Lancelot: The Knight of the Cart (Chretien de Troyes Romances S) Revised ed. Edition

by Chrétien de Troyes (Author), Burton Raffel (Translator)

14 customer reviews

ISBN-13: 978-0300071214

ISBN-10: 0300071213

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In this outstanding new translation of Lancelot, Burton Raffel brings to English language readers the fourth of Chrétien’s five surviving romantic Arthurian poems. This poem was the first to introduce Lancelot as an important figure in the King Arthur legend.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Raffel’s approach is sufficiently novel, and his work sufficiently appealing, that we can only welcome this addition to the burgeoning corpus of Chretien’s romances in English."―Norris J. Lacy, The Medieval Review

About the Author

Burton Raffel is distinguished professor of humanities at the University of Southwestern Louisiana. He has published extensively, including six books and chapbooks of poetry, three texts on the translation process, and award-winning translations of Zola, Cervantes, and Rabelais. He is currently working on the translation of Chr‚tiens fifth and final romantic poem, Perceval.

Product details

Series: Chretien de Troyes Romances S
Paperback: 254 pages
Publisher: Yale University Press; Revised ed. edition (October 20, 1997)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0300071213
ISBN-13: 978-0300071214
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.5 x 8.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 10.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 14 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #665,794 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #34 in Books > Literature & Fiction > History & Criticism > Movements & Periods > Arthurian Romance
- #501 in Books > Textbooks > Humanities > Literature > World Literature > European
- #503 in Books > Literature & Fiction > History & Criticism > Genres & Styles > Gothic & Romance

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14 customer reviews

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Chretien de Troyes is a wonderful poet, who practically singlehandedly invented the Arthurian legend

January 7, 2016

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

First of all, Chretien de Troyes is a wonderful poet, who practically singlehandedly invented the Arthurian legend. Secondly -- but actually, most importantly -- Ruth Harwood Cline is a SUPERB translator. She does total justice to the original text, does not mangle it, and manages to translate into rhymed verse (the original French is rhymed) that totally "works" while never sacrificing meaning. To put it simply, there is magic in this translation. It is totally readable, it carries you along, and you don't want to stop until the end.

3 people found this helpful

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Great and important story

April 25, 2008

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Chretien de Troyes is one of the unsung heroes of world literature in general and Arthurian legend in particular. In Perceval he introduced the Grail, a fundamental symbol that fascinated other medieval writers, who expanded on it until the Grail became the defining object of the entire literature. And in Lancelot, Chretien created a story of love and betrayal that achieved almost equal importance with the Grail legend.

Chretien was the first poet to ascribe importance of any kind to Lancelot, who had been sometimes mentioned in Arthurian tales but never a major figure. In this poem, Lancelot becomes one of the bravest of Arthur's knights and, what is more, Queen Guinevere's lover.

The poem begins as so many do that concern Arthur--the court has gathered for merry-making and the festivities are interrupted by an evil figure. Here, it is Maleagant, who challenges Arthur to entrust his queen to any knight in the court. The knight will combat Maleagant, and whoever wins takes the queen home. Arthur is hard-pressed to choose, but the royal steward, Sir Kay, forces him to a decision by swearing he will leave the court if he is not chosen for the contest. Arthur submits to the demand and Kay is defeated.

Sir Gawain sets out to follow the captive queen and, perhaps, rescue her. He is joined by a young, unnamed knight, who is just as determined to rescue the queen. The knight, however, is forced to ride in a cart, a humiliating gesture that soils his reputation for the rest of the story. This "knight of the cart," of course, is Sir Lancelot, and he is bound to find and rescue Guinevere because of his deathless love of her. Lancelot and Gawain agree to journey separately to Maleagant's kingdom and try to save her.

Needless to say, Lancelot succeeds and it is during his stay there that he continues his adulterous liaisons with the queen, further complicating matters. Single combats and a lengthy term of harsh imprisonment ensue, and Lancelot can only be saved by the good things he has done for others.

Chretien's work has stood up well to the test of time. Not only is the quest perfect mixture of adventure and excitement--with numerous combats, near-deaths, and feats of courage and endurance--the story resonates with deep meaning and themes that are still important today. Humility is among the foremost--Lancelot is not named for nearly half the story, and he willingly endures the humiliation of the cart for the chance to rescue his queen. Love and betrayal are also prominent, as is the question of how deeply in love a person should actually be.

Burton Raffel's translation of Lancelot is a brisk read, both exciting and fun. As a non-French-speaker, I can't attest to the literal accuracy of the traslation, but based on his track record in Old English and Middle High German, it can't be very loose. The afterword by Joseph Duggan is very good, highlighting the importance of the poem and its themes, as well as the interesting notion--very strongly argued--that Chretien was not particularly fond of this story. In fact, it was probably not even his idea, which is why Lancelot is sometimes painted as a dolt and sometimes as an idolater, worshipping Guinevere as some would God.

If you're interested in medieval literature, particularly knightly tales and anything concerned with Arthurian legend, Lancelot is in indispensable read. You won't be disappointed.

Highly recommended.

6 people found this helpful

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No Jacket — Smooth

March 2, 2015

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

I'm reading this to a 7 year old and 9 year old; the 9 year old understands what's going on and the words aren't too big for her. I've brought a paperback copy for her to follow along.

The plot and the descriptions keep the reader going. The hardcover is well-priced and worth it.

One person found this helpful

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Lots of drama, cheating, and intrigue in a Camelot setting.

November 12, 2016

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Not a fan of Medieval literature I have discovered. I'm sure it's enjoyable to some, like my Medieval lit professor, but for me it was all over the place and vague in areas making the values of the period hard to determine. Lots of drama, cheating, and intrigue in a Camelot setting.

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Classic Poem To Read If You're A Fan of the King Arthur Tales

October 21, 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Always having been a fan of the King Arthur times and tales, I had to read this classic poem that is supposedly the origin of the story. The translation from French to English is superb, although I'm sure some things might have been lost in it. This is my bedside reading.

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Grace Ciccarello

The rhyming translation while impressive did heed the flow of ...

May 15, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

The rhyming translation while impressive did heed the flow of reading and made the experience feel choppy and exhausting.

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NYC Lap Swimmer

October 26, 2014

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Excellent translation, and the original and best of the Lancelot myths.

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March 2, 2016

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Great thanks for the good item.

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