The Romance of Arthur, New, Expanded Edition: An Anthology of Medieval Texts in Translation

by James J. Wilhelm

Book Overview

Since their first appearance, the three volumes of "The Romance of Arthur" have become the standard anthologies of Arthurian literature. Now, combined into a single convenient volume, the New,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0815315112
• ISBN13: 9780815315117
• Release Date: February 1994
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 592 Pages
• Weight: 2.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 5.9" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Celtic Origins of King Arthur Cycle ROCKS!

This book is an excellent collection of many hard to find texts. The translations are very good. It was required reading in an Arthur class that I'm taking at UCLA, and honestly, it is the best thing about the class. An excellent addition to the library of anyone interested in the development of the Arthur Cycle.

THE ROMANCE OF ARTHUR

James Wilhelm's "The Romance of Arthur" is an outstanding one-book resource for any student of Arthurian lore. Wilhelm's introductory notes are concise but helpful, and the selection of material is both varied and quite entertaining. There are not only widely familiar and vital core works such as The Knight of the Cart, The Romance of Tristan, Malory's Le Morte Darthur and the Prose Merlin, but more obscure masterpieces such as The Saga of the Mantle, the Rise of Gawain, and the Alliterative Morte Arthure--the last highlighted by some of the most powerful literary battles since Homer and a particularly moving scene of Arthur on his deathbed. An unqualified recommendation for any Arthurian library.

Great starting book

I originally got this book for a course, and it was my first taste of medeival lit. (beyond Beowulf and Canterbury tales, at least - but who didn't read those in twelth grade?). I found it an intriguing, well chosen compilation which showed the major evolutions of the Arthurian saga from the blood-thirsty early chronicals to the flowery romances and chivalry more commonly associated with the legend. The selected excerpts were of just the right length for reading in one sitting, and the introductions helped greatly in understanding them. Despite the fate of most books assigned for a class - I truly enjoyed this one.

An excellent compilation of essential Arthurian texts

This book is an excellent "one-stop" source for Arthurian materials. Spanning from the earliest Latin sources to touching on the most modern adaptations, this book has everything any student of Arthurian literature needs.