the experience of reading in Britain, from 1450 to 1945...

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Joseph Bedier : Le Roman de Tristan et Iseut, renouvele par Joseph Bedier, preface de Gaston Paris

(1) 'Never, never get a book bound. You will gather from this that "Tristan" has arrived and is a complete and absolute failure.... True, it is some consolation to find the book itself good beyond what I had expected: it gets the romantic note (which the French don't usually understand) very well indeed. One or two little descriptions are full of atmosphere. In particular, what could be better for Lyonesse — glorious name — than this simple sentence: "Climbing to the top of the cliff he saw a land full of vallies [sic] where forest stretched itself without end." I don't know whether you will agree with me, but that gives me a perfect impression of loneliness and mystery. Besides its other good points, it is very, very simple French, so that if you think of starting to read that language this would make a very good beginning.' (2) 'I have now finished my "Tristan", which is really delightful: it is the saddest story on earth I think, don't you?'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Clive Staples Lewis      Print: Book

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