The Song of Roland

Author: Kay, Guy Gavriel

Brand: Signet

Color: Multicolor

Edition: Reprint

Binding: mass_market

Format: Deckle Edge

Number Of Pages: 208

Release Date: 06-03-2012

Details: Product Description
One of the crowning achievements of medieval literature, The Song of Roland tells the story of the battle of Roncesvals in 778 and enters into the very soul of a gallant, brutal, and tumultuous age.At the center of this heroic epic is Roland, the supreme embodiment of the chivalric ideal who leads his men into combat and fights valiantly to the death. But Roland is just one of the superbly defined figures in the panoramic drama. The poem’s vivid portrayals of Ganelon’s treason, Roland’s last stand, Charlemagne’s campaign of vengeance, and the final act of retribution are justly famous. Equally fascinating is the sophisticated use of repetition and juxtaposition that gives this work its remarkable organic unity and time-defying dimension of vision.

As Robert Harrison, the translator of this acclaimed edition, explains, “The carefully balanced structure of
The Song of Roland is designed like a folding mirror to reflect the battle between Good and Evil at all levels of meaning.” Quite possibly the oldest and surely the greatest
chanson de geste,
The Song of Roland is a sophisticated and enduring work that remains a masterpiece to this day.


Translated and with an Introduction by Robert HarrisonAnd an Afterword by Guy Gavriel Kay
Review
“Only one other work of ancient literature shares the same concern with transcendent reality, combined with a simple yet elevated style and a tone of high moral purpose—the Old Testament.”—Robert Harrison
About the Author
Robert Harrison was born in Wichita Falls, Texas, in 1932. He received a B.A. from the University of Texas in 1953. Following a tour of duty in the United States Navy, he returned for an M.A. in 1960 and a Ph.D. in 1964. The author of books and articles on Beckett, Faulkner, Donne, and Keats, he is the coeditor of
Masterworks of World Literature.
He is also the author of
Gallic Salt: Eighteen Fabliaux Translated from the Old French.

EAN: 9780451531933

Package Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.7 inches

Languages: English