num_pages: 521
description: Taking the legends surrounding King Arthur and weaving in new psychological elements of personal desire and courtly manner, Chrétien de Troyes fashioned a new form of medieval Romance. The Knight of the Cart is the first telling of the adulterous relationship between Lancelot and Arthur's Queen Guinevere, and in The Knight with the Lion Yvain neglects his bride in his quest for greater glory. Erec and Enide explores a knight's conflict between love and honour, Cligés exalts the possibility of pure love outside marriage, while the haunting The Story of the Grail chronicles the legendary quest. Rich in symbolism, these evocative tales combine closely observed detail with fantastic adventure to create a compelling world that profoundly influenced Malory, and are the basis of the Arthurian legends we know today.Alternate cover for this edition.
language: English
title: Arthurian Romances
titlecomplete: Arthurian Romances
characters: Sir Perceval, Sir Eric, Queen Guinevere, King Arthur, Sir Lancelot, Sir Yvain
genres: Literature, Arthurian, Classics, Mythology, Medieval, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Poetry, Fantasy, Romance
ratings_count: 8255
series: Arthurian Romances
publisher: Penguin Classics