The Romance of Tristan: The Tale of Tristan's Madness (Penguin Classics) [Paperback]

Beroul (Author), Alan S. Fedrick (Translator, Introduction)

Book Description

Series: Penguin Classics | Publication Date: July 27, 1978

One of the earliest extant versions of the Tristan and Yseut story, Beroul's French manuscript of The Romance of Tristan dates back to the middle of the twelfth century. It recounts the legend of Tristan, nephew of King Mark of Cornwall, and the king's Irish wife Yseut, who fall passionately in love after mistakenly drinking a potion. Their illicit romance remains secret for many years, but the relentless suspicion of the king's barons and the fading effects of the magic draught eventually lead to tragedy for the lovers. While Beroul's work emphasizes the impulsive and often brutal behaviour of the characters, its sympathetic depiction of two people struggling against their destiny is one of the most powerful versions of this enduringly popular legend.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, French (translation)

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (July 27, 1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140442308
• ISBN-13: 978-0140442304
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #57,316 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Folksy and Fabulous, August 15, 2004

By 

Peter Reeve (Thousand Oaks, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Romance of Tristan: The Tale of Tristan's Madness (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

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) flavor.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a delightful little read, October 29, 2003

By 

Ray Wang "Cornell Student" (Gaithersburg, MD United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Romance of Tristan: The Tale of Tristan's Madness (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

From the publisher Penguin comes a translation of the Romance of Tristan by Beroul that seems to be aimed at the general population. The translator, Alan. S. Federick, sought to "strike a balance between a version which is readable in Modern English prose and one which is still recognizably Beroul's poem." While not a definitive edition or completely accurate to the original text, it is a version that the general audience will find delightful to read. The introduction provides a setting for the book, and fills in details that many who are not familiar with medieval literature would find helpful. The analysis within the introduction also provides an added dimension so that the reader would be able to fully appreciate the text with minor guidance. The summary of earlier episodes of the story also lessens the confusion often associated with reading a medieval text.

The style of the translation is conducive to smooth reading and avoid copious footnotes that often lead to reader frustration. The division of chapters with informative titles also makes the text enjoyable to read. The story is translated to paragraph form, a refreshing contrast with line by line translation in other versions which seems boring and droll. An translation of a separate tale, the madness of Tristan is also included to make the tale complete. It seems no effort is spared to make the text readable. The difficulty of this text is less than that of a Harry Potter novel.

I would recommend this book to all readers looking for a simple and enjoyable tale of medieval romance. Thanks must be given to god and Penguin publishing for opening up this legendary medieval tale to a wider audience.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic Legend in its Original form, September 12, 2000

By 

Joshua Wise (Mt. Holly, NJ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Romance of Tristan: The Tale of Tristan's Madness (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

Though the story of Tristan and Iseult predates even this particular telling of the story, it is the earliest extant version we have, and it suffers not at all from its age. Full of love, battle, humor (and there are some great points of humor in the book), and a visit from Aruthur's knights, this is a classic tale of romance and betrayal. Any fan of Arthurian myth should read this timeless tale that has inspired so many to write books, music, and poetry. Even before there was the story of Romeo and Juliet, there was this story of star crossed lovers.