Cheap Orlando Innamorato/Orlando in Love (Book) (Matteo Maria Boiardo, Charles Stanley Ross) Price

Related Products

Customer Reviews of Orlando Innamorato/Orlando in Love

"Neglect of Italian romances robs us of a whole species of pleasure and narrows our very conception of literature. It is as if a man left out Homer, or Elizabethan drama, or the novel. For like these, the romantic epic of Italy is one of the great trophies of the European genius: a genuine kind, not to be replaced by any other, and illustrated by an extremely copious and brilliant production. It is one of the successes, the undisputed achievements."

Similarly, one of the undisputed achievements in the shamefully short history of translating these Italian romances into English is Ross' translation of Boiardo's "Orlando Innamorato." This translation was originally published (hardcover only) by the University of California Press in its Biblioteca Italiana series. Then, Oxford University Press published an abridged paperback version in its World's Classics series. Now, Parlor Press offers both a complete paperback and an e-book version. Note that the Parlor Press edition is an ***unabridged*** edition that incorporates the maps of the Oxford edition, as well as offering a newly revised and amended translation.

Readers in English are now, possibly for the first time in history, adequately equipped to read the major Italian epic romances in complete, readable, even admirable English translations. For Pulci's "Morgante," we have Tusiani's massive translation, generously offered by Indiana University Press as a handsome, unabridged paperback. For Boiardo's "Orlando Innamorato," we of course have this outstanding contribution from Ross. For Ariosto's "Orlando Furioso," we have the choice of Waldman's eminently readable prose translation, in one volume in Oxford UP's World's Classics series, or Barbara Reynolds' popular two-volume verse translation in the Penguin Classics series. Finally, for Tasso's "Jerusalem Delivered," we have Esolen's recent, critically acclaimed translation, published by Johns Hopkins UP.

I can only express my gratitude to these scholar-translators, whose indefatigable work in translating these Carolingian epics has given me access to a wonderfully rewarding, indisputably major piece of Western literature. I understand that Ross is currently working on a translation of Statius' epic poem "The Thebaid," to be published by Johns Hopkins, and that Esolen is contemplating undertaking a new translation of Camoes' "The Lusiads," which is quite possibly the most neglected ***major*** epic in Western literature. I look forward to both these editions, and again--thanks.

An impressive new edition of a neglected Classic----
Here's what C.S. Lewis wrote about the epic Italian romances of the Renaissance:

"Neglect of Italian romances robs us of a whole species of pleasure and narrows our very conception of literature. It is as if a man left out Homer, or Elizabethan drama, or the novel. For like these, the romantic epic of Italy is one of the great trophies of the European genius: a genuine kind, not to be replaced by any other, and illustrated by an extremely copious and brilliant production. It is one of the successes, the undisputed achievements."

Similarly, one of the undisputed achievements in the shamefully short history of translating these Italian romances into English is Ross' translation of Boiardo's "Orlando Innamorato." This translation was originally published (hardcover only) by the University of California Press in its Biblioteca Italiana series. Then, Oxford University Press published an abridged paperback version in its World's Classics series. Now, Parlor Press offers both a complete paperback and an e-book version. Note that the Parlor Press edition is an ***unabridged*** edition that incorporates the maps of the Oxford edition, as well as offering a newly revised and amended translation.

Readers in English are now, possibly for the first time in history, adequately equipped to read the major Italian epic romances in complete, readable, even admirable English translations. For Pulci's "Morgante," we have Tusiani's massive translation, generously offered by Indiana University Press as a handsome, unabridged paperback. For Boiardo's "Orlando Innamorato," we of course have this outstanding contribution from Ross (with a foreword by the master-translator of Dante himself, Allen Mandelbaum). For Ariosto's "Orlando Furioso," we have the choice of Waldman's eminently readable prose translation, in one volume in Oxford UP's World's Classic series, or Barbara Reynolds' popular two-volume verse translation in the Penguin Classics series. Finally, for Tasso's "Jerusalem Delivered," we have Esolen's recent, critically acclaimed translation, published by Johns Hopkins UP.

I can only express my gratitude to these scholar-translators, whose indefatigable work in translating these Carolingian epics has given me access to a wonderfully rewarding, indisputably major piece of Western literature. I understand that Ross is currently working on a translation of Statius' epic poem "The Thebaid," to be published by Johns Hopkins, and that Esolen is contemplating undertaking a new translation of Camoes' "The Lusiads," which is quite possibly the most neglected ***major*** epic in Western literature. I look forward to both these editions, and again--thanks.

Very good, full translation available in Fall 2003
Parlorpress.com is going to put out a new and full translation in the Fall of 2003. I like this abridged edition for my pocket version. I enjoyed starting from this book to see if the tales also had anything to do with Estensi/Ferarra history...and find it was written as a pleasant pastime for the recovering Duke Ercole...'read slowly on a sunny summer day in a room full of open windows...'
Charles Ross did wonderful research. I have seen commentary by C.S. Lewis on Boiardo and the epic tale and read Fortune and Romance essays edited by JoAnne Cavallo. But C.Ross is excellent for a short history of the time, as well.
For independent background on the D'Estensi (D'Este family) and interaction from Feltrino Boiardo (grandfather) to Matteo Maria, these texts are also good: Edmund Gardner's Dukes and Poets of Ferarra; Ferarra the Style of Renaissance Depotism by Werner L. Gundersheimer and Leon Battista Alberti: Master Builder by Anthony Grafton (not much in this title about Boiardo: I used it to confirm or reference related information on Ferarra).
The Boiardo information from Edmund Gardner's book is also still cited by literature scholars, from what I've seen.