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Cliges; a romance is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by de Troyes Chretien is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of de Troyes Chretien then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

Erec and Enide
I am not a scholar. But I am a student these twenty years of Medieval history. I have studied Welsh, Scot, Irish and English Medieval history; in addition, I have read books and materials concerning the politics and the culture, and the faith and the myths. Based on this background, I wish to express how very much I thoroughly enjoyed reading Erec and Enide. Ruth Harwood Cline's English translation of this twelfth century poem, written by Chretien de Troyes, touches our senses by its rhythms and rhymes in the rhythmic beat this produces in the poem. Cline's translation also tickles our intellect because through it we can read the ecclesiastical elements and classical motifs. The Celtic legend, Griselda, which I have not read and is mentioned in the introduction, forms the skeleton of Erec and Enide's story. Cline further provides a history background for the poem within the introduction and the notes section.

I noticed the Arthurian legend and the Christian symbolism portrayed through the characters of Erec, Enide and King Arthur.I also noticed the "hero's journey." (See The Hero With A Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell)Each test proved both Erec and Enide more worthy of attaining their goal with the final test being the "Court of Joy."

This is the first of Chretien de Troyes' poems and I highly recommend it.

The first and one of the best
Chretien de Troyes invented the Arthurian romance with Erec and Enide. It was the first of what would soon come to be a genre unto itself. Tales of King Arthur and his knights are still popular after centuries of retelling, and Chretien de Troyes is responsible for many of the stories as we know them. Erec and Enide, the earliest of his surviving works, is a story about all the things we recognize as Arthurian--honor, chivalry, love, and courage.

When the poem begins, Erec is a young knight at Arthur's court and heir to his father's throne. When an unknown knight humiliates one of Guinevere's handmaidens during a hunt, Erec follows the knight, his lady, and their cruel dwarf home. There he meets an old man with a beautiful daughter, Enide. They come from ancient nobility but are no impoverished, and the girl can afford nothing but a ragged tunic to wear. The man tells him about a yearly ritual enacted there, where a fine hawk is placed on a perch and only the man with the most beautiful lady can dare to take it. The arrogant young knight from the day before has won several years in a row.

Erec, of course, takes Enide with him to the ritual and, because of Enide's superior beauty, denies the knight the hawk. The knight is furious and challenges Erec to combat, which Erec wins. The father of the girl is so overjoyed that he gives her to Erec as his bride, and the two fall madly in love.

So much in love, in fact, that Erec is soon criticized by many for staying at home in bed when he should be looking to chivalry. After overhearing complaints among the other knights, one night Enide accidentally speaks of her worry about Erec's reputation. Erec is angry and determines to prove himself. He immediately saddles his horse, has Enide follow suit, and orders her to ride ahead of himself and not speak. They set out with no specific destination in mind. Enide is understandably upset.

For the rest of the poem, Erec saves Enide from one predicament after another--three bandits, five bandits, giants, pandering nobles, and would-be assassins. It is never clear whether Erec is proving himself or proving Enide's loyalty, but in the end, when Erec is believed to be dead, only to regain consciousness and kill an overeager suitor, the two are reconciled to each other.

It is then that the poem moves from a string of episodes to a moving and deep symbolic tale that parallels Erec and Enide's own. In another kingdom there is a man trapped in an enchanted garden by his beloved after swearing to do whatever she pleases. In fear that he will leave her, she has made him swear an oath that he will not leave the garden until someone challenges him to combat that he cannot beat. Dozens have tried, and all failed. Erec is victorious, and the man and his lover are set free of the garden.

This, in part, saves Erec and Enide from becoming a tedious, episodic story without a point. The poem--just under 7,000 lines long--is so carefully constructed and unified that a second reading is just as rewarding as the first time. Throughout the story, seemingly every incident in the lives of Erec and Enide have a darker parallel that must be overcome. And, of course, the two lovers must prove to each other that they have "the proper balance between devotion and freedom," that they are not so tied to one another that they neglect their duties, or vice versa.

These themes and the history of the poem are explored in an informative afterword by Joseph Duggan, who has written scholarly end matter for all of Burton Raffel's translations of Chretien's works. Raffel himself has written a short translator's note, and the translation itself is outstanding. As he has proven time and again, Raffel can perfectly balance literalness with beauty--his translations actually convey the spirit of Chretien's poetry.

Erec and Enide is required reading for anyone with an interest in medieval poetry, Arthurian legend, or great literature in general.

Highly recommended.

A Poetic Translation
Since about the middle of the 20th century, it has become increasingly difficult to find poetic translations of long poems. This trend has recently been reversing, with some excellent translations of the Iliad and the Odyssey -- and Ruth Harwood Cline's translations of Troyes' works joins this new and welcome trend.

Most reviews and reviewers will concentrate on the plot -- I want to focus on the translation itself. For too long there has been a philosophy of translation that does not see any value in translating poems in the forms in which they were written. With longer poems especially, more "literal" and plot-driven prose translations have been the norm. But prose is not how these works were written, and it is not how they were meant to be read or heard. They are poems, and only a poetic translation will be able to communicate the full meaning of the poem being translated. Meaning in a poem lies not just in the plot and characters, or even in the particular words used -- though all of this is true -- but also in the rhythms and rhymes, the music, of the poem. Cline's poetic translation thus translates too the music of the poems she translates. We get the full beauty of the works only when we read them the way they were meant to be read: as poems. One hopes Cline continues to translate poems of this period into English.

And now, for a slight aside: Do not read Cervantes' "Don Quixote" until you have read all of Troyes' works, for you will miss almost all the jokes and the full satirical impact of the novel.

Sprightly trans. of the 1st Arthurian Romance
With Arthurian Romances seemingly always staging a comeback, how nice to have a fast-read, "words-a-poppin" translation of the very first Arthurian Romance, written in Old French around 1170.What I found most intriquing was that the book essentially wrestles with the ways in which men and women define themselves when becoming partners.Erec's rather pig-headed forcing of Enide to lead the way in the forest and never speak to him has odd contemporary overtones.But they are sweet compared to the couple they meet in Erec's final quest in the book - wait until you find out who "The Joy of the Court" is.Burton Raffel's translation, even if you don't like poetry, reads like a smooth silver skate. I gave the book a "9" instead of "10" because it doesn't have any illustrations.I know it's a University Press, but come on folks, with a story about knights couldn't you throw in at least one old woodcut or something ... Read more

Product Description
An affordable edition of one of the great romances! The twelfthcentury in France experienced an efflorescence of vernacular literature,especially troubadour poetry and the genre of narrative literature thatencompasses the court epic of romance. Chretien de Troyes, a native ofChampagne in Northern France, is considered one of the most talented writersof romance of this period. Achieving literary greatness not so much by plotinnovation as by the shaping and refining of existing and perhaps widelyknown material to his own purposes, de Troyes's influence on thecharacteristic structure, tone, and theme of medieval romance is undeniable.This translation of Ywain from the original French version avoids both archaic-sounding English and the overly modern idiom in an effort to produce asmooth, accessible and accurate text. As with de Troyes's other Arthurianromances, the principal characters and episodes of this tale are Celtic inorigin, and the marvelous adventures assigned to Ywain are apparentlyderivative of Celtic story lore. Readers will be charmed by the appropriatelyurbane expression of this fine narrative, imbued as it is with the ideals andsentiments of courtly knighthood. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

BORING
Please teachers, don't assign this book as required reading.It put me to sleep everytime I tried to read it.

chivalry at its best
Yvain is a beautiful tale of love and courtly society by the greatest storyteller of medieval France, presented here in a very clear (and relatively cheap) translation.Particularly fine is the way this fantasypresents 12th-century aristocratic values, especially as the titlecharacter is torn between love of a woman and love of honor in his verymasculine society.I have used this translation several times inundergraduate history classes on the Middle Ages--it works extremely well. ... Read more

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The romantic poems of 12th-century French poet Chretien de Troyes were of immense influence across Europe - widely imitated, translated, and adapted. Giving rise to a tradition of story-telling that continues to this day, the poems established the shape of the nascent Arthurian legend. In this translation of "Lancelot", Burton Raffel brings to English language readers the fourth of Chretien's five surviving romantic Arthurian poems. This poem was the first to introduce Lancelot as an important figure in the King Arthur legend. "Lancelot" tells of the adulterous relationship between the knight and his mistress, Guinevere, the wife of King Arthur. Thematically this poem differs from Chretien's other romances - Lancelot and Guinevere'slove is a serious crime against their king, Lancelot casts aside his knightly ideals and reputation for the sake of his beloved. and Arthur is endowed with a weaker personality. Raffel has created a three-stress metric verse from that captures Chretien's narrative and old French. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great and important story
Chretien de Troyes is one of the unsung heroes of world literature in general and Arthurian legend in particular. In Perceval he introduced the Grail, a fundamental symbol that fascinated other medieval writers, who expanded on it until the Grail became the defining object of the entire literature. And in Lancelot, Chretien created a story of love and betrayal that achieved almost equal importance with the Grail legend.

Chretien was the first poet to ascribe importance of any kind to Lancelot, who had been sometimes mentioned in Arthurian tales but never a major figure. In this poem, Lancelot becomes one of the bravest of Arthur's knights and, what is more, Queen Guinevere's lover.

The poem begins as so many do that concern Arthur--the court has gathered for merry-making and the festivities are interrupted by an evil figure. Here, it is Maleagant, who challenges Arthur to entrust his queen to any knight in the court. The knight will combat Maleagant, and whoever wins takes the queen home. Arthur is hard-pressed to choose, but the royal steward, Sir Kay, forces him to a decision by swearing he will leave the court if he is not chosen for the contest. Arthur submits to the demand and Kay is defeated.

Sir Gawain sets out to follow the captive queen and, perhaps, rescue her. He is joined by a young, unnamed knight, who is just as determined to rescue the queen. The knight, however, is forced to ride in a cart, a humiliating gesture that soils his reputation for the rest of the story. This "knight of the cart," of course, is Sir Lancelot, and he is bound to find and rescue Guinevere because of his deathless love of her. Lancelot and Gawain agree to journey separately to Maleagant's kingdom and try to save her.

Needless to say, Lancelot succeeds and it is during his stay there that he continues his adulterous liaisons with the queen, further complicating matters. Single combats and a lengthy term of harsh imprisonment ensue, and Lancelot can only be saved by the good things he has done for others.

Chretien's work has stood up well to the test of time. Not only is the quest perfect mixture of adventure and excitement--with numerous combats, near-deaths, and feats of courage and endurance--the story resonates with deep meaning and themes that are still important today. Humility is among the foremost--Lancelot is not named for nearly half the story, and he willingly endures the humiliation of the cart for the chance to rescue his queen. Love and betrayal are also prominent, as is the question of how deeply in love a person should actually be.

Burton Raffel's translation of Lancelot is a brisk read, both exciting and fun. As a non-French-speaker, I can't attest to the literal accuracy of the traslation, but based on his track record in Old English and Middle High German, it can't be very loose. The afterword by Joseph Duggan is very good, highlighting the importance of the poem and its themes, as well as the interesting notion--very strongly argued--that Chretien was not particularly fond of this story. In fact, it was probably not even his idea, which is why Lancelot is sometimes painted as a dolt and sometimes as an idolater, worshipping Guinevere as some would God.

If you're interested in medieval literature, particularly knightly tales and anything concerned with Arthurian legend, Lancelot is in indispensable read. You won't be disappointed.

Highly recommended.

Review of English Translation
This book has been translated into English, but I don't think that he translates as best as he could.He translates into modern/slang English, and not the English that would French would directly translate to.If youwould like to get a general gist of Chrétien de Troyes' book, then thistranslation would be the best to read.Unfortunately, the lines of thisbook are only in English; there is no Old French to compare his English to. That does make it harder to read if you're into die-hard FrenchTranslation.For the average reader, this book would be a good buy. ... Read more

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Good Quality + Fast Delivery
the book i got from this company is great. it's almost in 'brand-new' condition and it is just what i needed for my class. ... Read more

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Chapters: Marie de France, Chrétien de Troyes, Guibert of Nogent, Peter Abelard, Guernes de Pont-Sainte-Maxence, Heloïse, Hélinand of Froidmont, Hildebert, Rigaut de Berbezilh, Ernoul, Benoît de Sainte-Maure, Azalais de Porcairagues, Robert de Boron, Thomas of Britain, Almucs de Castelnau, Walter of Châtillon, William of Champeaux, Guiot de Provins, Guillem Magret, Godefroi de Leigni, Jean Beleth, Jean Bodel, Béroul, Audefroi le Bastart, Rigord, Bertrand de Bar-Sur-Aube, Grimoart Gausmar, Geoffroy Du Breuil, Lambert of Ardres, Alexander of Paris, Hugh of Fouilloy. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 113. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Peter Abelard (Lt: Petrus Abaelardus or Abailard; Fr: Pierre Abélard) (1079 April 21, 1142) was a medieval French scholastic philosopher, theologian and preeminent logician. The story of his affair with and love for Héloïse has become legendary. The Chambers Biographical Dictionary describes him as "the keenest thinker and boldest theologian of the 12th Century". Abelard, originally called 'Pierre le Pallet' was born in the little village of Le Pallet, about 10 miles east of Nantes, in Brittany, the eldest son of a minor noble Breton family. As a boy, he learned quickly. Being encouraged by his father, he studied the liberal arts and excelled at the art of dialectic (a branch of philosophy), which, at that time, consisted chiefly of the logic of Aristotle transmitted through Latin channels. Instead of entering a military career, as his father had done, Abelard became an academic. During his early academic pursuits, Abelard wandered throughout France, debating and learning, so as (in his own words) "he became such an one as the Peripatetics." The nominalist Roscellinus of Compiègne was his teacher during this period. Abelard and his pupil, Héloïse, by ...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=4640862 ... Read more

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Les achats comprennent une adhésion à l'essai gratuite au club de livres de l'éditeur, dans lequel vous pouvez choisir parmi plus d'un million d'ouvrages, sans frais. Le livre consiste d'articles Wikipedia sur : Chrétien de Troyes, Alain de Lille, Pierre Abélard, Guillaume Ix de Poitiers, Hugues de Fouilloy, Thibaud D'étampes, Blondel de Nesle, Marie de France, Bertran de Born, Guibert de Nogent, Hélinand de Froidmont, Bernard de Ventadour, Héloïse D'argenteuil, André le Chapelain, Geoffroi de Villehardouin, Conon de Béthune, Robert de Boron, Hugues Iii D'oisy, Pierre Rigord, Folquet de Marseille, Peire Rogier, Arnaut Daniel, Foucher de Chartres, Jaufré Rudel, Salh D'escola, Albéric de Reims, Guernes de Pont-Sainte-Maxence, Gandor de Douai, Gautier de Coinci, Aimeric de Péguilhan, Jean Bodel, Eudes de Deuil, Jean D'hauville, Gace Brulé, Bertrand de Bar-Sur-Aube, Albert D'aix, Beatritz de Dia, André de Marchiennes, Aymon de Varennes, Lambert D'ardres, Robert le Moine, Gui de Cambrai, Vital de Blois. Non illustré. Mises à jour gratuites en ligne. Extrait : Pierre Abélard ou Pierre Abailard ou encore Pierre Abeilard (né en 1079 au Pallet près de Nantes - mort le 21 avril 1142 près de Chalon-sur-Saône) est un théologien, philosophe et compositeur français. Il a été un des principaux acteurs du renouveau des arts du langage au début du siècle. Après son entrée en religion, ses travaux de théologien ont suscité la critique des autorités ecclésiastiques (concile de Soissons, 1121 ; concile de Sens, 1141). Il est encore plus célèbre pour sa liaison avec Héloïse et les lettres échangées par le couple. Le 16 juin 1817, ses restes et ceux d'Héloïse ont été transférés au cimetière du Père-Lachaise Pierre Abélard est issu d'une famille noble ; sa mère se prénommait Lucie, son père, Béranger, lequel se chargea de l'éducation de ses enfants. Pierre eut trois frères et une sœur : Raoul, Porcaire, Dagobert et Denyse. Il ne souhaitait pas faire ...http://booksllc.net/?l=fr ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from The Modern Language Review, published by Modern Humanities Research Association on October 1, 2003. The length of the article is 960 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Magic in Medieval Romance from Chretien de Troyes to Geoffrey Chaucer.(Book Review)
Author: Malcolm Jones
Publication: The Modern Language Review (Refereed)
Date: October 1, 2003
Publisher: Modern Humanities Research Association
Volume: 98Issue: 4Page: 948-949

Article Type: Book Review

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Les Romans De Chretien De Troyes; Le Chevalier Au Lion (YVAIN). Les Classiques Francais Du Moyen Age. Collection fondee par Mario Roques publiee sous la direction de Felix Lecoy. Honore Champion. ... Read more