Troyes Chrétien de Book order

Chrétien de Troyes is regarded as the father of Arthurian romance and a pivotal figure in Western literature. Composing in French in the late twelfth century, his poetry is marked by a learning and taste for dialectic acquired in Latin schools. Yet, it also reveals a warm human sympathy that breathes life into characters and situations. While drawing on Celtic myth and setting tales in the timeless reign of King Arthur, he depicted the society and customs of his own era, with the mysterious Grail making its first literary appearance in his unfinished work.