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The Poems of Ossian and Related Works: James Macpherson

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One of the greatest works of the 18th century. Thomas Jefferson read this book on a daily basis and extolled its merits. Unfortunately, the work was shrowded amidst questions about its "authenticity". It is a beautiful masterpiece, in my opinion. It does at times suffer from the excesses of 18th century sentimentality, but so does Tom Jones.

Hugely popular when they were published in the 18th Century, the Poems of Ossian helped sparked the Romantic movement and its interest in folk themes and native mythology. Napoleon read this work, and Goethe referred to it in "The Sorrows of Young Werther." The poems were presented as translations from 6th-Century Scottish manuscripts discovered by MacPherson--or so he claimed. Anachronisms and deviations from other sources made the authenticity of this work suspect from the start, and many have considered the Poems of Ossian to have been composed by MacPherson himself. It might be more accurate to say that MacPherson based this work on authentic sources, interpreting freely as he went. Its tainted history shouldn't detract from enjoyment of this book; MacPherson was no mean poet and he had a real feel for the Celtic sensibility. MacPherson was neither the first author nor the last to over-hype his book; if he were alive today he probably would claim to have "channeled" Ossian.

In the 1760s James Macpherson wandered Scotland, collecting the Poems of Ossian, many apparently existing only verbally. The book is a classic, the poetry is incredible, and the work is almost entirely forgotten today. That's a shame. Howard Gaskill has done the world a favor by releasing a new edition of "Ossian". He does an excellent job of organizing the material, and provides detailed explanations of the various plots of the poems. A great book for those who enjoy epic poetry.

Our man Jimme is hired to collect Folktales/Mythology from Highlanders (not an outrageous mission at all) , he does so reluctantly, insisting he is inadequate to the task; an offer is made he can't refuse and he's off like a shot researchin! After collecting, collating, editing and fumigatin' he gets everything published; Jefferson loves it, Napoleon loves it, the Germans are so inspired by it they create a new literary genre, Romanticism, in response to it....Needless to say, someone objects, the English cultural elites claim FRAUD! MacPherson is accused by the movers and shakers of fabricating the works (unlikely IMHO given his published works, see.....**REPRINT** Saunders, T. Bailey (Thomas Bailey), 1860-1928. The life and letters of James Macpherson. Containing a particular account of his famous quarrel with Dr. Johnson, and a sketch of the origin and influence of the Ossianic poems. London, Sonnens... see also my review, excellent of course, but in need of fleshing out), most likely the deracinated, phlegmatic, weak jawed, English Ruling Class was threatened by the works, they feared the rise of Scottish Nationalism and the political instability it would bring. If you think this absurd see...All the Olympians: A Biographical Portrait of the Irish Literary Renaissance to see how literature can affect history. This is a great work, myself, I think MacPherson was an honest man, and Ossian rocks!

Buy this book!