Stealing Heaven: The Love Story of Heloise and Abelard

by Marion Meade

In twelfth-century France, two of Europe’s greatest minds met and fell in love. It was a love forbidden by the world around them and eventually they were torn apart from each other. But, the spark of it remained smoldering inside the lovers until their death and beyond.

Heloise and her tutor, Peter Abelard, share a devotion passionate in its depth and beautiful in its thoughtfulness. They marry, and Heloise bears a son whom she names Astrolabe. However, all of this must be done in secret, for Abelard is forbidden to wed by the church which considers him a cleric. When the truth of their relationship is exposed, they are separated and punished both in body and soul.

Marion Meade weaves history and fiction together in STEALING HEAVEN, an epic story of one of history’s most tragic love affairs. With facts pulled from Heloise’s actual love letters, Meade creates a poetic and sensual tapestry of France in the 12th century.

Heloise and Abelard lived beyond their punishment in quiet contemplation of life and God--Abelard as a monk and Heloise as a nun and the founder of a convent. Her story is one of a brilliant woman, trapped within the confines of her society. But, it is also the story of an inspiring love that has lived on throughout history.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, France, Romance, Historical, 12th Century, Religion

450 pages, Nook

First published December 1, 1985

About the author

Marion Meade is an American biographer and novelist, whose subjects stretch from 12th century French royalty to 20th century stand-up comedians. She is best known for her portraits of literary figures and iconic filmmakers.

Her new book, Lonelyhearts: The Screwball World of Nathanael West and Eileen McKenney, is a joint biography of a husband and wife whose lives provide a vivid picture of the artistic milieu of the Jazz Age and the Great Depression.

For more information on Lonelyhearts--and an exciting photo gallery--visit http://www.nathanaelwest.com

Reviews

[Meg · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is very hard for me to rate. It is a pet peeve of mine when an author starts with an amazing concept, or in this case amazing historical figures, and flops it. In the first part of this book it is very apparent that the author is going for shock value. Heloise and Abelard were some of the most celebrated lovers of all time, and yet this book made them seem dirty, selfish, and more lustful then loving. The book spent the majority of it's time on the early part of their lives when they continued to bring strife to not only all of those around them, but most of all to themselves, and concentrated very little on Heloise's later accomplishments. I know from first hand experience that love can make you do CRAZY things, but this was less like love and more like a terrible obsession. It was embarassing to read, and I had a hard time having any respect for them. I think I was supposed to be rooting for them, but instead I kept thinking, "Please! Know when to quit!" I think a good author would have been able to rise some compassion in me, as it was I couldn't wait for the torture to end.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book of letters between Heloise and Abelard, two lovers in medieval France who can attest that the path of true love was never easy. Abelard is a professor, celibate, as was expected of one of higher learning. Heloise was the very beautiful and very young orphaned niece of a wealthy cleric/landowner. Their affair was conducted virtually under the nose of Heloise's uncle, who was enraged when he learned the truth and eventually had Abelard castrated. They then turned to the holy orders, Abelard taking vows and Heloise becoming an Abbess. Their story remains one of the greatest love stories of all time. I buy this book every few years, then give it away, only to buy another copy.

[christina]

A part of The Hera Series by Soho Press

[Kitty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love story of Heloise and Abelard. Kept my attention throughout, but not my fave.

[Coleen Dailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of Heloise and Abelard is perhaps one of the best known love stories of the Middle Ages. She is a young girl raised in a convent. He is a scholar hired by her Uncle to tutor his brilliant niece. And make no mistake Heloise is brilliant, perhaps smarter than but at the very least equal to Abelard. They fall in love, although in other stories, he seduces her. They have a child which he forces her to give up. He decides, after some extreme encouragement by her uncle, that each of them should enter the religious life. She becomes a great Abbess. He continues teaching but gets in trouble over his views. She will always from him but at times in this he seems to be a bit of a jerk. Maybe it was just the roles of men and women at the time or maybe it is the he is portrayed by this author but he turns from the "love of his life" to his studies very easily. Of course the extreme encouragement (no spoiler here but if you know the story you know what it is) may have played in to it. This book was published in 1979 but is still a good read.

[La Esméralda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across the story of Abélard and Héloïse back in the mid 1990s when I was a teenager and saw the 1980s film version of this book. I'd always been interested in the medieval period and never forgot this story. When I went to Paris for the first time I visited their grave at Père Lachaise and was astounded to have discovered by accident the site of their house at the Île de la Cité last year and finally decided to read the book. It is wonderful. The little details of daily life nearly one millennium ago that Marion Meade adds to the story - the food, the sights, the smells, the clothes, are amazing. Especially for someone like me who is so interested in that period. She does write beautifully. And the story of the famous two lovers, never ceases to amaze me. Although her story is romanticised I admire Héloïse immensely. We are so lucky that some of her voice and story survived nearly 900 years later and we know of her, and Marion Meade gives us an incredible glance into her world.

[Pamela Rae Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and Tragic

I somehow came across this movie in the late 1980’s and fell in love with Heloise and Abelard. Finding the book has made it all the sweeter. The author has done a wonderful job of making a novel from using the historical letters and
commentaries from the 12th century!! There aren’t words to describe the beauty of her writing and the moving story of Heloise and Abelard. I loved every second of this book!!
Unfortunately the movie I have is on VHS so I may never be able to see it again.
I feel that any commentary I give as a review on this book will detract from its beauty. If you enjoy this time period and you are a romantic, you will enjoy this book. It’s graphic in places but I believe necessary. It’s all part of the true story of Heloise and Abelard. This book is exceptionally written and captures Lady Heloise very well and her precious Lord Abelard. ♥️
pamarella
PRCS

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first review I’ve done here in Goodreads! This book was amazing. The movie pales in comparison, as most movie-book adaptations go. I have never been so invested in a love story before. Not since The Thorn Birds. I never thought I’d find a book that would top that, but this one comes pretty close for me. I literally went through all the emotions that Héloïse felt during her life. I laughed with her, loved with her and grieved with her. Her relationship with Abélard was not the only one in the book that I was invested in. I loved the growth of her friendship with Cici and of course I adored Jourdain. This is much more than a romance novel, it’s an epic. I literally couldn’t put it down from the moment it began. Fair warning though, this book made me cry. But I’ve come to find that most really good books do!

[Sandie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meade has created an engaging novel about Heloise and Abelard that combines two genres I usually avoid, romance and historical fiction. Her self absorbed, not paricularly likeable Heloise becomes an admirable woman, a proto-feminist who survives many Job-like losses but Abelard, the center of her universe, never escapes the reader's early judgement that he is a brilliant scholar who is less admirable as a man. To this Cathoilic educated historian the novel did not feel particularly Catholic or medival. Nevertheless as a woman educated by a collection of wonderfuly supportive and often brilliant Franciscan nuns I was both comfortable with the world Meade creates and continually interested in her creation. I came to care about her star crossed lovers and hope both the devout abbot and the admirable abbess stole heaven.

[Lynette Lark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Since the names Heloise and Abelard came up a lot in crossword puzzles, I promised myself that I would do some research on them. However, years went by before I finally decided that it was time to choose a novel. I wanted one that was written before 1980 and this was written in 1979.

As Abelard circled Heloise like a spider, I grew more and more anxious because I knew where this was going.

After all, Abelard was twice her age and because he was a professor of philosophy in Notre Dame, it was mandated that he remain celibate.

And Heloise was an orphan raised in a convent until her uncle brought her home to live with him when she was 13 and who hired Abelard to tutor her in the sciences because she was intellectually gifted.

What could possibly go wrong?

[Jeanette Ritchey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written. You become part of this true story. Appreciated the authors extensive research as she wove together information from many sources. The characters are fully fleshed out. The dialogue is believable and vibrant. Heloise’s agony is identifiable these hundreds of years later. She led a difficult life but through grit and guts made her world a greatly improved place.

Anyone who enjoys history or historic fiction will enjoy this book. I highly recommend it. She brings to life the student culture on the Ilse de France, the convent life outside of Paris
and her life as a child raised by nuns.

[Bernadette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have only recently heard to the towering love story of Heloise and Abelard, so I was interested to learn of the story from Heloise's point of view. Two towering intellects from the 12th century, who met and loved, are the center of this story. Yet, I found the story focused too much on their physical attraction and not on their intellectual meeting, who ch I think fueled their love more. Only hints of Heloise's intelligence and intellect are given in the book- instead she continually longs for Abelard in a school-girl lusty fashion.

[Tiffany Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

The love story of Abelard and Heloise should be as well known and dissected as often as Romeo and Juliet. Having read this historical fiction, I enjoyed the story better in this light, rather than just having to study the translation of Latin love letters between the two historical figures.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all-time favorite books. Touching and beautiful.

[Debbie Covert · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very heartbreaking love story.

[Julie]

Read this years back and the story has stayed with me…mostly, I suspect, because it is based on real people and events. May reread to remember if I actually liked it

[Anjali · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful masterpiece.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love historical fiction that is actually based on history and not just a thinly veiled romance novel. So I was really happy to read this since the author actually set out to write a biography of Heloise, but wrote a novel since she wasn't able find enough historical documents to support a complete biography.

The book was enjoyable to read to a certain extent, it’s well written and the characters obviously had very interesting lives. However I didn’t love how the author portrayed Heloise. She was supposed to be the most educated woman in France at the time, but she is completely obsessed with Abelard throughout her life, even into old age. Of course in a love story some of that is expected, but the author made Heloise feel very one dimensional. She didn’t care about anything or anyone else and I find that very hard to believe given her education and accomplishments. The main problem with this focus is it makes the character pretty flat and hard to really care about.

I hate to be so critical of the book, because I did enjoy reading it. I think I was just disappointed because it seemed like it could have been a great novel and instead it was just a pretty good one.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Stealing Heaven" is a novel based on the tragic love story of Heloise and Abelard in the 12th century. The author set out to write a biography, but found too many facts lacking, and wrote a novel instead. She stayed true to the documented history and only crafted the details that were missing. Unfortunately, she gave away a major plot point in the prologue that I would have preferred to find out while reading.

Some of it was very sad. I was occasionally frustrated with Heloise for being clueless even though she was supposed to be so smart. And although Abelard seemed to be heartless at times, considering his situation made his behavior somewhat understandable.

Near the end of the story, I was truly drawn in. I felt that Heloise and Abelard made peace with their past and were there for each other even when separated. So that when they reached the ends of their lives, they were at peace with themselves as well.

[Jenny Nielsen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Basically, the "Twilight" of Abelard and Heloise novels. Not the most historically accurate or "in character" portrayal of the couple out there. Some details are flat-out wrong, as Astrolabe outlived his mother, Abelard's relatives were highly literate and Denise and Heloise were likely close friends, Heloise was more widely read and intelligent herself than depicted, etc. Heloise is frustrating and maudlin rather than compelling; Abelard a wounded sex god with a guilt problem rather than a rebel with a cause. More of a woman's studies survey of medieval times with Heloise plugged in as overseer-- not in character for Heloise, who was not only anachronistic but somewhat oblivious in character, or moreover well in tune with the era as a whole, which feels here more like a Saxon outpost than 12th c Paris. Helen Waddell who read the Latin and was immersed in the zeitgeist did a much better job.

[Shauntee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first work of historical fiction that I've ever read.

It sparked my interest in both the lives of Heloise and Abelard and the time period.

The work gets a lot of criticism for how "believable" it is but I think those that have nothing positive to say seem to forget that it is a work of fiction. And it seems that most readers seem displeased by the story being one sided, but I think that since it's from the point of view of Heloise and based on the letters exchanged between the two, it can still be an enjoyable read.

I felt that the writing was vivid enough to spark my interest in the characters and their time period. I think that the author did well in breathing life into the legend, myth and letters of this historical and romantic couple.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving the way this book is so far :) . . . an easy read . . . I have been reading this book for a couple of days now and am completely obsessed with this couple . . . .I have been also researching the lives of these two . . . Absolutely AMAZING!!! and also so heart wrenching . . .

Finished this book now . . . I must say it is one of the best stories I have read in a long time! I got really wrapped up in the story and also the lives of these two incredible and incredibly human people. A definite read :)

[Mindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have owned this book for years and wasn't really sure if I had actually read it or not. I knew the story of Abelard and Heloise from other sources, but Meade really does make, at least, come alive as a person. Abelard is a little harder to get a handle on and I kept wanting more-- emotion, explanation, etc.-- from him. Considering, though, that this is undoubtedly how Heloise felt in the novel, I say that Meade was incredibly successful with what she set out to do. She also managed to feed my interest/curiosity in medieval monasteries and convents.

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only gave this book three stars because I like the way the author writes, however I did not like the characters or the way she developed them. As a consequence through most of the book I did not care what happened. I think Abelard was a selfish man, and found it intersting that he ended up with the one thing that Heloise wanted, her son. If nothing else, by this time Heloise should have realized what a selfish bastard he was. However, my logical brain tells me not to judge Abelard and Heloise too harshly based on the characters portrayed in this book.

[Amy Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

A darned fine historical novel about the epic (and true) love story of Abelard and Heloise during the Middle Ages. He was a teacher, and as such, had taken a vow of celibacy. She was a young, attractive girl, and when he came to board with her family, guess what? Right. The consequences of this love affair are grisly & tragic, but I won't ruin it for you. Really liked the writer's style & her meticulously-researched facts about the period. Also a very interesting film.

[Corryn W · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5) Stealing Heaven was a well-written and engaging story about a young woman with unprecedented intelligence who falls for her older teacher. Most of the substance of this story happens within the first 200 pages but seems to drag on unnecessarily in the second half of the novel. Overall, Stealing Heaven is a tragic love story that reanimates a forgotten real-life love story but the author seems to lose momentum and, with it, the reader's attention.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I couldn't put it down... in fact, stayed in on a Saturday night to finish. The story is really sad, not necessarily a happy ending. But I would definitely recommend for those who like historical fiction.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The original romeo and juliet. The true account of a 12th century philosopher, Abelard, and his marriage to an educated woman, Heloise, in a time when it was considered immoral and unlawful for a teaching philosopher to marry. The consequences were dire. Tragic yet hopeful.

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

STEAMY, famous love story of Heloise and Abelard. Historical Fiction. To this day people from all over the world visit their gravesites. Their physical and intellectual passions made for a perfect match, except for the era of their existence.

[Julie]

Loved It! My only complaint is that the author failed to reflect Heloise's erudition in her respresentation of la tres sage Heloise's thoughts. Surely she was a philosopher as well as a love besotted git. I'm just saying...