The romance of Tristan

[baloonworld]

I read it (Fedrick's 1970 translation). Its meant to be this great love story, but to me this version (earliest available) mostly seemed to be about personality-altering drugs and why you should check carefully before taking them. And about the role of women in society (i.e. as things to trade to ensure peace and brood mares). I really like Yseut's mom; despite never appearing she totally dominated the story. I can imagine her talking to her daughter about her duties to the family and the generations of Cornish-Welsh warfare her marriage to Mark was going to end, and ending with some advice living in a strange court with no friends (which I assume she'd done when she was married). Oh yes, and you should really slip this into his tea, because you will have no rights or power but what he gives you.

I think the love potion was an old family recipe, passed down the maternal line for generations.

Then Branigen fucked up zany hijinks ensued.

Quote from the introduction:
"it is far from easy to imagine that a piece of narrative fiction can exist as a serious work of art while dispensing with elements as fundamental as a coherent plot, an ordered flow of events with a clearly discernible causal nexus, and convincing characterization"

Damnit, I'll never get to publish anything that belittling.

Comments

[trailingvortex.livejournal.com]

I was freaked out by your spelling of "Isolde" for a moment, but that's because I only know the story from the Wagner Opera.

[almosthonest.livejournal.com]

Fascinated by your review, I've sought out a copy on Project Gutenberg, and am reading it. It's lovely to read, but already there are hints of slightly discontinuity. For example, how to reconcile the following two lines:

"and he taught him [Tristan] to hate every lie and felony and to keep his given word;"

....

"When Tristan knew himself again (for her art restored him) he knew himself to be in the land of peril. But he was yet strong to hold his own and found good crafty words." --- and then basically lied his way to safety.

[baloonworld.livejournal.com]

My conclusion from Morte d'arther was that in chivalric romance, prowesss of arms is the only real virtue, and all other virtues are reflection of it. Thus: He is honest means "He is handy with a lance" (there may be exceptioons relivent to a few stories, like being respectful to women. The disrespectful act will be followed by losing your next joust).

EG the "three wicked barons" that Baerol rants against- they don't do much wrong (they act to prevent a civil war over Mark's sucession), but they are not very brave. Thus: wicked.

[almosthonest.livejournal.com]

Prowess at arms for a bloke, or prowess at deception for a woman, apparently. Isolde just did the really cool trick with being carried across the river, then swearing only two men had ever held her in their arms.

Treachery and deception FTW!

[trailingvortex.livejournal.com]

Wanna join me in martial arts and become an honest man?

[roadkillgerbil.livejournal.com]

Are you trying to make an honest man of him?

[trailingvortex.livejournal.com]

I'll leave that to my Sensei. But can you not imagine Alexander all in white? I'm sure it would be the best day of his life...

[baloonworld.livejournal.com]

hahaha you have the bowdlerized version. My translation said that she had had no men between her legs except King Mark and *innocent-sounding discription of Tristam*

Filth! :)