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tombennett72's review against another edition
1.0
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.
kittic's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
3.5
Nicholas Jubber takes the reader along on an epic trans-continental journey through Europe. This book presents itself as a trip through the real life locations of The Odyssey, The Kosovo Cycle, The Song of Roland, The Nibelungenlied, Beowulf and Njal's Saga. In actual fact it is a journey through modern day Europe in all its nuanced reality. The book is particularly strong where the author describes the realities of immigration, the perils of grief and the visceral experience of hiking in the wilds of Europe.
modernviking's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting attempt to connect the past upheavals in Europe that led to the epic poems he follows to the modern issues facing the continent.
tinnuben's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Child death, Death, Genocide, Misogyny, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and War
fiendfull's review against another edition
4.0
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.
jenjuniper80's review against another edition
3.0
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.