Joseph Bédier was a pivotal figure in the study of medieval French literature, serving as a distinguished professor. His scholarly investigations laid the groundwork for modern critical approaches to genres like the fabliaux and chansons de geste. Bédier played a crucial role in revitalizing interest in significant Old French texts, making them accessible to new generations. He also contributed to comprehensive histories of French literature, solidifying his legacy as a key interpreter of the medieval literary landscape.
The first English language translation of Bedier's classic work in nearly seventy years, this volume is the only edition that provides ancillary materials to help the reader understand the history of the legend and Bedier's method in creating his classic retelling.
A tale of chivalry and doomed, transcendent love, The Romance of Tristan and Iseult is one of the most resonant works of Western literature, as well as the basis for our enduring idea of romance. The story of the Cornish knight and the Irish princess who meet by deception, fall in love by magic, and pursue that love in defiance of heavenly and earthly law has inspired artists from Matthew Arnold to Richard Wagner. But nowhere has it been retold with greater eloquence and dignity than in Joseph Bédier’s edition, which weaves several medieval sources into a seamless whole, elegantly translated by Hilaire Belloc and Paul Rosenfeld.