Customer Reviews

Amadis of Gaul, Books I and II (Studies in Romance Languages)

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Amadis of Gaul is, in one word, classic. It's the novel from which all modern adventure and fantasy novels come from. It's insipired imitators and parodies, including Cervantes' equally classic Don Quixote--a book which has great reverence for Amadis itself. Knights, damsels, giants, dragons--this book truly has it all.

The best part is, the editors wrote this book so that it's easy for everyone to read. No preservation of archaic dialects here--pick this book up and you'll be able to read it with no problems. Recommended for all lovers of literature.

Once the paternity and early deeds of the main character have been established, Amadis of Gaul turns into a fine narrative devoid of that numbing lifelessness so typical of many other Medieval works, particularly the excruciatingly dull and unimaginative Malory collation of Arthur, Lancelot and Tristan legends (my apologies for provoking the ire of ardent medievalists, but truth be told reading Malory is a chore). I reckon Montalvo to be a Homer of sorts, who with deft hands subtly shapes, coloring and augmenting the existing legend into a more convincing and worldly work--amazingly enough, a work still suitable to our modern day sensibilites! Characters in Amadis have opinions, occasionally make sarcastic asides, and (believe it or not) engage in sexual intercourse, overall acting in a more human manner than any of their medieval literary counterparts. A comparison that comes to my mind is the way in which the stiff and rigid statues of medieval churches became more realistic by the re-introduction of the contrapposto technique. I initially purchased this because it's specifically mentioned during an amusing episode in Don Quixote where the curate, barber, the Don's niece and his housekeeper believe, in consigning his vast library of books of chivalry to the flames, they are curing him of his madness. It was exciting to come across a scene in Amadis that Cervantes clearly lampoons in Don Quixote involving Amadis bemoaning the fact he hasn't been able to give Gandalin, his squire, an island as recompense (all this before Amadis places himself into a self-imposed exile, another scenario also spoofed in DQ) for fealty to his master. If you've read Don Quixote you'll know that an island is the promised gift that becomes fantasized carrot and a relentless jeremiad for Sancho Panzo. If you liked Orlando Furioso (which I recommend in Waldman's readable prose translation) you will like this as well, perhaps a bit more. Despite being an academic press, which explains the higher cost, this work is a fun read and is rendered into a charming, simplified English by translators Herbert Behm and Edwin Place. It could easily fit in the Penguin classics catalog as a standard work.

I bought this book as a father's day gift to my father who is a direct decendent of the author (as am I, of course). I just wish to express my sincere gratitude to the translator/editor for bringing these inspiring texts back to life!

I hope you'll consider these works and keep the history alive!

Ya muy bien lo dijo el ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha : "-Quiero, Sancho, que sepas que el famoso Amadis de Gaula fue uno de los mas perfectos caballeros andantes. No he dicho bien fue uno: fue el solo, el primero, el unico, el seqor de todos cuantos hubo en su tiempo en el mundo." Basta con escuchar estas palabras de boca del gran caballero de la Mancha (o de la pluma de Cervantes!?!) para despertar la curiosidad por leer esta obra tan magna y propia para cualquier caballero moderno o practicante del arte de Jugar al Rol. Una verdadera obra donde la fuerza de la espada y la pasion del amor se dan cita en un solo hombre Amadis de Gaula.