Gottfried von Strassburg: Tristan by Mark Chinea (review)

running head mark chinea, Gottfried von Strassburg.Tristan. Landmarks of World Literature. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. Pp. vii, 119. isbn: 0-521-40294-8 (hard) $44.95; isbn: 0-521-40852-0 (paper) $12.95. Mark Chineas Tristan is the most recent volume in the series, Landmarks ofWorld Literature, whose professed goal is: 'to provide concise and lucid introductions to major works ofworld literature.' With his clear and concise analysis of Gottfried's Tristan, MarkChinea achieves this objective. Further, hisstudyofTristan is noteworthy because it represents the first German work to be included in the series, which itself re-affirms the significance of this thirteenth-century German romance in world literature. Aware that his general audience will be more familiar with the Tristan tradition via Wagner's opera, Chinea effectively argues how the two versions differ in his introduction: 'Nothing could be further from the medieval source on which Wagner freely based his story-line, the Middle High German verse romance, Tristan, written around 1210 by Gottfried von Strassburg; nor is it anything like the source that Gottfried used, the Old French Romancede Tristan byThomas' (p.i). By articulating his main thesis, namely, that Gottfried wished to 'undo' death by the power ofliterary fiction, he dispels the lingering notion ofa romantic Liebestod, so associated with the Wagner opera. The book is organized into five chapters. In addition to providing a good summary of the text, Chinea includes the actual line numbers of the original romance (the Ranke edition 1978) as a convenient reference. For his discussion of Tristan, Chinea employs his own English translations. Since his volume is an introduction to Gottfried's Tristan, Chinea gives a great deal of basic background information. For example, he discusses the historical and social context of Gottfried's Tristan by describing Strasbourg around 1200 and the literary differences between a) written and oral, b) Latin and vernacular, and c) religious and profane. He also provides an excellent introduction to German literature around 1200, which, in turn, offers some insights about the 'Germanness' of Gottfried's Trutan. In chapter two Chinea deals with Gottfried and theTristan tradition. By examining theTristan romances ofBeroul, Eilhart, and especially Thomas, Chinea establishes a literary context and shows the continuity oftheTristan tradition. Moreover, in his discussion of Gottfried's depiction of the love potion, love, adultery, marriage, interiority, and poetics, he argues convincingly for Gottfried's own 'original' retelling ofthe story. As a Germanist, Chinea takes a more traditional approach in his treatment ofthe text: in the third chapter he does a close reading oftwo key passages—the prologue and the literary excursus. Returning to his original thesis articulated in the introduction, Chinea discusses Gottfried's skilled employment ofreligious language 'to promote the status and the power ofliterary fiction' (p.57). The sacramental aspect is linked to the narrative which is the 'bread' and, Chinea argues, by reading the narrative, the audience (noble hearts) '...are called to life and kept alive. The literary word commemorates, calls the dead back to life, renews and sustains' (p. 57). Thus, literature, or more precisely, Gottfried's Tristan can transcend death. arthuriana Another traditional argument resurfaces in the fourth chapter—Isolde as Eve. Gottfried is shown to retell the Old Testament story ofAdam and Eve, adding his own distinct embellishments. Since Gottfried perceived women, in general, to be weaker, that is, more prone to sin, Chinea concludes that despite his harsh criticism of the patriarchial law and system vis â vis women, Gottfried's Isolde, nonetheless, represents 'a species ofenlightened anti-feminism' (p.98 ). The final chapter examines the continuing influence of Gottfried's Tristan on the later generations of German poets. While his two main continuators, Ulrich von Türheim and Heinrich von Freiberg, emulated Gottfried, particularly his writing style (for example, both employed clothing metaphors), their respective works, however, revealed a more conventional piety. Mark Chineas Tristan is a well-written introduction to this great medieval German classic. The book contains an annotated Guide to Further Reading which includes both primary and secondary sources. His arguments and explanations are cogent and clear. As a Germanist, I would welcome more such volumes dealing with, at least initially, two other great medieval German classics...