McGill Reads - "Perceval: The Story of the Grail" by Chrétien de Troyes
If you miss the insightful discussions of the classroom or just
love to read, this is your chance to discover thought-provoking
books and meet new people while learning from some of McGill’s
favourite professors without tests, papers, or evaluations!
There is a registration fee of $15 per person for
the semester which covers refreshments, room rentals, and other
book club expenses. Book club members benefit from a 10% discount
on all book club books at the University Bookstore.
BILINGUAL DISCUSSION with Isabelle Arseneau.
Perceval: The Story of the Grail by Chrétien de Troyes
(translation by Burton Raffel, Yale University Press, 1999, Pages
1-106) or Arthurian Romances (translation by D.D.R. Owen,
Pages 375-495).
You are invited to read this novel in either the French version or
in the English translation. The lecture will be presented in
French, with a smaller portion in English.
About the Book: One of the most influential
storytellers in Western literature, French poet Chrétien de Troyes
helped to shape the ever-fascinating legend of King Arthur and the
Round Table. In Chrétien’s romance, "Perceval" progresses from a
naive boyhood in rural seclusion to a position of high respect as a
knight at Arthur’s court. With the help of two teachers - his
mother and Gornemant of Goort - Perceval is ultimately able to
reject the worldly adventures chosen by other knights and seek
important moral and spiritual answers. (from Yale University
Press)