Customer Reviews

Stealing Heaven (The Hera Series)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is an absolutely wonderful book which has a slightly different take on the legendary Abelard & Heloise love story because it's written from her point of view. She is an intelligent, compelling and passionate woman who touched me deeply. The book is written in lovely language and provides wonderful descriptions of medieval France--you feel like you are running the streets of Paris with Heloise in her youth...and you stay with her through all the trials of her lost love, betrayals, lost and found faith and overall an incredible compassion for humanity. It is a great book because it shows Heloise in both her private and public selves and traces her life to eventual redemption. Fascinating and moving...I wept and smiled at the end.

I was thrilled to find the book. I had seen the movie and was fascinated by the story of Heloise and Abelard, but I was not prepared for the richness of this book. It covers the politics of the day (and the politics of the church), the history of impending war, and, with great passion, the forbidden love between two of history's greatest minds. The story of Heloise's life building her convent was fascinating. This book will remain close at hand for re-reads whenever I need a fix of great storytelling.

If you've read some of the other reviews of this book -- you have to remind yourself of the historical FICTION portion. The story could be seen as one sided, simply because the recovered correspondence between Heloise and Abelard are one sided --- she pours out her undying love for him and he writes back to her reminding her of his duty and place with the Church and with god.

I thought that it was very touching. I didn't see how any of the steamy parts were vulgar...they were in no way gratuitous. I was entertained by the writing. I found myself wanting to know what happened next even though I knew the ending.

I wouldn't say to buy this book new. Find it used or check it out from the library. You have to read this book keeping a few things in perspective: the time period in which the story takes place and the fact that the book is historical FICTION. Some of the scenes mentioned by other reviewers may not have actually happened but the story follows very closely to what was actually written by the characters involved and the historical events transpiring during their time.

It's a good read. Give it a chance. If anything it made me more interested in finding out the history of their time and the individuals themselves outside of their relationship.

Based on one of history's greatest love stories, this heartwrenching novel tells us of the doomed romance between Heloise and Abelard.

In twelfth century France, Peter Abelard is a philosophy teacher at the cathedral school of Notre Dame. Considered the greatest teacher of the time, students from all over flock to Paris eager to hear his teachings. Widely admired for his dedication to his profession, he will meet his downfall when he falls in love with a local canon's niece.

Raised in a convent, Heloise is a strong-willed young lady with an insatiable desire for knowledge. And with such passionate nature, she possesses a rebellious streak especially when it comes to the society's perception of women as mere chattel. From the day that her Uncle Fulbert has made her aware of his plans to marry her off to a wealthy man, Heloise has expressed her dislike for marriage. Therefore, when he accepts Abelard's request to rent one of his rooms, he doesn't think twice about it despite his relatives' concern about his maiden niece living under the same roof as Master Abelard. In fact, he has so much trust in Abelard's chasteness that one of the conditions he gives Abelard is for him to take Heloise as a pupil. And so begins the tragic romance that will shock the nation and which will become one of histories most popular love stories of all time.

While Shakespeare has immortalized the romance of Romeo and Juliet, the story of Heloise and Abelard will always be more powerful for the fact that we know that it happened and we have their letters that tell us of the sorrow that the lovers, especially Heloise, has lived after the vengeful castration of Abelard. Marion Meade does a good job in describing the atmosphere of the time that the book really draws you in and the characters are so vivid adding to the intensity of the story.

This is a truly passionate retelling of the doomed love of Heloise and Abelard. But I did find that this book is more focused on Heloise's feelings. You see the depth of her love for Abelard and how she suffered with the nagging doubts about Abelard's true feelings for her, her shock at how he seemed to have readily accepted his fate as God's punishment for not resisting his feelings for her. The author has done a great job in her depiction of Heloise that, at times, it was painful to read how Heloise ached for Abelard's love and for what could have been if not for her uncle's revenge. And this is where some may have a problem with Abelard's character. Because the book is almost entirely focused on Heloise, I myself had some doubts about Abelard and truly wish that I were able to get the same sense of conviction for his true feelings.

But despite this, I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves medieval history and passionate love story. As long as you keep an open mind that this is a fictional novel based on facts, and know that there are embellishments for story-telling purpose, this is a wonderful and captivating book for romance buff.

Marion Meade's "Stealing Heaven" is a wonderful and touching account of the love affair between Peter Abelard, one of the most significant thinkers of his age, and Heloise, who in a different time period, might well have been considered the same.

A book like this has to be written as a novel. The events are too far in the distant past, and too many details have been lost, for much else. As such, it is well written and beautifully presented. It engages the reader, and captures the "feel" of 12th century France.

This being said, the book is not without its flaws. The focus is almost entirely on Heloise and her personal sacrifices -- and there were two persons in this relationship. In one sense, Abelard suffered far greater loss, both personally and professionally than did Heloise. This is not adequately displayed in the novel. Meade makes numerous negative speculations about Abelard's motives and feelings which really can't fairly be made. Essentially, Meade tends to look at the characters from a post-modern feminist viewpoint -- which is fine, as long as the reader is aware of what she is doing, and that her (Meade's) philosophical presuppositons were not those inherent in 12th century France!

Somewhat disturbing was Meade's suggestion that Abelard was (or had been) engaged in homosexual relations with one or more of his students prior to his involvment with Heloise. This is a rather serious (and unsubstantiated) charge which, in the eyes of many, would detract from his character, but which is not borne out by the available historical evidence.

I recommend this book with caution. If you are looking for an entertaining historical novel about some extremely colorful characters, you will enjoy this book. But you need to realize that there is a good deal of fiction mixed in with fact -- and it is not always easy to discern the difference.

This is a beautifully detailed, beautifully written historical novel. A factually accurate, sensual and moving version of the story of the 12th century French lovers Abelard and Heloise. The charismatic Abelard, the pre-emminent philosopher of Paris, is a master of dialectics and reason, celebrated throughout Paris; his pupil, Heloise, some 20 years younger is renowned for 'surpassing all women and most men' in her learning. Abelard is a rebel in the realms of theology and philosophy - but Heloise shows herself to be an even greater rebel, surpassing him in the realm of human love. The film version of the novel (1988)- out of print and difficult to acquire - has some historical inaccuracies and is rather truncated, but is a cut above the run-of-the-mill Romance channel classics. Strives to give equal weight to the paradoxical 'fields' of love and reason. It would be impossible to imagine a richer plot - and yet, though the treatment here is fiction, the events are real.

I first read "Stealing Heaven" in 1979, and it was the first novel to ever bring me to tears. Two years ago I stumbled across it again at a used-book sale. I was thrilled to re-read it and found it just as stirring as the first time. The story of Heloise and Abelard is well known, but Marion Meade manages to make Heloise a flesh and blood character rather than an 11th century martyr. Her descriptions of life in medival Paris are vivid and colorful. The movie version is a weak representation of this wondeful story.

This is one of the most beatiful love stories ever written. I saw the movie quite by accident and made it my quest to find this book. I contacted several bookstores, but was unable to get a copy....then I just happened into a bookstore in Atlanta and there is was on display by the door......I would have spent my last penny to buy it (thank goodness I didn't have to!). I've shared this book with many of my friends and my oldest daughter and the reviews are all the same......enchanting; one of those books you just can't put down until you finish it.

I first read about Heloise and Abelard in high school and remember being horrified by Abelard's punishment. Although this is a fictionalized account, the answers to "what happened after" are finally answered. This book was so beautifully written that you are transported to the streets of medieval France and can feel the spirit of the young Heloise. I was deeply touched by her spirit, pain and rebirth.

Never has a story captured my heart such as this breathtaking account of these two star-crossed lovers. The power of their love is euphoric. Heloise's spirit made me feel so youthful, I wanted to run and laugh and giggle in her place. Although their many trials brought me to tears I was always filled with such admiration for their courage.