]

sounds good, I'll put it on my to-read list. It's getting that I hardly read novels anymore, I've been mostly stuck into textbooks and such for the last few years, so it will make a nice change (however challenging a read it is) Thanks Heron.