Perceval: The Story of the Grail (Chretien De Troyes Romances) [Hardcover]

Chretien de Troyes (Author), Professor Burton Raffel (Translator)

Book Description

Series: Chretien De Troyes Romances | Publication Date: January 11, 1999

One of the most influential storytellers in Western literature, French poet Chretien de Troyes helped to shape the ever-fascinating legend of King Arthur and the Round Table. Of Chretien's five surviving romantic Arthurian poems, the last and longest is Perceval, an unfinished work that introduces the story of the Grail -- a legend quickly adopted by other medieval writers and taken up by a continuing succession of authors. In Chretien's romance, Perceval progresses from a naive boyhood in rural seclusion to a position of high respect as a knight at Arthur's court. Acclaimed for sensitive and faithful translations of the poems of Chretien, Burton Raffel completes the Arthurian series with this rendition of Perceval.

Editorial Reviews

Review

(An) excellent translation. (...) The most complete account of the Continuations in English, making the text usefully accessible to a wider audience. --Medium Aevum

Brewer is to be congratulated on its enormous contribution to Arthurian studies over past decades. […] Bryant has given us a delightfully fast-paced read which rattles along through quests, battles, beautiful maidens and enchantments. […] A wonderful addition to the Arthurian corpus. --Fortean Times

All serious students should have a copy. --Pendragon --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (January 11, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300075855
• ISBN-13: 978-0300075854
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,775,896 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best english rendition available, April 14, 2000

By 

Nigel (Springfield, OH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Perceval: The Story of the Grail (Chretien De Troyes Romances S) (Paperback)

For anyone who enjoys the legends of King Arthur this book is a must read. The story is a blend of commedy, adventure, and the magnificent all set in a world that is at times magical and bordering the superantural. The story contains the tales of two knights; Perceval and Gawain. While it is true that Chretian never did finish the book the result is more of a cliffhanger than a dissapointment. Burton Raffel does an excellent job translating from the origional french using the definative Pleiade edition as his reference. These masterpieces written by Chretian de Troyes are the inspiration behind the famous Le Morte Darthur by Sir Thomas Mallory. Enjoy.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most influential books of all time, September 8, 2000

By 

M. Benefield "ben_fx" (San Rafael, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Perceval: The Story of the Grail (Chretien De Troyes Romances S) (Paperback)

This unfinnished romance has inspired centuries of literature. Chretien was probably the most popular writer in the 12th century. Despite the age of the book the story is full of issues that concern us today. It is a comming of age story in which a boy becomes a man and learns of his ancestry and potential. It is also a story of spiritual discovery, and the encounter with mystery. The fact that the poem was left unfinnished makes it even more compelling. Chretien claimed that this book was rewritten from a source book given to him by Phillip of Flanders, his patron. Speculation about the nature of this source has run on for centuries. A recent analysis in _King_Arthur_ by Norma Goodrich, makes a good case that the source was real and that these Arthurian stories took place in southern Scotland. So maybe Percival is more than just one of the greatest works of fiction. I love to read direct translations of Celtic mythology, and this is amoung the best available. Easier to read than you might think, but still a challenge. One of my favorite books.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars French take on the Arthurian Legend, January 10, 2007

By 

Andres C. Salama (Buenos Aires, Argentina) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Perceval: The Story of the Grail (Arthurian Studies) (Paperback)

Written by Chretien de Troyes in around 1180 under the patronage of Philip of Flanders, this medieval poem can be considered as the French take on the Arthurian legend. (Remember this was a time when England was ruled by French kings, so I suppose there was a lot of cultural exchange between the two countries). It's a very peculiar work, in that it is very funny, as Perceval, the protagonist of the story, is portrayed as an almost impossible fool who through his candor achieves success as a knight. Merlin doesn't appear here, but King Arthur does (as an aging and ineffective monarch), as well as Gawain and the Fisher King (with a very intriguing subplot dealing with the Holy Grail, reportedly the first mention ever in print of this mythical cup). Summing up, this is highly reccomended (and it's highly readable). Note: French filmmaker Eric Rohmer made in 1978 a very good adaptation of the poem called Perceval le Gallois.