The Old French Lancelot-Graal is an important but massive work, providing a place for King Arthur not only in the history of Britain but also in Christian history. This new translation of one section, the Quest of the Holy Grail, will be a flexible addition to courses on medieval literature or romance. The notes and guides are designed to help readers enjoy the text while appreciating its relationship to social and literary history. Appendices include translations of material from two of Chretien de Troyes's romances (Perceval and Yvain); translations from other parts of the Lancelot-Grail Cycle (the early history of the Grail and the conception of Galahad); and excerpts from apocryphal works (from French versions written at about the same time as the Quest).

About the Author
Judith Shoaf is Director of the Language Learning Center at the University of Florida.

Reviews

"The Quest of the Holy Grail is a seminal work of medieval literature and still a constant source for allusion, quasi-proverbial citation, and even parody. The canonical version of the story is an early-thirteenth-century Old French prose romance, and Judith Shoaf provides a lucid and readable translation accompanied by an excellent learned introduction in which she situates the Quest in the history of medieval Arthurian romance and explains some of the key concepts of the romance for readers unfamiliar with medieval Arthurian romance and medieval Christian thought. This translation and introduction are clearly the best available for anglophone teachers of undergraduate (or high-school) courses in medieval romance, and scholars of Arthurian romance can learn much from both the introduction and the annotations to the text. This is a brilliant achievement that students and more advanced scholars alike can celebrate." - Thomas D. Hill, Professor of English and Medieval Studies, Cornell University

"Judith Shoaf's new translation of the Quest of the Holy Grail is essential for anyone encountering the Quest either for the first time or after repeated study. Shoaf's text surpasses earlier translations in accuracy and readability. Its explanatory notes, always illuminating, are helpfully placed at the bottom of the page rather than at the back of the book. Shoaf's is the first English translation to include alternative conclusions found in manuscripts of the Quest. Her Introduction is as accessible as it is scholarly, guiding the reader expertly through the Quest, the chivalric and religious culture it portrays, and its place in the Vulgate Cycle and the Grail legend. The translation is richly supplemented with manuscript illustrations, an identification list of proper names, a genealogy of Galahad, and appendices featuring relevant passages from the Quest's contexts in Arthurian legend and biblical apocrypha." - Michael Twomey, Professor Emeritus, Ithaca College

Book Information
ISBN 9781554813766
Author Anonymous
Format Paperback
Page Count 368
Imprint Broadview Press Ltd
Publisher Broadview Press Ltd
Weight(grams) 470g
Dimensions(mm) 216mm * 140mm * 17mm