One of the finest of epic poems, and the only one to have survived from medieval Spain, The Poem of the Cid recounts the adventures of the warlord and nobleman Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar Mio Cid'. A forceful combination of heroic fiction and historical fact, the tale seethes with the restless, adventurous spirit of Castille, telling of the Cid's unjust banishment from the court of King Alfonso, his victorious campaigns in Valencia, and the crowning of his daughters as queens of Aragon and Navarre the high point of his career as a warmonger. An epic that sings of universal human values, this is one of the greatest of all works of Spanish literature.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Review specific to this edition, I believe.:
When I was hiking in northern Spain, I kept seeing references to the Cid. This made me want to give The Poem of the Cid a try. Unfortunately, at least for me, this bilingual edition of the poem did not feel as though it could possibly have done justice to the work. I have the feeling that the English translation was largely written to support students who are reading the Spanish version. I am sure that it is technically quite competent. As a reader who was not interested in the Spanish, I found that... more info
an excellent undergraduate text:
This dual language book is excellent for teaching the Cid to English speaking students, providing the necessary back up to the medieval Castillian that is difficult for undergraduates. The introductory materials provide all the necessary background from a literary, historical and linguistic perspective.
Absolutely wonderful:
This edition of The Poem of the Cid is truly wonderful. For starters, it is a bilingual edition, presenting the reader with the original medieval Spanish text. The translation itself is highly readable. The humour and tension in particular scenes shine in this translation.
The story itself is also marvelous. We get a wonderful sense of the confusion and ambiguities of the feudal society. The uniqueness of the Spanish feudal experience comes through brilliantly. The Muslims are dealt with with more... more info
