Lost Love Letters of Heloise and Abelard: Perceptions of Dialogue in Twelfth-Century France FROM THE PUBLISHER
In this book, Constant Mews examines a collection of Latin love letters preserved in a fifteenth-century manuscript of Clairvaux, edited by Ewald Konsgen in 1974 under the title The Letters of Two Lovers. He argues that it records 113 love letters exchanged by Heloise and Abelard at the time of their love affair. Mews provides an indepth analysis of the debate concerning the authenticity of the letters and looks at the way in which the relationship between Heloise and Abelard has been perceived over the centuries. He explores the political, literary, and religious contexts in which the two figures conducted their affair, and offers new insights into Heloise as an astonishingly gifted writer whose literary gifts were only revealed in the course of her relationship with her teacher. The complete Latin text of the love letters as edited by Konsgen is reproduced in the volume, along with an annotated translation by Neville Chiavaroli and Constant J. Mews.
FROM THE CRITICS
Choice
...a detailed and readable account...an asset to collections supporting studies of French literature and early French history and theology.
Library Journal
The illicit love affair between Abelard and Heloise was one of the most talked-about relationships in the Middle Ages. While the letters they wrote after both had become monastics have been well-publicized, these early love letters had not previously been identified as theirs. Mews (history and director of the Ctr. for Studies in Religion, Monash Univ., Australia) carefully sets forth the reasons for his identification of these letters with the famous couple. For Mews, these letters reveal a conflict of values between Heloise and Abelard that reflects monastic debates on the nature of love itself. Mews discusses Heloise's influence on Abelard through her respect for non-Christian classical authors, her concern for practicality in monastic rules, and her idea of love as involving friendship and equality. Important for Medievalists, feminists, and those captivated by the Heloise and Abelard myth; highly recommended.--Carolyn M. Craft, Longwood Coll., Farmville, VA Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.
Booknews
This is a paperbound reprint of a 1999 book about which Book News wrote: Examines a collection of Latin love letters preserved in a 15th- century manuscript of Clairvaux, edited by Ewald Knsgen in 1974 under the title . Argues that this collection records 113 love letters exchanged by Heloise and Abelard at the time of their love affair. Provides an in-depth analysis of the debate concerning the authenticity of the letters, and looks at how the relationship between Heloise and Abelard has been perceived over the centuries. The complete Latin text as edited by Knsgen is presented side-by-side with an annotated translation. The author teaches in the school of historical and gender studies at Monash University, Australia, where he is also director of the Center for Studies in Religion and Theology. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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