Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Books read in 2015: No. 21 -- Medieval Romances

edited by Roger Sherman Loomis and Laura Hibbard Loomis

Started: Aug. 13
Finished: Sept. 15

Notes: I've read some of the material here before, such as "Tristan and Isolt," or at least one version of such tales. However, being a fantasy writer, I think it a good idea for me to occasionally delve into early material related to the genre. Besides, though I consider myself fairly well read in ancient Western literature, I always feel as if I'm not well-enough familiar with Renaissance and Medieval literature. Also, I picked this one up at a used book store some years back for only a nickel, so you can't beat the price.

Mini review: Despite being originally written down during the Medieval period, translated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, then edited and published in the 1950s, most of the text here reads pretty smoothly and pretty modern. Some stories are better than others, and most focus around the Knights of the Round Table. I'm glad to have read this. Anyone who wants to study Medieval literature without getting overly deep into the subject should find this a decent read.

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