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The Cornerstone
A tale of chivalric love and religious warfare set in thirteenth-century France recreates the time of knighthood and pageantry
496 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1953
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215 people want to read
About the author
Zoé Oldenbourg
39 books31 followersZoé Oldenbourg (Russian: Зоя Серге́евна Ольденбург) (March 31, 1916–November 8, 2002) was a Russian-born French historian and novelist who specialized in medieval French history, in particular the Crusades and Cathars.
She was born in Petrograd, Russia into a family of scholars and historians. Her father Sergei was a journalist and historian, her mother Ada Starynkevich was a mathematician, and her grandfather Sergei was the permanent secretary of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Saint Petersburg.Her early childhood was spent among the privations of the Russian revolutionary period and the first years of Communism. Her father fled the country and established himself as a journalist in Paris.
With her family, she emigrated to Paris in 1925 at the age of nine and graduated from the Lycée Molière in 1934 with her Baccalauréat diploma. She went on to study at the Sorbonne and then she studied painting at the Académie Ranson. In 1938 she spent a year in England and studied theology. During World War II she supported herself by hand-painting scarves.
She was encouraged by her father to write and she completed her first work, a novel, Argiles et cendres in 1946. Although she wrote her first works in Russian, as an adult she wrote almost exclusively in French.
She married Heinric Idalovici in 1948 and had two children, Olaf and Marie-Agathe.
She combined a genius for scholarship and a deep feeling for the Middle Ages in her historical novels. The World is Not Enough, a vast panorama of the twelfth century immediately put her in the ranks of the foremost historical novelists. Her second, The Cornerstone, won her the Prix Femina and was a Book-of-the-Month Club selection in America. Other works include The Awakened, The Chains of Love, Massacre at Montsegur, Destiny of Fire, Cities of the Flesh, and Catherine the Great, a Literary Guild selection. In The Crusades, Zoe Oldenbourg returned to the Middle Ages she knew and loved so well.
She won the Prix Femina for her 1953 novel La Pierre Angulaire.
She was born in Petrograd, Russia into a family of scholars and historians. Her father Sergei was a journalist and historian, her mother Ada Starynkevich was a mathematician, and her grandfather Sergei was the permanent secretary of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Saint Petersburg.Her early childhood was spent among the privations of the Russian revolutionary period and the first years of Communism. Her father fled the country and established himself as a journalist in Paris.
With her family, she emigrated to Paris in 1925 at the age of nine and graduated from the Lycée Molière in 1934 with her Baccalauréat diploma. She went on to study at the Sorbonne and then she studied painting at the Académie Ranson. In 1938 she spent a year in England and studied theology. During World War II she supported herself by hand-painting scarves.
She was encouraged by her father to write and she completed her first work, a novel, Argiles et cendres in 1946. Although she wrote her first works in Russian, as an adult she wrote almost exclusively in French.
She married Heinric Idalovici in 1948 and had two children, Olaf and Marie-Agathe.
She combined a genius for scholarship and a deep feeling for the Middle Ages in her historical novels. The World is Not Enough, a vast panorama of the twelfth century immediately put her in the ranks of the foremost historical novelists. Her second, The Cornerstone, won her the Prix Femina and was a Book-of-the-Month Club selection in America. Other works include The Awakened, The Chains of Love, Massacre at Montsegur, Destiny of Fire, Cities of the Flesh, and Catherine the Great, a Literary Guild selection. In The Crusades, Zoe Oldenbourg returned to the Middle Ages she knew and loved so well.
She won the Prix Femina for her 1953 novel La Pierre Angulaire.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 25, 2017
A rich, multi-layered historical novel of medieval France during the Albigensian Crusade. It concerns three generations of landowners in Champagne. Ansiau, the partiarch of the Le Gros barony, abdicates his position to make a final pilgrimage to Jeruslaem; he leaves his holdings to his hedonistic son Herbert, who rules ruthlessly and recklessly, but effectively; Herbert's surviving son Haugenier, is a disappointment to Herbert, and Herbert struggles in vain to mold him into a ruler of men rather than a ruler of women's hearts as a chivaltic and chaste lover.
There's no romantic notions or ballads in this novel. Oldenbourg's fluid and ethereal prose brings the 13th century to vivid life and almost belies the horror and heartache that is at the heart of this novel; but it shows that questions of serving God (which ever one you do serve) despite seemingly arbitrary suffering; the morality of ill-gotten wealth; and what makes us the same despite our differences are questions that are as relevant today as they were 800 years ago. It can get too depressing at times, with a really downbeat ending, but it is nonetheless a haunting, inspiring, and instructional novel that at times transcends the genre to provide historical context to modern life.
Highly recommended for readers of historical fiction with a penchant for the Middle Ages.
It turns out that this is the sequel to The World Is Not Enough (which, until recently, I only thought of as a mediocre James Bond movie). I'll have to hunt that one down eventually.
There's no romantic notions or ballads in this novel. Oldenbourg's fluid and ethereal prose brings the 13th century to vivid life and almost belies the horror and heartache that is at the heart of this novel; but it shows that questions of serving God (which ever one you do serve) despite seemingly arbitrary suffering; the morality of ill-gotten wealth; and what makes us the same despite our differences are questions that are as relevant today as they were 800 years ago. It can get too depressing at times, with a really downbeat ending, but it is nonetheless a haunting, inspiring, and instructional novel that at times transcends the genre to provide historical context to modern life.
Highly recommended for readers of historical fiction with a penchant for the Middle Ages.
It turns out that this is the sequel to The World Is Not Enough (which, until recently, I only thought of as a mediocre James Bond movie). I'll have to hunt that one down eventually.
July 15, 2014
I read this book after finding Oldenbourg's Destiny of Fire and being impressed by it. I did not know at the time that it was preceded by The World is Not Enough, her first novel, and The Cornerstone, its sequel. Fortunately, it didn't matter too much. Each book stands alone as a good and quite moving story, with believable characterizations illuminating the late middle ages.
December 10, 2025
[From the flyleaf of the 1954 hardback edition from Victor Gollancz - please note the delightful formality of 'Mr.' when referring to Edward Hyams and that reviews in French in UK literary publications were not unusual - what a window onto a vanished world!]
"Zoe Oldenbourg's new book 'La Pierre Angulaire' (which we now publish in a translation by Mr. Edward Hyams, under the title 'The Corner-Stone), came out in Paris last year (1953 - Liam) and was awarded the Femina Prize in December. Instead of writing our own description, we reproduce here parts of the review of the French edition which appeared in the Times Literary Supplement (a prestigious UK weekly literary paper - Liam) on January 8th:
"' Her vignettes of castle gardens, tournaments and courts of love, of the towers of Troyes and the harbour at Marseilles, spring up with the clean outline and the clear colours of a Book of Hours.
"'Best of all is her grasp of medieval psychology. A host of incidental characters and gossip naturally, with a flavour of the 'Canterbury Tales', revealing, their natures and concerns, their parochial fidelity and prejudice and their primitive, half-pagan superstitions. Witch hunting and heresy hunting (of the Albigensians in Provence) throw into sharp relief the cruel reverse side of this age of faith, while a whole cycle of religious festivals bears witness to its creative sense of beauty and the power of its metaphysical emotions. For the 'pierre angulaire' of the title is, of course, the corner-stone of Christian faith and chivalry upon which the whole structure of feudal society rested.
"'The three main characters of the story, father, son and grandson, form a triptych of medieval types: the rough old crusader of simple creed and indomitable will, the gross, grasping and unscrupulous petty baron, and the young Galahad, educated in all the gentle arts of chivalry and bizarre refinements of 'l'armour courtois'. And the finest and most moving of these portraits is certainly the first. The book is composed of two stories interlocked. The first concerns the old man, who, leaving all his worldly goods, sets out on a last journey to the Holy Sepulchre. He is destined never to reach the Sepulchre, but is struck blind, taken prisoner by the Saracens and ends his days like Samson Agonistes, 'at the mill with slaves'. Meanwhile the drama of his son and grandson is played out on their estates in Champagne...Faultless...in spirit, fact and style.'
"The Times Literary Supplement referred to the book once more on March 26th, in the course of a review entitled 'French Writing Today' - as follows:
"'A most remarkable achievement. It offers all the pleasures of a social history practised, as Dr. G. M. Trevelyan teaches us it should be, as a fine art. Mme Oldenbourg has not only a vivid pictorial perception of the Middle Ages and a sound knowledge of its institutions, but also as an instructive understanding of the medieval mind, its mystical emotions, its superstitious terrors and its powerful creative sense of beauty. As we turn her pages it is not the France of Philip the Fair which seems remote but the fragmentary modern world, with its disjointed and contradictory preoccupations, while the 'pierre angulaire' of Christian faith and chivalry rises foursquare and without a rift.'"
Needless to say I have only quoted so much because I agree that this a superb novel and Mme Oldenbourg a fine writer, indeed she reminded me of how much the White Russian emigration gave to French literature - need I mention Irène Némirovsky - and I highly recommend Mme Oldenbourg's historical fictions and her works of history. Neither French reviewers nor UK ones were in the habit of heaping the sort of praise quoted above on books which were second rate. If you are a lover of historical fiction and the medieval period I highly recommend this novel.
Finally I can't help reflecting on the incredible decline in the quantity and quality of book reviews published today. You will not find, even in the remaining literary magazines, reviews such as the above. For younger readers it may even come as a surprise that books were once reviewed frequently and extensively and were read assiduously by everyone wanting to keep abreast of the state of culture. It also was a time when the translation of works like Mme Oldenbourg's, and that of German, Italian, Spanish authors, into English was so frequent as to be taken for granted. That there has been such a precipitate decline in the translation of works into English is just another area where the promise of greater opportunities for 'niche' publishing to reach audiences that the mega publishing houses couldn't.
Since there are fewer new French, and other, novels being translated and published in English I recommend exploring the rich back catalogue of such works that already exist. There are many pleasant and surprising discoveries, like Mme Oldenbourg, out there waiting for you.
"Zoe Oldenbourg's new book 'La Pierre Angulaire' (which we now publish in a translation by Mr. Edward Hyams, under the title 'The Corner-Stone), came out in Paris last year (1953 - Liam) and was awarded the Femina Prize in December. Instead of writing our own description, we reproduce here parts of the review of the French edition which appeared in the Times Literary Supplement (a prestigious UK weekly literary paper - Liam) on January 8th:
"' Her vignettes of castle gardens, tournaments and courts of love, of the towers of Troyes and the harbour at Marseilles, spring up with the clean outline and the clear colours of a Book of Hours.
"'Best of all is her grasp of medieval psychology. A host of incidental characters and gossip naturally, with a flavour of the 'Canterbury Tales', revealing, their natures and concerns, their parochial fidelity and prejudice and their primitive, half-pagan superstitions. Witch hunting and heresy hunting (of the Albigensians in Provence) throw into sharp relief the cruel reverse side of this age of faith, while a whole cycle of religious festivals bears witness to its creative sense of beauty and the power of its metaphysical emotions. For the 'pierre angulaire' of the title is, of course, the corner-stone of Christian faith and chivalry upon which the whole structure of feudal society rested.
"'The three main characters of the story, father, son and grandson, form a triptych of medieval types: the rough old crusader of simple creed and indomitable will, the gross, grasping and unscrupulous petty baron, and the young Galahad, educated in all the gentle arts of chivalry and bizarre refinements of 'l'armour courtois'. And the finest and most moving of these portraits is certainly the first. The book is composed of two stories interlocked. The first concerns the old man, who, leaving all his worldly goods, sets out on a last journey to the Holy Sepulchre. He is destined never to reach the Sepulchre, but is struck blind, taken prisoner by the Saracens and ends his days like Samson Agonistes, 'at the mill with slaves'. Meanwhile the drama of his son and grandson is played out on their estates in Champagne...Faultless...in spirit, fact and style.'
"The Times Literary Supplement referred to the book once more on March 26th, in the course of a review entitled 'French Writing Today' - as follows:
"'A most remarkable achievement. It offers all the pleasures of a social history practised, as Dr. G. M. Trevelyan teaches us it should be, as a fine art. Mme Oldenbourg has not only a vivid pictorial perception of the Middle Ages and a sound knowledge of its institutions, but also as an instructive understanding of the medieval mind, its mystical emotions, its superstitious terrors and its powerful creative sense of beauty. As we turn her pages it is not the France of Philip the Fair which seems remote but the fragmentary modern world, with its disjointed and contradictory preoccupations, while the 'pierre angulaire' of Christian faith and chivalry rises foursquare and without a rift.'"
Needless to say I have only quoted so much because I agree that this a superb novel and Mme Oldenbourg a fine writer, indeed she reminded me of how much the White Russian emigration gave to French literature - need I mention Irène Némirovsky - and I highly recommend Mme Oldenbourg's historical fictions and her works of history. Neither French reviewers nor UK ones were in the habit of heaping the sort of praise quoted above on books which were second rate. If you are a lover of historical fiction and the medieval period I highly recommend this novel.
Finally I can't help reflecting on the incredible decline in the quantity and quality of book reviews published today. You will not find, even in the remaining literary magazines, reviews such as the above. For younger readers it may even come as a surprise that books were once reviewed frequently and extensively and were read assiduously by everyone wanting to keep abreast of the state of culture. It also was a time when the translation of works like Mme Oldenbourg's, and that of German, Italian, Spanish authors, into English was so frequent as to be taken for granted. That there has been such a precipitate decline in the translation of works into English is just another area where the promise of greater opportunities for 'niche' publishing to reach audiences that the mega publishing houses couldn't.
Since there are fewer new French, and other, novels being translated and published in English I recommend exploring the rich back catalogue of such works that already exist. There are many pleasant and surprising discoveries, like Mme Oldenbourg, out there waiting for you.
October 11, 2015
The World Is Not Enough (also by Oldenbourg) was a minutely-detailed, immersive saga of a medieval family that seems extraordinary to the modern reader but would have seemed ordinary for their times. In The Cornerstone, its sequel, the major players suffer from terrible trials and crises of faith to expiate the sins and pleasures of the flesh enjoyed in the previous book. I'm glad that some of them ultimately find peace or redemption, but it turns out I prefer reading about sin.
January 10, 2020
Zoe Oldenbourg is a historian who can write brilliantly. This is such an emotional story and these people are drawn real and complete in the world and beliefs nearing the end of the crusades. It really shook me in places and the end is something I'll be thinking about, processing for some time.
July 4, 2016
Set in thirteenth century France, this medieval tale describes the lives of the noble and peasant alike. Neither life is a bed of roses (but noble is better).
April 3, 2021
First book I have read from this author and will continue to read her works. Her attention of detail takes you back to this time, you think you are in Medieval France or on the Crusade, was incredible. Recommend this book to anyone who like early medieval or the early Crusades time periods.
April 15, 2022
Ponderous and confusing at the beginning (as it seems most of her books are), it becomes interesting about a third of the way through. Have patience and keep reading for a good story with many different characters.
July 15, 2022
Gives you the authentic medieval shivers.
July 14, 2015
Suite de Argiles et Cendres
Ecrit par une historienne, ce livre (suite du roman Argiles et Cendres) est une magnifique peinture de la petite noblesse du 13e siècle français des environs de Troyes à travers le destin des seigneurs de Linnières sur 3 générations La réalité dépasse souvent la fiction Certains passages donnent froid dans le dos ... J'ai été embarqué par ce voyage dans le temps qui est resté profondément gravé dans mon imaginaire.
Ecrit par une historienne, ce livre (suite du roman Argiles et Cendres) est une magnifique peinture de la petite noblesse du 13e siècle français des environs de Troyes à travers le destin des seigneurs de Linnières sur 3 générations La réalité dépasse souvent la fiction Certains passages donnent froid dans le dos ... J'ai été embarqué par ce voyage dans le temps qui est resté profondément gravé dans mon imaginaire.
Want to read
May 29, 2010something I read in college and want to read again
June 12, 2012
This is called a historical novel, but we aren't told who is the pope, who is king; and there aren't any wars. However, it is a great story and depiction of life in Medieval France.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews