Review (PDF) Medieval Epics: Beowulf, The Song Of Roland, The Nibelungenlied, And The Cid (The Modern Library Of The World's Best Books)
"The first great literary works of a culture are its epic chronicles, those that create simple hero-figures about whom the imagination of a nation can crystallize," observed V. S. Pritchett. Medieval Epics presents acclaimed translations of epic legends from four Western cultures.----Beowulf is the foundation of English literature. It celebrates the courage and leadership of the mythical Anglo-Saxon warlord in his battles with supernatural monsters. Hailed by John Gardner as "poetry of the highest order of intelligence and aesthetic sophistication . . . the greatest poem in Old English," Beowulf here was translated by William Alfred of Harvard.----The Nibelungenlied, in a version rendered by critic and academic Helen M. Mustard, endures as a remarkable fusion of history and poetry that is a vital component of German literature. Goethe maintained that knowledge of the work constituted an integral part of the country's education. Indeed, The Nibelungenlied later inspired Wagner's four-opera Ring cycle.----Also included in this edition are Pulitzer Prize-winning poet W. S. Merwin's translations of The Song of Roland, a chanson de geste extolling chivalric ideals in the France of Charlemagne, and The Poem of the Cid, the celebrated epic of Castilian Spain. "Both are the first great literary works to be written in their respective languages," noted Pritchett. "The Song of Roland is animated by the crusading spirit and fortified by national and religious propaganda. . . . [In] Merwin's translation of The Poem of the Cid . . . the Champion now stands clearly and firmly on the dusty soil of Castile and we can know for what solid reasons he became the legendary national hero. . . . We can see a myth being used, and why it was used. . . . Such epics are examples of fully realized, propagandist art."The Modern Library has played a significant role in American cultural life for the better part of a century. The series was founded in 1917 by the publishers Boni and Liveright and eight years later acquired by Bennett Cerf and Donald Klopfer. It provided the foun-dation for their next publishing venture, Random House. The Modern Library has been a staple of the American book trade, providing readers with affordable hardbound editions of important works of literature and thought. For the Modern Library's seventy-fifth anniversary, Random House redesigned the series, restoring as its emblem the running torchbearer created by Lucian Bernhard in 1925 and refurbishing jackets, bindings, and type, as well as inaugurating a new program of selecting titles. The Modern Library continues to provide the world's best books, at the best prices.
Hardcover: 611 pages
Publisher: Modern Library; Modern Library Ed edition (August 25, 1998)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0679603018
ISBN-13: 978-0679603016
Product Dimensions: 1.2 x 5.8 x 8.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
Average Customer Review: Be the first to review this item
Best Sellers Rank: #970,883 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #155 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Regional & Cultural > European > French #650 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Themes & Styles > Epic #931 in Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > European > French
Medieval Epics: Beowulf, The Song of Roland, The Nibelungenlied, and The Cid (The Modern Library of the World's Best Books) The Beowulf Manuscript: Complete Texts and The Flight at Finnsburg (Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library) The Song of Roland (Classics) The Song of Roland (Hackett Classics) Song of Roland German Epic Poetry: The Nibelungenlied, The Older Lay of Hildebrand, and other works (German Library) The Song of the Cid (Penguin Classics) A Dual-Language Edition with Parallel Text BEST BOOKS: Recommended Reading-Best American Literature (Fiction & Nonfiction), Must Read Titles in English, Best Young Adult Books, the Best Kindle Books, ... Novels & Book Club Picks (Good Reads 1) The Making of Medieval Forgeries: False Documents in Fifteenth-Century England (British Library Studies in Medieval Culture) Jokes For Kids - Joke Books : Funny Books : Kids Books : Books for kids age 9 12 : Best Jokes 2016 (kids books, jokes for kids, books for kids 9-12, ... funny jokes, funny jokes for kids) (Volume 1) World Mythology: An Anthology of Great Myths and Epics The Nibelungenlied: Prose Translation (Penguin Classics) Jokes : Best Jokes 2016: (Funny books, Joke books, Funny jokes, Best jokes 2016, Best jokes 2015) (Best Jokes 2016 Bundle) Rethinking India's Oral and Classical Epics: Draupadi among Rajputs, Muslims, and Dalits (Religion & Postmodernism S) Oral Epics from Africa: Vibrant Voices from a Vast Continent (African Epic) Atharva Veda (Great Epics of India: Vedas Book 4) Ritual, Politics, and the City in Fatimid Cairo (Suny Series in Medieval Middle East History) (Suny Series, Medieval Middle East History) La Chanson De Roland: Student Edition Oxford Text and English Translation (English and French Edition) Once Upon a Kiss: A Medieval Romance (Medieval Heroes) The Ransomed Crown (The Saga of Roland Inness Book 4)
