Reviews

Le roman de Tristan et Iseut by Joseph Bédier

kealey_explores's review against another edition

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4.0

the last page made all the depressing pages before it worthwhile

marlene___'s review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

2.75

ireneroffs's review against another edition

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3.0

odio el put0 carl3s rib4 per haver-me arruïnat aquest llibre

spacestationtrustfund's review against another edition

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3.0

J'ai reçu cette édition par un parent ou un ami de la famille, je ne me souviens pas lequel, quand j'étais un très jeune enfant, et depuis, j'adore cette histoire. Cette tragédie me rappelle toujours l'histoire du retour de Thésée et le chagrin de son père.

p0laris's review against another edition

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5.0

Before Romeo and Juliet, and Lancelot and Guenevere, there were Tristan and Iseult.


Tristan and Iseult's story is one of honor, betrayal, jealousy, forbidden love, potions, Kings, Queens, etc... It has everything needed to create a lasting and memorable tale. The wording in this story is so well done! It just screams: "tragedy!"

There are a lot of questions regarding this tale. Did Tristan and Iseult really live? Is their story true? Who knows? I don't.

I do know, however, that this tale along with its many versions has captured my heart. This is possibly my favorite story. I downloaded the free audio book last year and have been completely taken away with it ever since! I have recently listened to it again, and let me assure you: this is a great love story.

The movie was pretty good...but never mind that! You need to hear the audio book; or at least read the book. I'm partial to the audio book because I love the narrator's accent, and feel that it added to the story, making it more real.


Edit: You can download the audio book from Librivox.org.

1lastchapter's review against another edition

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emotional reflective relaxing

3.0

muffincutiie's review against another edition

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sad fast-paced

5.0

« Ecoutez comment à grand’joie, à grand deuil ils s’aimèrent, puis en moururent un même jour, lui par elle, elle par lui. »

diana_raquel's review against another edition

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3.0

"Apart the lovers could neither live nor die, for it was life and death together"

Tristan and Iseult is a heroic romance- a type of prose and verse narrative that was popular in the noble courts of High Medieval and Early Modern Europe - retold in numerous variations since the 12th century. In its essence, it tells the story of the adulterous love between Tristan, a knight, and an Irish princess, Iseult. Tristan's mission is to escort Iseult from Ireland for marriage to his uncle, King Mark of Cornwall. On the journey home, the two of them accidentally ingest a love potion which brings about the adulterous relationship. 

As a myth, this story is one of the most celebrated Celtic legends along with the stories of King Arthur. Tristan and Isolde are even sometimes associated with the Arthurian legend, with Tristan being identified with one of the Knights of the Round Table. 

As a heroic romance, this story combines several of the common themes found in this genre: the brave hero, the doomed lovers, and the theme of forbidden love or adultery. It has a handy plot device in a form of a love potion and instant love. If you follow my reviews you probably know that I hate instant love. However, this must be the exception that confirms the rule. I actually didn't mind the instant love. It's clearly a plot device but it makes sense within the context of a heroic romance and within the context of the story itself. It can even say that the love potion symbolizes something that threatens to overwhelm the senses and even the will of the best-intentioned people, and ‘infect’ every part of them. 

So, why the 3 stars rating? I honestly don't know who to explain it. This book doesn't do anything wrong. It's just not my cup of tea, I think. This is very strange when I think about it because I really like to see heroic romances on the screen in movies and tv-shows, but when I read them, it's more of a "meh" to me. 

So, if you like or are looking for heroic romances, I guess I could recommend this book.

sjgoldben's review against another edition

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5.0

I definitely recommend this book to any English major or anyone who enjoys a good tale of tragic romance. The ending just hits the heart like nobody's business.

cecifeli's review against another edition

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je ne l’ai pas finit parce que il a été trop chiant et lent.