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Lettres Et Vies

By Heloise, Abelard

(2)

| Mass Market Paperback | 9782080708274

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1 Review

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Love, mariage, vengeance - twelfth century style

This is a very interesting book. It's so funny and strange, it almost makes you think it's a fake. Well, it's not! This is really a bunch of letters of the 12th century philosopher Abélard and his student/lover (and later wife) Héloïse...
It's pretty interesting to read their mutual affection ... (continue)

This is a very interesting book. It's so funny and strange, it almost makes you think it's a fake. Well, it's not! This is really a bunch of letters of the 12th century philosopher Abélard and his student/lover (and later wife) Héloïse...
It's pretty interesting to read their mutual affection through all the coded discourse. Also interesting is to see their different reactions to their unlucky separation (first lovers, then husband and wife and then both in different monasteries after his castration - carried out by his enemies out of revenge). At times, he seems to be rather troubles by his situation (shame and feelings of guilt of having sinned), but mostly he seems happy to be rid of his fleshly desires... Now, he can pursue his intellectual career. Héloïse, on the other hand, is still full of affection for her old lover, who keeps on urging her to see Jesus as her eternal bride... All in all, the book sheds light on 12th century gender relations in a very interesting way and gives us some insight in the adventurous world of Abélard.
Finally, the book is interesting in relation to the creation of French myths during the (pre-)romantic period: Rousseau made a best-selling book out of his version of a like-wise story (La Nouvelle Héloïse) and, typically in Romantic style (making the Middle Ages more medieval that they actually are...), soon a beautiful replica grave was made for the two separated lovers on the famous Père Lachaise graveyard in Paris:
http://pics.bothner.com/2004/PereLachaise/PereLachaise0…

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Joop Bindels said on Feb 12, 2009 | Add your feedback