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One of the great romances of the Middle Ages, Tristan, written in the early thirteenth century, is based on a medieval love story of grand passion and deceit. By slaying a dragon, the young prince Tristan wins the beautiful Isolde's hand in marriage for his uncle, King Mark. On their journey back to Mark's court, however, the pair mistakenly drink a love-potion intended for the king and his young bride, and are instantly possessed with an all-consuming love for each another - a love they are compelled to conceal by a series of subterfuges that culminates in tragedy. Von Strassburg's work is acknowledged as the greatest rendering of this legend of medieval lovers, and went on to influence generations of writers and artists and inspire Richard Wagner's Tristan and Isolde.
About the Author
Gottfried von Strassburg was probably a member of the urban patriciate in Strassburg. Judging from his writing he appears to have been a cultured man, well read in Latin, French and German; a lover of music and hunting, and a skilled linguistic stylist. He chose Thomas as his source for Tristan, and completed five-sixths of the work.
A.T. Hatto has translated The Niebelungenlied and Eschenbach's Parzival for Penguin Classics.
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THERE was a lord in Parmenie of tender years, as I read. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
THERE was a lord in Parmenie of tender years, as I read. Read the first page
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Around the middle of the 12th century, an author we know only as Thomas wrote a French version of the popular legend of the star-crossed lovers Tristan and Ysolt (usually known in English as Tristram and Yseult). Thomas may have been French or English. Most of his poem has been lost. A generation or two later (the dates for both authors are uncertain) a Strassburger named Gottfried wrote a German version of the story, using Thomas as his source. Gottfried died before completing the work. By extraordinary coincidence, the bulk of what remains of Thomas's work is the very part that Gottfried did not live to write. Thomas carries on exactly where Gottfried leaves off. The obvious thing therefore, is to translate Gottfried and Thomas in one volume, to give a complete narrative. That's what Hatto does, in his usual accurate, precise and elegant English, in this excellent Penguin Classics edition.
Hatto's editorial contributions, consisting of an Introduction and 7 Appendices, give as much information as most readers will require. One can sense the effort of will Hatto needed, to stop himself writing volumes more.
So how good a story is it? Well, it's a classic romance, from a time when sexual relations were being redefined, and which has provided inspiration for countless other romances since, most notably Romeo and Juliet. It does not read like a modern novel, for the very good reason that it isn't one. It is a medieval German poem translated into modern English prose, so much of the underlying social logic, and many of the aesthetics, will inevitably be lost to us. But it does contain some very memorable moments and it stands as an important milestone on the progress of western literature, and as an invaluable insight into European medieval culture.
Hatto's editorial contributions, consisting of an Introduction and 7 Appendices, give as much information as most readers will require. One can sense the effort of will Hatto needed, to stop himself writing volumes more.
So how good a story is it? Well, it's a classic romance, from a time when sexual relations were being redefined, and which has provided inspiration for countless other romances since, most notably Romeo and Juliet. It does not read like a modern novel, for the very good reason that it isn't one. It is a medieval German poem translated into modern English prose, so much of the underlying social logic, and many of the aesthetics, will inevitably be lost to us. But it does contain some very memorable moments and it stands as an important milestone on the progress of western literature, and as an invaluable insight into European medieval culture.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
As a reader new to Medieval Literature I can definately vouch for it being an excellent introduction to the genre. The story is a classic and it is definately worth reading this translation of the achetypal version, written in the 13th century. Although the beauty of the original poem cannot be captured in a prose translation, Hatto makes a very good attempt at it and the result is a pleasure to read. I fully recomend it.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
who said twelth century french literature was boring. obviously a tried and tested tale, told in an informal style (sometimes a little too informal; strassburg's constant demural that he isn't a great enough poet to describe things begins to ring too true too often, underlining, rather than glossing over unecessary details, his inadequacies.) the author is interested in the whole courtly set up and Tristan's mastery of these now sometimes arcane fripperies to seemingly underline his dilemmas with iseult, the romantic (in the modern sense of the word) end of the tale coming somewhat later in the tale. i am a little unsure of whether it's my modern interpritation of Tristan and his medieval manners, but he does come across as rather self-absorbed and lacking in true modesty, his manners towards people being impeccable, but his treatment very dismissive (rather charitably one could suggest strassburg intended this, asmuch as the strong homeo-erotic element suggesting that King Mark is smitten with his ward, but i tghink that 'charitable' would be the word). But the tale does involve and strassburg is good at actusal scenes and the construction of the whole. rather a good read.
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