The Voyage of St Brendan

Name: The Voyage of St Brendan
Brand: Unknown
SKU: 9781780375663
Price: 49.0 NZD
Availability: InStock

By A.B. Jackson

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( 16 ratings, 2 reviews)

Summary

The Voyage of St Brendan by A.B. Jackson recounts the legendary journey of the Irish abbot Brendan, who, after destroying a book of fantastical tales, embarks on a sea voyage with six monks to seek and document wonders of the world. Travelling in a leather-skinned currach, they encounter extraordinary sights including a whale-island named Jasconius, ghostly inhabitants of the Arctic, a hellmouth of souls, and magical castles. Drawing inspiration from 14th-century Middle Dutch versions of Brendan’s tale, Jackson presents a witty, inventive, and humorous interpretation, illustrated with striking black and white linocuts by Kathleen Neeley.
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Format: Paperback / softback

$49⁰⁰

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The Voyage of St Brendan

$49⁰⁰

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book will appeal to readers interested in myth, medieval legends, poetry lovers, and those fascinated by seafaring adventures and imaginative retellings of classic tales.

In The Voyage of St Brendan, A.B. Jackson tells the tale of the legendary seafaring Irish abbot in poetry and prose. After burning a book of fantastical stories, Brendan is compelled to sail the ocean with a crew of six monks in a leather-skinned currach. The book includes a series of black and white linocuts by the American artist Kathleen Neeley.

Description

In The Voyage of St Brendan, A.B. Jackson tells the tale of the legendary seafaring Irish abbot in poetry and prose. After burning a book of fantastical stories, Brendan is compelled to sail the ocean with a crew of six monks in a leather-skinned currach; his task is to prove the existence of wonders in the world and create a new book of marvels.

Discoveries include Jasconius the island-whale, a troop of Arctic ghosts, a hellmouth of tortured souls, a rock-bound Judas, and the magical castle of the boar-headed Walserands. Although the roots of this legend lie in early Irish tales and the Latin Voyage of Brendan the Abbot of the ninth century, Jackson has taken the 14th-century Middle Dutch version of Brendan's voyage as the template for this engaging, witty and spirited interpretation, notable for its humour and inventiveness.

The book is beautifully illustrated with a series of black and white linocuts by the American artist Kathleen Neeley, one of which features in colour on the cover.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Philip Hoare praises the book as "a modern fable... uproarious and transcendent," comparing its imaginative scope to classic sea tales such as Coleridge’s Rime and Melville’s Moby-Dick. Vahni Capildeo highlights its seriocomic storytelling, blending Old Irish poetic forms with reflections on exploration, while celebrating its departure from confessional norms and its gentle, weird fictions. The work is noted for its subtlety, humour, and concise beauty.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781780375663

Publisher: Bloodaxe Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 24 June 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Bloodaxe Books Ltd

Illustration: Linocuts by Kathleen Neeley; 8 Illustrations

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 156.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 80

Collections

A.B. Jackson Arts & Culture Non-Fiction Poetry

About the Author

A.B. Jackson was born in Glasgow in 1965 and raised in the village of Bramhall, Cheshire. After moving to Cupar in Fife he studied English Literature at the University of Edinburgh. His first book, Fire Stations (Anvil), won the Forward Prize for Best First Collection in 2003, and a limited edition pamphlet, Apocrypha (Donut Press), was published in 2011. In 2010 he won first prize in the Edwin Morgan International Poetry Competition. His second collection, The Wilderness Party (Bloodaxe Books, 2015), was a Poetry Book Society Recommendation. The Voyage of St Brendanwas published by Bloodaxe Books in 2021.