He Stands Alone
The Fifth Book of the Ulster Cycle
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3.0 • 1 Rating
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
Randy Lee Eickhoff, the award-winning translator of the epic Ulster Cycle, continues his retelling of Ireland's spellbinding history and folklore in He Stands Alone. For the very first time, Randy Lee Eickhoff has combined several translations of the tale of the Irish Achilles, Cuchulainn, to provide a new and searching look at the warrior whose dedication to his country became the inspiration for Irish rebels in 1916, providing them with a rallying cry heard throughout all of Ireland.
Beginning with Cuchulainn's mysterious birth, Eickhoff skillfully weaves the tale of the magical warrior; from his training with Scathach, the dreaded woman warrior, to his first encounter with the war-goddess, Morigan, a story that foreshadows Cuchulainn's heroic action the Cattle Raid of Cooley.
Cuchulainn's adventures unfold as he grows in battle to become the king's champion, but, all the while, he struggles with his mortal side, and with human failings that inevitably draw him away from his wife, Emer, and under the spell of the mystical Fand, wife of the Irish sea-god, Manannan Mac Lir.
In a style that is often compared to Nobel Prize winner Seamus Heaney's, Randy Lee Eickhoff demonstrates his knowledge and storytelling ability and once again introduces readers to a truly fascinating aspect of Irish mythology with He Stands Alone.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
One of the foremost authorities on the literary tradition of ancient Irish myths and legends takes an in-depth look at Ireland's chief hero, C chulainn. This fifth installment of the Ulster Cycle (after The Destruction of the Inn) is a series of interlocking stories that covers his life from birth to a battle with spirits from the underworld. C chulainn's warrior training parallels that of many legends from different cultures as he undergoes a series of tests of his ability to hunt, fight and earn the admiration of the fair sex. The most compelling chapters deal with his romance with Emer, starting with a courtship story in which the two would-be lovers invent a private, romantic language. Emer proves to be a worthy foil for C chulainn as their love evolves: she cautions him against doing battle with his impetuous son in what proves to be a tragic incident, then she tries to spark him in his fight against the demons. As usual, Eickhoff offers a series of effective explanations and footnotes on the background and origin of his various yarns, but the decision to break up the book into separate stories proves to be more problematic, robbing it of some narrative momentum and making for a choppy read. Those issues probably won't matter much to readers who follow Eickhoff and love the Irish mythic tradition, and overall C chulainn is brought admirably to life.
