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Heloise and Abelard #1-2
Heloise and Abelard
1926. Heloise was the niece of the canon of Notre Dame, Fulbert, who entrusted her to Peter Abelard, a peripatetic teacher, for instruction. They were married secretly, and after the revelation of this marriage by Fulbert, he sent his men to castrate Abelard. Consequently, Heloise entered the convent of Argenteuil. Abelard was a French philosopher and theologian. This work tells their tale.
- GenresClassics
480 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1921
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About the author
George Moore
537 books89 followersGeorge Augustus Moore was an Irish novelist, short-story writer, poet, art critic, memoirist and dramatist. Moore came from a Roman Catholic landed family who lived at Moore Hall in Carra, County Mayo. He originally wanted to be a painter, and studied art in Paris during the 1870s. There, he befriended many of the leading French artists and writers of the day.
As a naturalistic writer, he was amongst the first English-language authors to absorb the lessons of the French realists, and was particularly influenced by the works of Émile Zola. His writings influenced James Joyce, according to the literary critic and biographer Richard Ellmann, and, although Moore's work is sometimes seen as outside the mainstream of both Irish and British literature, he is as often regarded as the first great modern Irish novelist.
As a naturalistic writer, he was amongst the first English-language authors to absorb the lessons of the French realists, and was particularly influenced by the works of Émile Zola. His writings influenced James Joyce, according to the literary critic and biographer Richard Ellmann, and, although Moore's work is sometimes seen as outside the mainstream of both Irish and British literature, he is as often regarded as the first great modern Irish novelist.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 12, 2016
Pierre Abélard was a well-known philosopher, theologian, poet and musician of the early 12th century and the love affair between Abélard and Héloïse is probably the most famous one in history. George Moore’s Héloïse and Abélard is the story of the lives of Pierre Abélard and Héloïse before they started their well-known, and famous, correspondence. In this exceptional novel, the fictional story was obviously based on facts about Pierre Abélard and Héloïse that George Moore was able to obtain and I must say he did an excellent job.
There seems to be a slight inconsistency in the novel though: In general it is assumed that Héloïse was born in 1100 but some theories contradict this and state that Héloïse must have been in her twenties, maybe even in her late twenties, when she met Abélard, which would mean she was born some years earlier. I tend to agree with this last theory. On the one hand, George Moore obviously goes with the theory that Héloïse was born in 1100 but at the same time he states that Héloïse’s father was killed in the Holy Land, during the first Crusade. This struck me straight away because, as far as I can make out, Héloïse’s father dying during the first Crusade would make it impossible for Héloïse to be born in 1100? (It says in the novel that Héloïse was ten when her father left).
Until Abélard and Héloïse leave Paris together, the book is not an easy read, and knowledge about the Classics as well as Abélard’s philosophy, are very helpful while reading the novel. I knew about Pierre Abélard, and his love affair with Héloïse, from my French literature classes in secondary school, which was part of the reason why I found this book most interesting. George Moore ends his novel shortly before Héloïse and Abélard start their correspondence because, as George Moore rightly says in the last paragraph of the novel: “But it would be in vain indeed to record their lives and their talk further, for the rest of their lives and their speech are on record.”
For a review in Dutch, see No Dutch copy available: Fiction never translated into Dutch/Flemish
There seems to be a slight inconsistency in the novel though: In general it is assumed that Héloïse was born in 1100 but some theories contradict this and state that Héloïse must have been in her twenties, maybe even in her late twenties, when she met Abélard, which would mean she was born some years earlier. I tend to agree with this last theory. On the one hand, George Moore obviously goes with the theory that Héloïse was born in 1100 but at the same time he states that Héloïse’s father was killed in the Holy Land, during the first Crusade. This struck me straight away because, as far as I can make out, Héloïse’s father dying during the first Crusade would make it impossible for Héloïse to be born in 1100? (It says in the novel that Héloïse was ten when her father left).
Until Abélard and Héloïse leave Paris together, the book is not an easy read, and knowledge about the Classics as well as Abélard’s philosophy, are very helpful while reading the novel. I knew about Pierre Abélard, and his love affair with Héloïse, from my French literature classes in secondary school, which was part of the reason why I found this book most interesting. George Moore ends his novel shortly before Héloïse and Abélard start their correspondence because, as George Moore rightly says in the last paragraph of the novel: “But it would be in vain indeed to record their lives and their talk further, for the rest of their lives and their speech are on record.”
For a review in Dutch, see No Dutch copy available: Fiction never translated into Dutch/Flemish
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February 7, 2024I read this in my 20s and loved it. The story haunted me for years. My copy is the Helen Waddell
version but I also have the George Moore one. Can someone enlighten me? I’m now in my 70s & would like to know more about it’s origins, it’s beginnings, it’s history. Thanks
version but I also have the George Moore one. Can someone enlighten me? I’m now in my 70s & would like to know more about it’s origins, it’s beginnings, it’s history. Thanks
July 29, 2008
Heloise and Abelard is a well documented, real, forbidden romance that occurred in the Middle Ages. The letters between Heloise and Abelard were discovered, hidden in the wall of an ancient church. Their story remains a "lesson" taught to men studying to be a monks, and is a part of the Catholic Church's historical record.
"True" history at it's best. This is a classic story of a forbidden love with tragic consequences.
"True" history at it's best. This is a classic story of a forbidden love with tragic consequences.
February 20, 2015
The book was on 14 cassette sides, so the review got lowered as I got tired. There really was too much repetitious detail when a briefer summary would have worked. On the other hand, the chronology of the lives of both Heloise (especially) and Abelard was very complete. For a book of renowned lovers, there was more selfishness than love shown in their relationship I thought. Interesting descriptions of life in a nunnery and the sadness of the Children's Crusade.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews