Parzival (Penguin Classics) - Softcover

Wolfram Von Eschenbach

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0140443614 ISBN 13: 9780140443615

Publisher: Penguin, 1980

Synopsis

Composed in the early thirteenth century, Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival is the re-creation and completion of the story left unfinished by its initiator Chrétien de Troyes. It follows Parzival from his boyhood and career as a knight in the court of King Arthur to his ultimate achievement as King of the Temple of the Grail, which Wolfram describes as a life-giving Stone. As a knight serving the German nobility in the imperial Hohenstauffen period, the author was uniquely placed to describe the zest and colour of his hero's world, with dazzling depictions of courtly luxury, jousting and adventure. Yet this is not simply a tale of chivalry, but an epic quest for spiritual education, as Parzival must conquer his ignorance and pride and learn humility before he can finally win the Holy Grail.

About this title

From the Inside Flap:

Parzival, an Arthurian romance completed by Wolfram von Eschenbach in the first years of the thirteenth century, is one of the foremost works of German literature and a classic that can stand with the great masterpieces of the world. The most important aspects of human existence, worldly and spiritual, are presented in strikingly modern terms against the panorama of battles and tournaments and Parzival's long search for the Grail. The world of knighthood, of love and loyalty and human endeavor despite the cruelty and suffering of life, is constantly mingling with the world of the Grail, affirming the inherent unity between man's temporal condition and his quest for something beyond human existence.

From the Back Cover:

An Arthurian romance completed by Wolfran von Eschenbach in the first of the thirteenth century.

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin
• Publication date: 1980
• ISBN 10: 0140443614
• ISBN 13: 9780140443615
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 448