The Song of Roland

By Anonymous, Glyn S. Burgess, Dorothy L. Sayers, et al.

Book Overview

On 15 August 778, Charlemagne's army was returning from a successful expedition against Saracen Spain when its rearguard was ambushed in a remote Pyrenean pass. Out of this skirmish arose a stirring tale of war, which was recorded in the oldest extant epic poem in French. The Song of Roland, written by an unknown poet, tells of Charlemagne's warrior nephew, Lord of the Breton Marches, who valiantly leads his men into battle against the Saracens, but dies in the massacre, defiant to the end. In majestic verses, the battle becomes a symbolic struggle between Christianity and paganism, while Roland's last stand is the ultimate expression of honour and feudal values of twelfth-century France.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0140445323
• ISBN13: 9780140445329
• Release Date: June 1990
• Publisher: Penguin Classics
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.1" x 7.6"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Excellent example of chivalry.

The Song of Roland transported me back to the time of chivalry, and glorious battles. This historic book should be mandatory reading in High Schools around the country.

Lots of Violence and Murder. Kind of Repetitive.

A large part of this story is about a war, and it goes into detail about the killings of several heroic figures. It was a slow burn at first, but then later it picks up the pace. But it was also repetitive. This might be interesting for historians, anthropologists, or maybe some English professors, but for me, who has none of those occupations, it wasn't all that interesting.

A great medieval epic tale

La Chanson de Roland is the first and one the most important French national books. It is a true story set in the age of Charlemagne, and any mythology/fantasy enthusiast will se a huge amount of parallels between this story and myths like Arthurian lore and even The Lord of the Rings. Really interesting, and a must read for anyone that enjoys medieval history, literature or just a good classic read.

This book is about a brave Frenchmen?

Yes it is true Frenchmen appreciate Bravery too. A little missed fact by many people calling them sissies due to politics and sheer American pride, is that they conquered many empires at one time.And the fighting was more brutal than any American combat(except possibly Vietnam) This political talk should be irrelevant except while I was reading this book, as a proud american, I came to the realization that French people dont totally suck. Amateur(and very amateurish) political thought aside, the book Songs of Roland is masterfully written. It is fast paced, and an enjoyable( as opposed to SOME classics, not going to name anything mr German Ne..) If you have ANY interest in medeival literature, then you should own this book. Its only 7 bux.

The Franks Homer

An utter epic that deserves to be read by anyone with an intrest in either literature or history. Although there is controversy over the exact historical accuracy of this classic poem, it is based around the Charlemagne's campaigns against the Muslims in Northern Spain, around the late eighth century. It reads like a Frankish iliad, real events draped in myth. The poem has it all: enthralling plot, colourful charcaters, perfect timing..... A gem!

A Masterpiece of Medieval Literature

Along with "Beowulf" and "The Divine Comedy." this is one of the definitive masterpieces for examining both Medieval literature and history. Regretfully, I am not well-versed in French which I understand is essential for reading this epic, and thus gaining the true "impact" of the work's scope and dramatic characterizations.Roland, nephew to the legendary Charlemagne, is indeed a brash but rousing hero (albeit, I don't see him as the protagonist in the strictest sense). I know this is an unusual statement since the story reflects a historical tragedy for the French armies, but it reflects the character and spirit of Roland as an individual: devoted to his lord Charlemagne and to the cause of fighting for France. This chivalrous concept has been incorporated in many similar works. The setting is over 1300 years ago (as are much of its human values!). However, what keeps this work so popular is the sense of chivalry indoctrinated into modern values: honor, loyalty, discipline, obeisance. We can all relate to these.

A Better Translation

I have had a chance rather vividly to contrast this version with the Glyn Burgess translation, and Harrison is not only more readable, it's better poetry. I use the book in a class of eighth grade boys in New York (who love it), and by mistake a bought a slug of the Burgess translation. Then I had some boys with Harrison, some with Burgess, and the howls from the Burgessites were considerable. Harrison is just a better, livlier, even funnier translation.