I have found this thread very helpful over the last two years and thought it might be of some interest to others if I now did a round-up of my own reading journey in Welsh so far. It will be revisiting a lot of ground already covered, notably by Gruntius in whose footsteps I often seem to be following, but I thought it might be fun to add my own entirely subjective merit rating (expressed as marks out of 10), and perceived difficulty. As far as perceived difficulty goes, I should explain that I am now at a stage of being able to read Welsh with enough fluency to sometimes forget that I am reading in another language, though still needing to look up words every so often, and still capable of being seriously thrown by Welsh idioms (took me quite a while recently to work out that ‘yfodd o ar ei thalcen’ must mean ‘she drank it in one gulp’ and not ‘she drank it standing on her head’). Of course, when you first start reading a language the new words come at you like a blizzard, but I find that if you persevere and plod on you do get to the rather pleasant stage where it’s more a matter of the occasional snowflake wafting down, and with ordinary reading matter I’m just about there.
I should confess that my ability to read Welsh remains frustratingly far in advance of my ability to understand the spoken language. I do slog away at the Beca interviews, they’re a great resource but it’s no good, that woman’s tongue just works twice as fast as my brain!
There’s one notable omission here: the acclaimed ‘Awst yn Anogia’ by Gareth Williams. I bought it some time ago, but it’s quite long and I decided it would be better to put it off till I was fluent enough to enjoy it properly. I’m hoping that time is near, so that’s the first of my New Year resolutions, the second being to get to grips with Welsh poetry.
So, my list so far. My perceived difficulty ratings:
1 Suitable for learners to cut their teeth on
2 Next stage with a bit more vocabulary
3 Medium
4 More advanced
5 And still more advanced, with rich vocabulary and perhaps more dialect
Title |
Author |
Diff |
Rtg |
Notes |
Llyfr Glas Nebo |
Manon Steffan Ross |
3 |
10 |
Just superb – moving and beautiful |
Blasu |
Manon Steffan Ross |
4 |
10 |
And ditto (but I confess I skipped the recipes) |
Merch Y Gwyllt |
Bethan Gwanas |
4 |
10 |
Weirdly compelling. The first Welsh book I read where for long stretches I forgot I was reading Welsh at all |
Hi Yw Fy Ffrind, |
Bethan Gwanas |
4 |
10 |
Another gripping page-turner |
Hi Oedd Fy Ffrind |
Bethan Gwanas |
4 |
10 |
Ditto |
I Botany Bay |
Bethan Gwanas |
4 |
10 |
Superb bit of imaginative reconstruction |
Bywyd Blodwen Jones |
Bethan Gwanas |
3 |
9 |
Very entertaining |
Blodwen Jones a’r Aderyn Prin |
Bethan Gwanas |
3 |
9 |
Ditto |
Tri Chynnig I Blodwen Jones |
Bethan Gwanas |
3 |
9 |
Ditto |
Babel |
Ifan Morgan Jones |
5 |
9 |
Would be a 10 but I was confused by the last chapter which appeared to be a bit of modernist trickery |
Llestri’r Dylluan |
Bethan Gwanas |
4 |
9 |
Welsh translation of Alan Garner’s ‘The Owl Service’. I was helped by knowing the original very well. |
Llanw |
Manon Steffan Ross |
4 |
9 |
Bit slow at the start and took some getting into, but ultimately moving |
Culhwch ac Olwen |
Gwyn Thomas |
3 |
9 |
Modern retelling, a beautifully illustrated hardback that I picked up for a song |
Chwalfa |
T. Rowland Hughes |
5 |
9 |
An older form of the language, quite difficult in places, but very involving |
O Law I Law |
T. Rowland Hughes |
4 |
8 |
Again, older language |
Merched Y Gwyllt |
Bethan Gwanas |
4 |
8 |
Sequel to ‘Gwrach Y Gwyllt’, see above. Not quite such a wild ride as the first book, but still a good read |
Y Nant |
Bet Jones |
3 |
8 |
Agatha Christie-type murder mystery. |
Craciau |
Bet Jones |
3 |
8 |
About an earthquake on Anglesey. Good story; ending a bit perfunctory |
Ar Drywydd Llofrudd |
Alun Davies |
3 |
8 |
Detective story; good plot |
Ar Lwybr Dial |
Alun Davies |
3 |
8 |
Sequel to above; ditto |
Oswald |
Lleucu Roberts |
3 |
8 |
Quite a feat to make a story with rather unprepossessing hero still surprisingly engaging |
Hunllef |
Manon Steffan Ross |
3 |
8 |
Manon is always very clear and readable |
Inc |
Manon Steffan Ross |
3 |
8 |
|
Pluen |
Manon Steffan Ross |
3 |
8 |
|
Fel Aderyn |
Manon Steffan Ross |
3 |
8 |
|
Y Stelcwr |
Manon Steffan Ross |
3 |
8 |
|
Yn Ei Gwsg |
Bethan Gwanas |
2 |
8 |
In the ‘Amdani’ series. Fairy slight, but all good practice |
Y Rhwyd |
Caryl Lewis |
4 |
8 |
Good story; some very colloquial vocabulary |
Bryn Y Crogwr |
Bethan Gwanas |
2 |
8 |
The first Gwanas book I read; fairly short but vivid |
Y Llythyr |
Helen Naylor |
3 |
8 |
One of the ‘Amdani’ series |
Arwyr Cymru |
Jon Gower |
2 |
8 |
In the ‘Stori Sydyn’ series, short pieces on prominent Welsh figures. A fairly easy read, but quite informative. |
Geraint Evans series of detective novels: Y Llwybr, Llafnau, Y Gelyn Cudd, Diawl Y Wasg, Digon i’r Diwrnod, Y Gosb |
Geraint Evans |
4 |
8 |
Quite long except for ‘Y Gosb’, but all fairly clearly written and good of their kind |
Igam Ogam |
Ifan Morgan Jones |
4 |
7 |
Slightly tongue-in-cheek fantasy, more for teenagers, not quite my cup of tea |
Pedair Cainc y Mabinogi i Ddysgwyr |
Alun Ifans |
2 |
7 |
A beginner’s version, good for vocabulary |
Chwedlau Cymrau I Ddysgwyr |
Eira Palfrey |
2 |
7 |
Older book picked up in secondhand shop |
Arwyr Gwerin Cymru i Ddysgwyr |
Eira Palfrey |
2 |
7 |
Ditto |
Darlun O Gymru Ddysgwyr |
Iolo Walters |
2 |
7 |
Ditto |
Lleidr Pen-ffordd |
Ifor Owen |
3 |
7 |
Ditto |