The Romance of Tristan: The Tale of Tristan's Madness (Penguin Classics) Summary and Reviews

The Romance of Tristan: The Tale of Tristan's Madness (Penguin Classics)
by Beroul

The Romance of Tristan: The Tale of Tristan's Madness (Penguin Classics)
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Book Summary Information

Author: Beroul
Introduction: Alan S. Fedrick
Translator: Alan S. Fedrick
Edition: Paperback
Audio: French (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1978-07-27
ISBN: 0140442308
Number of pages: 176
Publisher: Penguin Classics

Book Reviews of The Romance of Tristan: The Tale of Tristan's Madness (Penguin Classics)

Book Review: Folksy and Fabulous
Summary: 4 Stars

It is usually the case that within a page or two of reading an introduction, the reader knows whether or not they are in the hands of a reliable editor and translator. Alan Fedrick inspires such confidence. His is a scholarly, readable prose translation, adequately but not overwhelmingly annotated. Beroul's account of the Tristan and Yseult legend (in others, the lovers' names appear variously as Tristram, Isolde, Iseut, etc.) is the oldest extant version, although it now exists only in fragmentary form. Its fascination lies partly in that it belongs to an older form of storytelling, with quite different conventions from modern forms. So be prepared for characters dying more than once, events occurring out of sequence, and plenty of unapologetic author intervention. Some of the plot elements are wonderful, and have been borrowed and reworked ever since, by Shakespeare and others. Some have become interwoven with the Arthurian cycle. Read this if you are interested in seeing how the art of fiction has evolved in Europe through the ages, or if you enjoy fables that have a folksy (and sometimes vulgar) flavour.

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