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The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Fiction / Romance / Short Stories; Fiction / Fairy Tales, Folklore ... Read more

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"[A]n eminently readable text, done clearly and accurately... it gives as good an idea as a translation can of the complexity and subtlety of Chrétien's originals.... The text is provided by a translator who understands the spirit as well as the letter of the original and renders it with style.... [T]his translation should attract a wide audience of students and Arthurian enthusiasts." -- Speculum

"[A] significant contribution to the field of medieval studies [and] a pleasure to read." -- Library Journal

"These are, above all, stories of courtly love and of knights tested in their devotion to chivalric ideals (with passion and duty often at odds); but they are also thrilling wonder stories of giants, wild men, tame lions, razor-sharp bridges and visits to the Other World." -- Washington Post Book World

"This tastefully produced book will be the standard general translation for many years to come." -- Choice

This new translation brings to life for a new generation of readers the stories of King Arthur, Lancelot, Guinevere, Gawain, Perceval, Yvain, and the other "knights and ladies" of Chrétien de Troyes' famous romances.

Customer Reviews (3)

Classic Stories
If chivalry and courtly love interest you, this collection of romances is sure to please you.

One of the finest translations
This is without a doubt one of the finest translations into English of Chrétien de Troyes' Arthurian romances, which includes the seldom found "William of England".
In "Cliges" are many references to the "Tristan and Iseult" story found in other venues.The tale of Greek and English lovers is not typical of what one expects to find in Arthurian romances.
The term "courtly love" wasn't introduced until the nineteenth century, but according to French scholars, the story of "Le Chevalier de la Charette", or "The Knight of the Cart" (AKA, Lancelot and Guinevere) is the first lyric poem that dealt with this subject.I'm sure I won't be the only person who finds surprises in this early version of the tale.
For those who would like to see one of Sir Thomas Malory's sources, and enjoy a good read into the bargain, this is indeed a book to consider purchasing.

Chretien's stories are some of the best
I've read several books on Arthurian literature, and this is one of my favorites.In Knight of the Cart, Chretien really makes Lancelot shine as he sacrifices more than anyone (Arthur particularly) to save Guinevere. Knight with the Lion is a little on the twisted side as Yvain falls in lovewith the wife of the man he kills, breaks a promise with her, then gets herback through trickery of words.

Very solid, very readable translation byStaines. ... Read more

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Chretien de Troyes was a French poet in the late 12th century whose work represents some of the best examples of Arthurian legend from medieval times. Contained in this volume are the four complete Arthurian romances that have survived. The first of these stories is that of "Erec and Enide", which recounts the story of Erec, one of King Arthur's knights, and the conflict between love and knighthood he experiences in his marriage to Enide. The second romance is the tale of the knight "Cligès" and his love for his uncle's wife, Fenice. The third romance is that of "Yvain, the Knight of the Lion", in which Yvain seeks to avenge his cousin Calogrenant, who had been defeated by an otherworldly knight. Lastly is the tale of "Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart", which centers on Lancelot's rescue of Guinevere, King Arthur's queen. These classic medieval poems form some of the earliest and most prominent examples of the legend of King Arthur. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Arthurian Romances
Four Arthurian Romances: Erec et Enide -- Cliges -- Yvain -- Lancelot by Chretien de Troyes. Published by MobileReference (mobi).

I've read several books on Arthurian literature, and this is one of my favorites. In Knight of the Cart, Chretien really makes Lancelot shine as he sacrifices more than anyone (Arthur particularly) to save Guinevere. Knight with the Lion is a little on the twisted side as Yvain falls in love with the wife of the man he kills, breaks a promise with her, then gets her back through trickery of words. If chivalry and courtly love interest you, this collection of romances is sure to please you. Very solid, very readable translation.

Drawing legends from legends, conventions from myths
D.D.R. Owen, late professor emeritus of French in the University of St. Andrews, states of his translation that he kept "the needs of students" in mind. For that reason, Owen tells us, his "renderings...incline towards the literal." In other words Owen's translation of Chrétien of Troyes's "Arthurian Romances" shuns poetic and literary licence. Decide what you want. This is a scholar's book, a dry literal translation from twelfth century French of original tales that were too long to start with. General readers may find it dull.

Near the end of his substantive Introduction (which itself makes a useful essay for students of Chrétien's times) Owen comments that "Chrétien has bequeathed to us a brilliant portrait of the society that gave him his livelihood." That's true, but these romances set up portraits that will seem "brilliant" only from a scholar's perspective.

Chrétien's productive years spanned 1170 to 1182, the very pinnacle of chivalry -- and of chivalry's unlikely twin, courtly love. Chrétien was an eye-witness, working in the halls of noble patrons, observing and recording the highest values of the culture of his time. He wrote "Lancelot" around 1177, dedicating it to Marie of Champagne (Eleanor of Aquitaine's eldest child), and bringing the world the first mention of Camelot. By 1182, Chrétien was introducing the Holy Grail in "Perceval: the Story of the Grail." Before he won fame under Marie's sponsorship, one wonders if Chrétien had made his observations about the conventions of courtly love and chivalry earlier, at Eleanor's Court of Ladies in Poitiers (1168-'73). Owen was too much the perfect scholar to speculate, but we can. "Arthurian Romances" contains much that Chrétien absorbed from an influential source, a royal hall replete with courtly traditions, poets and bards. This book is a struggle, but it can be rewarding.

By Robert Fripp, author of
"Power of a Woman. Memoirs of a turbulent life: Eleanor of Aquitaine"

Free SF Reader
There are several examples of the French chivalrous tradition here, and all that courtly love stuff.Or, how to wear shiny armor, look pretty, do what your religion tells you, be nice to ladies but don't knock them off their pedestals.

Try to get really, really good at killing people and beating people up, too.

Read this and you'll appreciate Cervantes.
An awful yawner.It shows all the reasons chivalry made for tiresome tales, and why the world needed Don Quixote so badly.

The Chretien de Troyes version of Lancelot is repetitious, has many loose ends, and is full of plot holes.Lancelot jumps into a cart to shame himself in pursuit of Guenivere.Before Lancelot jumps into the cart, the narrator states that "reason is the enemy of love."In the scope of the book, and the code of chivalry, reason is the enemy of this genre.

Take with Nyquil.

Early Arthur
Chretien de Troyes is an early French romantic writing, who wrote the first known story about the Holy Grail. De Troyes lived in the Champagne region of France during the latter twelfth century. Peripherally attached to courts including that of the famous Eleanor of Acquitaine, de Troyes stories of the Arthurian legends provides a foundation for almost all future Arthurian stories.

Chretien's major works include four poems included in this collection:Erec and Enide, Cliges, The Knight of the Cart (Lancelot), and The Knight of the Lion (Yvain).For Grail seekers, the story of most interest will be the unfinished Perceval: The Story of the Grail.Although the tale exists in finished form (in fact, several variations of finished forms), de Troyes in fact only wrote the first 9000 lines of the approximately 32,000 line text.(De Troyes also was embellished or supplemented by later additions to the tale of Lancelot, perhaps because de Troyes did not want to include an adulterous affair).

The story of Erec and Enide is a love story between one of Arthur's knights, Erec, who while out with Guinevere encounters a mean-spirited knight Yder; Erec's pursuit of Yder leads to his meeting Enide, and the two have a stormy relationship (by medieval romantic standards) but ultimately are able to reconcile their love and relationship with public duty.

The story of Cliges is one of tricky and forbidden relationships.Cliges, a native of Greece, falls in love with Fenice, his uncle's wife (Cliges' uncle happens to be the emperor).Their love is discovered, but with the aid of King Arthur, their relationship continues in Cliges' home country of Greece.

Lancelot's story is one of the oldest ideas from the Arthurian legends - the rescue of Guinevere when she is taken captive.This could be done in a chaste and honourable way, but the tale of Arthur has both virtuous and dark elements.Even though this story comes from much older antecedents, de Troyes telling (with the possible additions by a later writer) became the standard Lancelot-Guinevere tale, being the principal one incorporated into Mallory's Le Morte d'Arthur.

The story of Yvain is one of romantic questing - Yvain is gone so long on his knightly quests that his wife refuses him to return home.However, with the aid of mystical powers (the lion is an otherworldly creature that symbolises knightly virtue - C.S. Lewis will develop similar symbolic material much later) he returns to his wife after going mad with despair at being barred from her.

Perceval's story is that of the classic search for the Grail, which is also considered now a standard part of Arthurian legend - however, it is not clear that de Troyes was working from earlier stories here.

William Kibler provides notes, an introductory essay, and an essay tracing the history of revisions and continuations to the Grail story.This is fascinating reading, and a must for anyone interested in the Arthurian legends.
... Read more

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Chretien de Troyes is arguably the creator of Arthurian romance, and it is on his work that later writers have based their interpretations. This book offers both crucial information on, and a comprehensive coverage of, all aspects of the work of Chretien de Troyes - the literary and historical background, patronage, his influence on other writers, manuscripts and editions of his work and, at the heart of the volume, major essays on the themes, techniques and artistic achievements in each of his compositions; the contributions, all from leading experts in Chretien and related studies, have been commissioned especially for this volume and are designed to remain accessible to students while also addressing specialists in Arthurian studies and Chretien de Troyes. They reflect the most current critical and scholarly views on one of the greatest of medieval authors. ... Read more

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Chrétien de Troyes was one of the most important medieval writers of Arthurian narrative. A key figure in reshaping the 'once and future fictions' of Arthurian story, he was instrumental in the late twelfth-century shift from written and oral legendary traditions to a highly sophisticated literary cultivation of the Old French verse romance. While examining individually each of Chretien's five Arthurian romances, Donald Maddox looks at their coherence as a group, suggesting that their intertextual relations lend a harmony of meaning and design to the ensemble as a whole. Central to his argument is the focus on customs, which provide unity within as well as among the works while conveying an acute sense of the vulnerability and dissolution of feudal institutions in an age of social crisis and transition. ... Read more

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Twelfth-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes was one of the mostinfluential figures in Western literature, for his romantic poems on the legend of KingArthur gave rise to a tradition of storytelling that continues to this day. This importantand fascinating book is a study of all of Chrétien's work.

Joseph J. Duggan begins with an introduction that sets Chrétien within the social andintellectual currents of his time. He then organizes the book in chapters that focus onmajor issues in Chrétien's romances rather than on individual works, topics that rangefrom the importance of kinship and genealogy to standards of secular moral responsibilityand from Chrétien's art of narration to his representation of knighthood. Duggan offersnew perspectives on many of these themes: in a chapter on the influence of Celticmythology, for example, he gives special attention to the ways Chrétien integratedportrayals of motivation with mythic themes and characters, and in discussing the Grailromance, he explores the parallels between Perceval's and Gauvain's adventures. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An excellent overview of the context and issues
Chretien de Troyes was the first author of the Arthurian romance. His best-known work, the Story of the Grail, or Perceval, is the first extant example of the grail legend, which was reproduced and altered many times after.

Joseph Duggan gives here an excellent overview of the context and issues around the works of Chretien, focusing on such elements as kinship, values, responsibility and knighthood. Some of his ideas are controversial in the field of interpretation, especially his thoughts on the Perceval story, but his clear, concise presentation and focus make this an essential book for anyone who appreciates this fine body of litterature.

...well worth [the price] ... Read more

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A twelfth-century poem by the creator of the Arthurian romance describes the courageous exploits and triumphs of a brave lord who tries to win back his deserted wife's love. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

It was ok
I was not told that some stuff would be underlined throughout the text. Slightly annoyed but other than that it was ok. Fast shipping!!!

Suprisingly Wonderful
This book was an assignment for an elective college class and so I was not planning on throughly reading or caring about medieval history.It was difficult to get into the style of reading a poem, but once I got the hang of it after a few pages the book was excellent.It kept my attention and I finished it very quickly.I would suggest actually reading it to anyone assigned or interested in medieval history!

Translation as it ought to be
This is an amazing translation of the poem.While most translators will convert the peice to prose, Raffel keeps to Chretien's original format and has developed a unique English poetic style to compliment the French.The translation captures all of Chretien's wit and playfulness by keeping the cadence of the poem light but never sing-songy.I cannot reccomend this translation enough!

One of the most enjoyable Medieval romances I've read
This translation of the Medieval romance of Yvain by Chretien De Troyes is one of the most enjoyable medieval romances I've ever read. While many romances are actually thinly disguised moralistic alegory, this tale reads out like an adventure story, and easily grabs the reader's attention. It is a wonderful example how something that was written over 800 years ago can still be enjoyable today, and how, while the world around us changes, great storytelling remains great storytelling.

novel romances beat romance novels
When I started this book, an assignment for a college class, I did not anticipate any difficulties putting it down.I expected awkward style and one-dimensional, if archetypal, characters.Instead, I found the opposite. Raffel's translation does an excellent job of highlighting the simplebeauty of Chretien's poem, and the characters are interesting and human. And, perhaps most importantly, with a slight suspension of disbelief, Yvainis an entertaining tale of adventure. ... Read more

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During the late 12th century, the Arthurian legends first took their form in the imagination of French-speaking romancers. Foremost among these poets was the great Chretien de Troyes, credited with incorporating into the Arthurian tradition the quest for the Holy Grail and the adulterous affair between Lancelot and Guinevere. This critical text explores the French roots of the legends and the source material of the individual characters, with special attention to the creative role played by de Troyes, whose contribution to the saga continues to shape and inform the modern imagination. ... Read more

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Considered the most important figure in medieval French literature, Chrétien de Troyes is credited with inventing the modern novel. The roots of his influential Arthurian romance narratives remain the subject of investigation and great debate among medieval scholars. In From Plato to Lancelot, K. Sarah-Jane Murray makes a highly original and profoundly significant contribution to current scholarship by locating Chrétien's work at the intersection of two important traditions: one derived from Greco-Roman antiquity, the other from the Celtic world of the Atlantic seaboard.

Drawing on a broad range of sources, from Plato's Timaeus and Ovid's Metamorphoses to the anonymous Ovidian tales translated in the twelfth century and Marie de France's Lais, Murray demonstrates that Chrétien and his contemporaries learned the importance of translation from the Mediterranean-centered classical tradition. She then turns to the Celtic world, examining how Irish monastic scholarship, as demonstrated by the Voyage of St. Brendan and Celtic saints' lives, influenced the cultural identity of medieval Europe and paved the way for an interest in Celtic stories and legends.

With penetrating insight and lucid prose, Murray locates Chrétien's singular genius in his ability to look to the future and to lay the foundations for a thoroughly new, and French, tradition of vernacular storytelling. ... Read more

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Between 1949 and 1983, William Roach produced the sole modern ed. of the First, Second, and Manessier Continuations of the Old French Perceval of Chrétien de Troyes, based on all the manuscripts. Most vol. are out of print, but the popularity of King Arthur and the Grail legend keeps interest in the subject high. Vol. I, containing the Mixed Redaction of the First Continuatio where Gauvain in the principal character is once again avail. This new ed., entirely re-set, incorporates all of the corrections indicated by Roach. The extensive introduction has been brought up to date. There are many new notes to the text, and a complete bibliography. A subject index to the notes provides easy access to the wealth of grammatical and linguistic analysis they contain. ... Read more

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Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more