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36th out of 129 books
—
179 voters
Finn Mac Cool
Somewhere in the shadowy borderland between myth and history lies the territory of Finn Mac Cool, Mightiest of the Irish heroes, leader of the invincible army of Fianna, he was a man of many faces: warrior, poet, lover, creator, destroyer.He had it all and lost it all, but in the end he gained immortality.
Morgan Llywelyn, bestselling author of Lion of Ireland, has enthrall...more
Morgan Llywelyn, bestselling author of Lion of Ireland, has enthrall...more
Mass Market Paperback, 531 pages
Published
March 15th 1995
by Tor Books
(first published 1994)
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Finn Mac Cool is a man who became a legend, whose life story grew beyond the realm of history and into myth itself. Finn has been described as “the mightiest of all Irish heroes.” He was born as one of the lowest members of ancient Irish society, raised by foster parents and apprenticed to a local poet. He grew to become the legendary leader of the first army of Ireland – and much more.
For fans of Historical Fiction, Morgan Llywelyn’s books are must reads. Her works span much of Ireland’s rich h...more
For fans of Historical Fiction, Morgan Llywelyn’s books are must reads. Her works span much of Ireland’s rich h...more
I generally enjoyed the story. It's fascinating to read a fictional story about a tremendously popular historical personage. I find myself wondering if what I am reading is documented in history, or just part of the fictional packaging. The author provided a fairly extensive bibliography.
The hero (the great Finn Mac Cool) is rather an anti-climactic and a-historic personality in the story. He was clearly a gifted, charismatic and exceptional man - and yet the end of his life is so disappointing...more
The hero (the great Finn Mac Cool) is rather an anti-climactic and a-historic personality in the story. He was clearly a gifted, charismatic and exceptional man - and yet the end of his life is so disappointing...more
IMHO, even though Ms. Llywelyn has "adopted" Ireland over her native Wales, she is probably the best "fictional history" author of Irish myths and legends out there.
Here, she has brought the tales and myths of the great warrior, Finn Mac Cool (Chuchulain), together in a way that makes the myths more easy to understand by giving you the landscape, context and background of the country and times.
Myths and legends - by the mere fact that they were almost wiped out by Christianity via absorbtion or...more
Here, she has brought the tales and myths of the great warrior, Finn Mac Cool (Chuchulain), together in a way that makes the myths more easy to understand by giving you the landscape, context and background of the country and times.
Myths and legends - by the mere fact that they were almost wiped out by Christianity via absorbtion or...more
Morgan Llywelyn writes historical fiction based on figures from Irish history and so called myth. This one is based on the Finn Mac Cool legends. I thought it was worth reading but not nearly as good as Lion of Ireland or Red Branch. She throws in a lot of silly crap like Finn Mac Cool having problems with premature ejaculation! However whats good in this is really good so its certainly of interest to any Celtophile, or if you like fantasy or mythology.
In this novel, Morgan Llywelyn takes Irish folk hero Finn Mac Cool and puts him in a historical context, explaining how he grew to be a larger-than-life figure in folklore. I read this book in a week, which is incredibly fast for me; Llywelyn has a quick and smooth writing style that immediately draws you in and doesn't relent until the final page. All of the characters felt real and tangible, and Llywelyn does an excellent job of portraying many of her characters - even the minor ones - in such...more
Finn Mac Cool was, for me, a riveting read. Although it is fiction and should be taken as such, it serves both as a good introduction to Irish history and mythology and as an attempt to somewhat disect the mythos surrounding one of Ireland's most venerated heroes.
Morgan Llywelyn plays with the various legends about the great man, offering realistic scenarios that are then spun by Finn or others to make him seem supernatural or just superhuman. Unfortunately, the problems really start when he be...more
Morgan Llywelyn plays with the various legends about the great man, offering realistic scenarios that are then spun by Finn or others to make him seem supernatural or just superhuman. Unfortunately, the problems really start when he be...more
While I am a huge fan of Llewelyn's - and very into the mythologies related to the Celts, I was initially disappointed with this novel. Through the first 100 to 150 pages - I found the story wandering a great deal with no strong focus. However, once the story gets rolling -- it definitely gets rolling, and I was sucked straight in. The last two-thirds of the book were very difficult to put down - and I found myself with a great deal of empathy for the main character throughout. The detail of the...more
I really want to read a good retelling of Irish legend, but this book wasn't it. There were sparks of humor, sparks of good characterization, sparks of mystery and the thrill you get in your bones when an old old tale is retold well--in other words, sparks of what I am looking for--but they were just sparks. As a whole, I was left flat. I also must confess that the author note on the jacket--pointing out the author's lofty IQ and membership in Mensa--may have biased me against the book from the...more
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Jan 22, 2009
Gloria
added it
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I always see references to Finn Mac Cool, but I didn't really know much about who he was or what he did. It was very interesting to see how the author crafted this legendary ancient Celtic figure into life. I learned a lot about how the Celtic tribes were run and how Finn was in charge of the High King's warriors at one time. It was interesting to learn about Brehon law and their different degrees of marriage and other types of laws of that time. Finn was a warrior and poet and leader. He had a...more
Finn Mac Cool is an interesting man, someone who blends legend with fact until he is also uncertain how much of his colourful history in story is actually true. As a matter of fact, true magic does seem to overlap with the magic he invented. The character had a great deal of appeal and was certainly sympathetic, but the story tended to drag here and there, especially at the end.
Mar 16, 2010
Laurie Williams
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-fiction,
retellings
I read Morgan Llwelyn's LION OF IRELAND when I was in high school. I have been a Llwelyn fan ever since. I like the flesh and blood Finn Mac Cool she presents, including his flaws. He is a very plausible human being in this version instead of a larger than life character. I also enjoyed rich the historical context.
It was very good but i felt like the ending was very half done. I was pretty disappointed after being so enthralled and in love with this book, and then to have it just kind of trail off was upsetting. I would still recommend it, just be prepared.
1 like · like · see review
I read a handful of Llywelyn books as a teenager and loved them, however, I am not sure what I would think if I went back now and re-read them. Maybe they would still be awesome in my mind.
I finally finished this book. It seemed to take me quite awhile to get into it. For me it was somewhat similar to Juliet Marrillier's books, in that is was taking a legend and telling how it could have come about. I knew nothing about the mythical Finn Mac Cool before reading this. I enjoyed this book, and even cried at the end which surprised me.
I was sceptical about this book when I first picked it up, but if was a great book. Morgan Llywelyn took the mythical tales of the Tuatha de dannan and bent some reality about their feats, she took the stories of Fionn MacChumhail and put a wonderful spin on some fairly fantastic and unbelievable actions. Excellent job of combing the mythos with more realistic reasoning to give a possible explanation for the tales, without ever truly harming the tales beneath. She made the hero into a man, and m...more
Fin MacCool is an unsympathetic anti-hero. I gave it an extra star because Llywelyn is a good author and has a good way with words.
As far as straight-up entertainment value and engaging storytelling - well, it was just allright. But taking a step back and looking at the story in a broader sense, this is a story about change and loss and is truly heartbreaking.
I'd give this 3.5 stars if I could. Finn MacCool starts very slowly for me. It took me a while to get into the story proper. I found the book to have a lot of filler that was a little ridiculous and unnecessary; overall it was very hit and miss. The core myths relating to Fionn MacCumhaill are what make this more than a decent work of fiction. The stories are (for anyone who knows them) captivating and awe-inspiring. Llywelyn captures the magic of the tales and presents them well. This book is a...more
Nov 30, 2008
C.J. Prince
added it
There are many tellings of Finn. Some might not agree on this premise but it is still a fine read.
This book is a little hard to get into. There are a lot of characters to remember. But it is an epic tale of a hero that slowly draws you in.
Not as good as Red Branch, but I enjoyed it anyway.
Really brought a Celtic historic figure to life.
Super Awesome! read it 5 times
Stopped reading in Chapter 8.
Too crude and blunt for me.
Too crude and blunt for me.
Llywelyn crafts another well-researched novel about an iconic Irish figure. She treats Finn as an historical figure, and presents a tale bordering between magic and reality in which Finn creates the myth of himself. The novel has some annoying parts, when the author jumps between the minds of several characters in a confusing fashion, but overall this is a solid story.
Irish folklore, without the prose form. I can read this.
Sep 09, 2007
Keely
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
irish history and myth lovers
Shelves:
notsorecentlyread
Finn MacCool is one of the many characters in Irish history that is part real human, part myth, with little to no known separation between the two. Another interesting read by Llywelyn, weaving together the numerous myths, legends, and historical facts into one fascinating story.
Feb 24, 2008
Heather
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
women
Recommended to Heather by:
self
Shelves:
historical-fict,
favorite-authors
Such an interesting book. I love the myths and legends of Ireland! To this day, I remember the way the men ran for days in this book every time I run anywhere (OK, that isn't very often, but hey!). I enjoyed the characters in this book and the magic of Ireland.
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Morgan Llywelyn (born 1937) is an American-born Irish author best known for her historical fantasy, historical fiction, and historical non-fiction. Her fiction has received several awards and has sold more than 40 million copies, and she herself is recipient of the 1999 Exceptional Celtic Woman of the Year Award from Celtic Women International.
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