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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 808.80351
EAN: 9780815315117
ISBN: 0815315112
Label: Routledge
Manufacturer: Routledge
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 592
Publication Date: 1994-02-01
Publisher: Routledge
Studio: Routledge

Here are some of the most important works of medieval Arthurian literature in fresh, new translations that convey the development of King Arthur from Latin chronicles and Celtic mythology into the romantic king of late-medieval literature.
Covering almost a thousand years, The Romance of Arthur: New Expanded Edition covers a broad range of genres, from the early chronicles and Welsh verse through Sir Thomas Malory. A section on lyrics is a new addition. The translations, from Latin, French, German, Spanish, Welsh, Middle English, and Italian, were freshly done for the original anthologies and have now been updated. Complete texts have been presented wherever possible.
Partial list of contents: James J. Wilhelm, "Arthur in the Latin Chronicles"; John K. Bollard, "Arthur in the Early Welsh Tradition"; Richard M. Loomis, "Culhwch and Olwen"; Richard M. Loomis, "Arthur in Geoffrey of Monmouth"; William W. Kibler, "Chr tien de Troyes: Lancelot, or The Knight of the Cart";James J. Wilhelm, "Selected Lyrics"; Marianne E. Kalinke, "The Sage of the Mantle"; Norris J. Lacy, B roul: The Romance of Tristan"; Russell Weingartner, "Marie de France: Lay of the Chievrefueil (Honeysuckle)"; James J. Wilhelm, "Thomas of Britain: Tristan ('The Death Scene')"; Mildred Leake Day, "The Rise of Gawain, Nephew of Arthur"; James J. Wilhelm, ,"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight"; James J. Wilhelm, "The Wedding of Sir Gawain Dame Ragnell."Index. Bibliography.

Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Celtic Origins of King Arthur Cycle ROCKS!
Review: This book is an excellent collection of many hard to find texts.
The translations are very good.
It was required reading in an Arthur class that I'm taking at UCLA, and honestly, it is the best thing about the class.
An excellent addition to the library of anyone interested in the development of the Arthur Cycle.

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Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Good Overview of the Arthurian Legend, with some flaws
Review: This is a useful anthology. If you want to learn some basics about the Arthurian legend, or if you want to teach a class on it, this is the best book to buy. It's fairly comprehensive, with the exception noted below, and the translations are readable, though seldom the best available. It's nice to see some of the unusual stories like "The Saga of the Mantle" and "The Rise of Gawain."

The collection's major flaw is its omission of any Grail text. I have to supplement this book with Nigel Bryant's translation of Robert de Boron (Merlin and the Grail, from Boydell and Brewer). We could certainly do without all the Tristan and Isolde texts (which are only marginally Arthurian anyway). The other flaw, though less grave, is the paucity of the selection from Malory. He really deserves greater prominence than he gets in this anthology, and the selection without proper context isn't very compelling.

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Customer Rating:
Review Summary: THE ROMANCE OF ARTHUR
Review: James Wilhelm's "The Romance of Arthur" is an outstanding one-book resource for any student of Arthurian lore. Wilhelm's introductory notes are concise but helpful, and the selection of material is both varied and quite entertaining. There are not only widely familiar and vital core works such as The Knight of the Cart, The Romance of Tristan, Malory's Le Morte Darthur and the Prose Merlin, but more obscure masterpieces such as The Saga of the Mantle, the Rise of Gawain, and the Alliterative Morte Arthure--the last highlighted by some of the most powerful literary battles since Homer and a particularly moving scene of Arthur on his deathbed. An unqualified recommendation for any Arthurian library.

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Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Great starting book
Review: I originally got this book for a course, and it was my first taste of medeival lit. (beyond Beowulf and Canterbury tales, at least - but who didn't read those in twelth grade?). I found it an intriguing, well chosen compilation which showed the major evolutions of the Arthurian saga from the blood-thirsty early chronicals to the flowery romances and chivalry more commonly associated with the legend. The selected excerpts were of just the right length for reading in one sitting, and the introductions helped greatly in understanding them. Despite the fate of most books assigned for a class - I truly enjoyed this one.

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Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Good overview of Arthurian legends
Review: This book gives somewhat of a Arthurian anthology as it begins in the early writings of Geoffrey of Monmouth and others, then works its way through some of the more well known stories, most notably Knight of the Cart and Gawain and the Green Knight. The translations of the individual stories aren't always the best, but this book is a good compilation for casual readers of Arthurian lit looking for a sampler.

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