Cligès - Softcover

Troyes, Chrétien De

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0820321427 ISBN 13: 9780820321424

Publisher: University of Georgia Press, 2000

Synopsis

In this verse translation of Cligès, written by Chrétien de Troyes circa 1176, Ruth Harwood Cline not only preserves the artistry of the original work but also captures the wit, irony, and striking emotional power of Chrétien's stylistic genius and highly structured form.

The romance begins with the marriage of Cligès's parents and continues with the clandestine, mutual love of their son and his uncle's bride, Fenice. Cligès and Fenice are finally united after executing a false-death plot aided by black magic.

With a thoroughness and clarity that will appeal to students and scholars of medieval literature, Cline's accessible translation effectively conveys the sparkle, pace, and intricate wordplay of Chrétien's love monologues, classic themes, and complex poetic devices. In addition, her introduction sheds new light on the transmission of British history and legend to the French court of Champagne. With themes that echo from the Tristan legend to Romeo and Juliet, Cligès is an exciting romance about young lovers who escape from an arranged match and find true love in marriage.

About this title

About the Author:

CHRÉTIEN DE TROYES (1135?–1191?) was a French poet and trouvère. He is widely regarded as the creator of the literary genre known as the Arthurian romance, and the originator of the heroic medieval character Lancelot.

Review:

Rhyming vocabulary that sustains the narrative flow and ambience of the Arthurian universe . . . An extraordinary work that represents laudable achievement.

(South Atlantic Review)

Her work constitutes the finest poetic translations now available of Chrétien's romances.

(Arthuriana)

About this edition

• Publisher: University of Georgia Press
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0820321427
• ISBN 13: 9780820321424
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 248