The Saga of Tristram and Ísönd

by Friar Robert, Paul Schach (Translator)

English, French, Norwegian (translation)

Genres: Mythology, Arthurian, Medieval

148 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1226

Reviews

[Hauk Engelien · Rating 3 out of 5]

sukk og akk og ve, som de sa på denne tida, ikke la følelsene ta overhånd, da går det gæli

[malayna · Rating 4 out of 5]

MY OPINION: ****

**Super short review for this "book"**

Given the scant amount of ratings and reviews for this saga, this is clearly not the most popular work out there. I read this for my college class on Scandinavian sagas from the medieval era and added this one to my Goodreads repertoire because of how long it was (it was basically a short novella). We've read plenty of others but those have been a lot shorter so I didn't add them here.

This saga was very interesting. As it's translated, some of the words and meanings most likely got lost in translation. However, I thought the premise of the story itself very intriguing. I'm honestly not sure how this version differs from the original version, as the original story was told in verse format and was much longer. Clearly, a lot was cut out and changed but I think this final product still managed to get the point across.

This is a clear and famous example of a knight's saga. It follows Tristram, a brave and daring knight, and his romance with Isönd, a princess. Despite the time period, the story felt very modernized in that it wasn't chock-full of stereotypes and basic tropes. The female characters had voices of their own and strayed away from the damsel-in-distress stereotype, which I enjoyed reading about. Tristram, despite being the bravest, wisest, handsomest man ever (as all these knights are), had his own set of flaws that characterized him as more human and realistic.

I'm sure I would never have thought to read this saga if I hadn't taken the class I'm currently in. I would definitely recommend it to people who love medieval stories, the King Arthur genre, and illustrious romances and adventures.

Main Character: Tristram, Isönd
Sidekick(s): Friends, etc
Villain(s): Other knights, dragon, mythical creatures, misunderstandings, etc
Medieval Historical Fiction: This saga was created and set in the medieval era.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting take on the Tristan and Isolde story--although I wouldn't call it a saga in any sense except that it was told in Norwegian. Very little resemblance Icelandic sagas in tone.

[Reading Through the Lists · Rating 4 out of 5]

Less of a proper saga and more a Norwegian translation of Thomas’ fragmentary French poem of the Tristram/Isolde legend. I found this disappointing at first, as I was hoping for some good ol’ fashioned saga understatement to cut through all the Tristram/Isolde drama…but Thomas’ take on the famous lovers (via Brother Robert’s translation) is insightful in its own way (and surprisingly bawdy), and includes some episodes unique only to this version (such as the Hall of Statues).

There’s a lot to take inspiration from in Thomas’ version of the tale, and I’m glad I read it.

4 stars.

[Arin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love all the knight stuff. Dragons and giants are always fun!
The statues kind of freaked me out, Tristram getting frustrated maybe?

[Linamarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

[Lulu]

1226 Norwegian - the earliest romance rendered into old norse

Another trans https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...