MEDIEVAL LEGENDS OF LOVE & LUST

(Talking Stone, 2021)

Paperback and E-book editions

A UNIQUE COLLECTION

OF ROMANTIC STORIES

FROM BRITAIN AND EUROPE

IN THE 12th – 15th CENTURIES

Authentically

brought back to life

from the original medieval texts

to entertain the modern reader

Rosalind Kerven, connoisseur of myths and folktales...has translated and condensed sprawling, beautiful but inaccessible original texts from the 12th to 15th centuries into concise, elegant tales, capturing Christian, Muslim and folk influences at play in Western Europe during this period, they celebrate romantic love at the same time as offering some salient points of comparison... Whether it's simple escapism or century-spanning wisdom, this is a book to savour."

– The Independent

Read the full review here

"Kerven's latest book is a lush retreat from the world and its troubles. In this respect, one might say it is the perfect book for these parlous times. Here one finds tales of enchantment, seduction and adventure drawn from all over medieval Europe. Love and lust are idealised, satirised, mourned and parodied in stories taken from dream poems, Arthurian legends, the letters of Abelard and Heloise, the lais of Marie de France, chivalric romance and bawdy tales of all kinds... helpful accompanying notes to each legend... stands as striking testimony to the medieval claim that serves as its epigraph: 'No one is invulnerable against love' "

– TLS (The Times Literary Supplement)

Read the full review here

"A fine collection of medieval stories,

some well known, others deserving to be better known

than they are. It forms a great introduction to the whole area"

– Helen Cooper, Professor Emeritus of Medieval and Renaissance English, University of Cambridge

"A spicy collection... authentically and accessibly retold"

– The Bookseller

"A well selected collection of accessible

translations...I enjoyed looking at them!"

– Dr Andrew Dunning, curator of medieval manuscripts,

Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford

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The 12th to 15th centuries saw a great flowering of romantic literature in Western Europe, ranging from dramatic adventures in courtly love to bawdy and jocular tales. Both male and female authors also explored mystical passion, tragedy and scandal.

This unique book brings to life old stories from England, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Scotland, Spain and Wales, authentically retold from translations of the original texts, with informative background notes.

Highlights include the scandalous affair between celebrity Abelard and adolescent Heloise, the heartache behind Dante's iconic Divine Comedy, the feminist City of Ladies, spicy stories from Chaucer and Boccaccio, Queen Guinevere's adultery with Sir Lancelot and the haunting Lais of Marie de France, alongside many lesser-known narratives.

It is a treasure trove for anyone interested in the popular thought and culture of the Middle Ages.