Romance of Tristan and Iseut

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 labor of love, like all of his work, Edward J. Gallaghers engaging new translation of Joseph Bédiers celebrated romance is the sparkling centerpiece of a volume that features an enlightening and erudite introduction, a selective bibliography, Bédiers prefatory note, and two glossaries. A most welcome appendix includes English translations of Gaston Paris original preface, two articles by Bédier, Adolph Brissons early review of the romance, and -- as a final surprise -- Bédiers previously unpublished Hall of Images scene. Gallagher generously offers in one handy volume an inestimable boon to scholars, teachers, and students, who now have at their fingertips the resources to appreciate fully Bédier's signal accomplishment." -- Joan Tasker Grimbert, Ordinary Professor of French and Medieval Studies, Catholic University of America, This edition stands out because it is not a reworking of Belloc's version but a translation of Bedier's actual text. Gone are archaic spellings (The Little Fakry Bell becomes "The Enchanted Bell") and abstruse terms (the Tintagel Minster now reads as the church at Tintagel). Gallagher provides a brief, informative introduction, useful glossaries of proper names and specialized terms, and five well-selected texts about the Tristan legend, including a haunting scene Bedier composed but chose not to use. Beautifully written, this modern English translation proves once again that the love of Tristan and Iseut endures beyond all limits of time and space. Summing up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above. --C. B. Kerr, Vassar College, in CHOICE, [This] slim paperback introduces non-specialists to the medieval French Tristan and Iseut stories in clear, modern prose. The lucid and engaging translation, with its helpful introduction and appended articles, is an excellent introduction to the beloved romance as well as a welcome tool for teaching it to undergraduates. --Tracy Adams, University of Auckland, in H-France Review

Edward J. Gallagher is Professor of French Studies, Wheaton College, Norton, Massachusetts.