Gallant knights, blushing maidens, tyrannical lords, damsels in distress, feats of courage, love pure and true -- you'll find all of this and more in this enchanting collection of tales from France's medieval period. Selected from the classic twelfth-century text Lais of Marie de France and rendered in an engaging English translation, this volume is a treat for readers of all ages.

The leading edition of the work of the earliest known French woman poet—the subject of Lauren Groff’s bestselling novel Matrix Marie de France (fl. late twelfth century) is the earliest known French woman poet and her lais—stories in verse based on Breton tales of chivalry and romance—are among the finest of the genre. Recounting the trials and tribulations of lovers, the lais inhabit a powerfully realized world where very real human protagonists act out their lives against fairy-tale elements of magical beings, potions and beasts. De France takes a subtle and complex view of courtly love, whether telling the story of the knight who betrays his fairy mistress or describing the noblewoman who embroiders her sad tale on the shroud for a nightingale killed by a jealous and suspicious husband. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Marie de France (fl. late twelfth century) is the earliest known French woman poet and her lais - stories in verse based on Breton tales of chivalry and romance - are among the finest of the genre. Recounting the trials and tribulations of lovers, the lais inhabit a powerfully realized world where very real human protagonists act out their lives against fairy-tale elements of magical beings, potions and beasts. De France takes a subtle and complex view of courtly love, whether telling the story of the knight who betrays his fairy mistress or describing the noblewoman who embroiders her sad tale on the shroud for a nightingale killed by a jealous and suspicious husband.

Though little is known about Marie de France, her work changed romantic writing forever. "The Lais of Marie de France" challenged social norms and the views of the church during the twelfth century concerning both love and the role of women. She wrote within a court unknown to scholars, in a form of Anglo-Norman French. Inspired by the Greeks and Romans long before her, Marie de France sought to write something not only morally instructive, but memorable, leaving an indelible imprint on the reader's memory. In her "Lais", Marie de France confronts the issue of love as a topic of suffering and misery, fraught with infidelity. What was revolutionary about this, however, was the fact that the infidelity she addressed was committed by women, and in some circumstances condoned. This challenged the submissive role of women in her time, and illustrated them with a sense of power and free will. Her condensed yet powerful imagery remains timeless, still relevant and evocative to modern day readers. This edition follows the translation of Eugene Mason and is printed on premium acid-free paper.