Bestiary

Rating:
Summary: An affordable treat for bibliophiles
Review: I don't know if the other reviewer is a child or simply has the intellect of one, but there is no such thing as a manticore. I hope you didn't say that in your report...

Anyway, 'Bestiary' is a decent resource for scholars interested in late medieval English bestiaries, and an excellent work for the interested general public. Amazingly sharp and clear facsimiles of the original illuminations are placed in their original places in relation to the text, and the translation is generally limpid.

Unfortunately, it is not always accurate. The more I studied the Bodlein Bestiary, the more I wished I had the original Latin text--there were many places where I wondered exactly how much liberty the translator took with his source. For example, he replaces ('translates) the standard introductory phrase 'Physiologus says' with 'the naturalists say that'--incredibly irresponsible scholarship. It may make the work more palatable for popular tastes, but such changes are anathema to the medievalist. I often also wonder how many changes he made to the text in the interest of keeping all the illustrations in their original places, as this also requires the translated text to fill a proportional area of the page.

All in all, I recommend it highly as a taste of the genre--a fascinating and rich one for those interested in the history of illumination, natural history, philosophy, and moral instruction. The miniatures and illuminations are beautiful and nicely reproduced, and while the text is lacking, it is the best we have at the moment.

Rating:
Summary: Good little book.
Review: I don't know if the other reviewer is a child or simply has the intellect of one, but there is no such thing as a manticore. I hope you didn't say that in your report...

Anyway, 'Bestiary' is a decent resource for scholars interested in late medieval English bestiaries, and an excellent work for the interested general public. Amazingly sharp and clear facsimiles of the original illuminations are placed in their original places in relation to the text, and the translation is generally limpid.

Unfortunately, it is not always accurate. The more I studied the Bodlein Bestiary, the more I wished I had the original Latin text--there were many places where I wondered exactly how much liberty the translator took with his source. For example, he replaces ('translates) the standard introductory phrase 'Physiologus says' with 'the naturalists say that'--incredibly irresponsible scholarship. It may make the work more palatable for popular tastes, but such changes are anathema to the medievalist. I often also wonder how many changes he made to the text in the interest of keeping all the illustrations in their original places, as this also requires the translated text to fill a proportional area of the page.

All in all, I recommend it highly as a taste of the genre--a fascinating and rich one for those interested in the history of illumination, natural history, philosophy, and moral instruction. The miniatures and illuminations are beautiful and nicely reproduced, and while the text is lacking, it is the best we have at the moment.

Rating:
Summary: An affordable treat for bibliophiles
Review: There is something quintessentially appealing about the rare reproduction which manages to preserve so much of the spirit of the original text. The translation, which is quite clear, is embedded with the original illuminations found in the manuscript, in their original size and location relative to the page. The result is surprisingly refreshing; the decision to eschew modern layout conventions was a wise one. This is not a scholarly edition per se, and some may quibble with occasional word choice. But this medievalist, for one, has no problem with such decisions to leave out mention of the Physiologus; true translation is as much art as science, and anyone doing serious research on this book would (should) be using the original Latin anyway. This is a highly successful translation, and frankly a beautiful book, the sort that should occupy a well-worn spot on shelves of scholars and enthusiasts alike.

Rating:
Summary: this book rocks
Review: This book is so informational on bestiary and its fun to read too. It will definitely help you if your doing a report on it. The illistrations are amazing! I never thought that there was such thing as a Manticore. I recommend all of those beast lovers to go out and buy this book. It will help you alot on reports. Or if you just dont have a book to read and you happen to pick up this one. Its wonderful.