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b0hemian_graham's review against another edition
4.0
was expecting the actual lais, not prose summaries. enjoyable but would have preferred the poetry to prose
faymus1985's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
jdk_andes's review against another edition
4.0
A collection of fun, surprising, and intelligent stories which subvert the tropes of medieval literature, yet also serve as an excellent example of the genre.
(Read for Class)
(Read for Class)
lizziemcherring's review against another edition
4.0
Read for school. I really enjoyed these! Enough to write a paper on them.
eevvee_weevie's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
kyra_thecrownless's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
leesmyth's review against another edition
4.0
The lais are interesting, especially the ones that are variations on stories familiar to me in other forms (e.g. Lanval). They set a high value on physical intimacy with, and loyalty to, one's true beloved, who is (spoiler alert) most emphatically NOT one's spouse. In some lais, the lovers meet when they are both unmarried, and then sometimes the woman is married off to someone obviously unsuitable (and jealous).
All that was fine until I got to the 12th and final lai. Eliduc is really hard to stomach; he promises to be loyal to his wife when he goes away to serve another king. Despite his best efforts, he and the king's daughter fall in love. So far, I can accept this. What's outrageous is that he makes promises to the new beloved, and eventually takes her back to his country with him, without ever revealing that he's already married. When she learns the truth, she falls into a dead faint. And then the loyal wife, who thinks she (the wife) must have somehow displeased Eliduc, finds the beloved and revives her with the unwitting help of a weasel. There are more twists to come, but I found myself really annoyed there is no justice wreaked on Eliduc, who has deceived and betrayed two innocent and loving women. Grrrr.
All that was fine until I got to the 12th and final lai. Eliduc is really hard to stomach; he promises to be loyal to his wife when he goes away to serve another king. Despite his best efforts, he and the king's daughter fall in love. So far, I can accept this. What's outrageous is that he makes promises to the new beloved, and eventually takes her back to his country with him, without ever revealing that he's already married. When she learns the truth, she falls into a dead faint. And then the loyal wife, who thinks she (the wife) must have somehow displeased Eliduc, finds the beloved and revives her with the unwitting help of a weasel. There are more twists to come, but I found myself really annoyed there is no justice wreaked on Eliduc, who has deceived and betrayed two innocent and loving women. Grrrr.
bibliosquire's review against another edition
4.0
I forgot to add this book back when we read it for class lol whoops
manwithanagenda's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A beautiful set of courtly tales of an imagined world of chivalry written in the 12th century by a woman known only as Marie of France. Her work is widely preserved, hinting at fame in her lifetime. These were surprisingly entertaining as the stories were brief, the morals not hammered in, and we were granted a new lesson and plot with each tale, which was very thoughtful of her.