The Romances of Chrétien de Troyes by Joseph J. Duggan (review)

REVIEWS 191 many, pockets of popular discontent into a master narrative of the Reformation. In fact, he explicitly claims that since there is “no such thing as a typical village ,” he does “not offer Morebath in proof of any [larger] thesis” (xv). Duffy’s fans will, nevertheless, find and appreciate the substantiation of Altar’s revisionist thesis here, written in his characteristically eloquent style and with careful methods. The touch of humanity Duffy emphasizes in the book, while occasionally leading to a slight exaggeration of his argument, also makes the book an engaging read. As a result, The Voices of Morebath should appeal to specialists and non-specialists alike. It is an absorbing story, told largely through the words of the “most vivid country clergyman of the English sixteenth century ” (xiii), as well as an accomplished piece of regional Reformation history. HOLLY CRAWFORD PICKETT, English, UCLA Joseph J. Duggan, The Romances of Chrétien de Troyes (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2001) xi + 390 pp. Joseph Duggan embarks on a peripheral exploration of some less visited yet enlightening subjects of the Chrétien Romances. More specifically we see Duggan analyze the importance of kinship and marriage as well as Chrétien’s own values. Chrétien is portrayed as a follower of the new trend of interiority which had previously been lacking in other works of that time including the chansons de geste. Lastly Duggan looks at the undeniable effect of Celtic myth and folklore upon Chrétien’s works. Duggan acknowledges that he approaches his subject matter from the perspective of the erudite scholar as well as that of the lay person who may not be familiar with the terminology of the field. As a consequence, there is a wealth of background information on the customs and general history of Chretién’s time to put the scholarship in context. This open acknowledgment leads to a literary style which does not deter from the narrative. Indeed, the reader can enjoy a wonderful piece of social and historical commentary as well as a book on literary analysis. The initial part of the book is devoted to an explanation of Chrétien, the man, his background, and credentials as the first writer of Arthurian romance. The author proceeds to give us tidbits of what is known of Chrétien’s personal views, the motivation for writing the five romances, the possible dating of his works, and major events of his life as they are tied to the illustrious rulers of the age. In this most interdisciplinary section, Duggan covers everything from the state of the French language in the twelfth century to the influence of other French and Latin texts upon Chrétien’s works. The scope of the summary is extensive and thoroughly documented. Next, Duggan begins to analyze his series of hypotheses, the first of which concerns the role of marriage and kinship in the Chrétien romances. As students of medieval history no doubt would attest, and Duggan himself concisely elucidates upon, kinship and marriage were of utmost importance in late twelfth-century France. In effect, the kin’s actions could be viewed as the actions of a single person. Duggan explains how this important detail surfaces in the specific behavior of the characters of the romances, especially in regard to forming alliances. For the convenience of the reader a detailed genealogy of the characters in Chrétien’s works is also provided. REVIEWS 192 Duggan then proceeds, as he will in all subsequent chapters, to illustrate the parameters of his hypothesis with supporting examples from the romances. Marriage or kinship, for example, had played an important role in character and plot development in Cligès, where the institution of marriage is portrayed as an instrument of alliance between powerful kin groups. In another example, the clanless Lancelot is allowed to have an affair with Guinevere precisely because of the impossibility of any negative repercussions to surviving kin. The Christian values of Chrétien’s time give the characters their moral compass . Public honor and praise, as well as shame, are the indicators of bad deeds. One of the ideal qualities for a knight is prowess...