Part history, part fantasy, part romance, the story of Melusinebrought to life in this readable and lively translationopens a window onto late medieval European chivalric culture, its refinements, its brutality, and its anxieties. Ranging from Ireland to Armenia, the story of the fairy Melusine and her family provides a wealth of descriptive detail about courtly life and the cultural importance of family and property. Supported by an excellent introduction and relevant, informative notes, this translation brings to light a book and an imagination that will appeal to students, general readers, and scholars.
Carolyn Collette,Mount Holyoke College
The fourteenth century comes alive in this superb new translation of the classic French masterpiece Melusine; or, The Noble History of Lusignan. The work is packed with romance and adventure, by turns poignant and hilarious, and the authors lively and inviting prose style is guaranteed to delight fans of historical fiction as well as students of all ages. This is by far the most lucid, authentic, and enjoyable English-language version of this enchanting fairy tale available today, and I expect it to be universally recognized as the definitive translation for many years to come.
Nancy Goldstone,author of The Maid and the Queen
The Melusine of Jean d'Arras is a work of particular importance for its fusion of historiography and fiction, a work whose appeal was quickly acknowledged by the copying of numerous late medieval manuscripts, further recognized in the early days of printed books, and reconfirmed ever since by translation into many languages (Middle English, German, Spanish, modern French, etc.). The new translation is an excellent addition to this veritable library of Melusines: a long-overdue version in modern English that is, moreover, grounded in solid scholarship. The translators introduction and extensive annotation of the textmake it clear that their work has been prepared with an exemplary understanding of the narratives social and historical context.
Samuel Rosenberg,Indiana University
This delightful translation of Jean dArrass 1393 Melusine by two experts on the subject is sure to become the standard English version of this fascinating but not well-known work.
C. M. Reno Choice
This excellent English translation, with its critical material, is extremely valuable from the literary and historical perspectives, and certainly gave me the pleasure and enjoyment the translators wish for readers of their work.
Glynnis M. Cropp Parergon
