Marquise’s Reviews > The Lais of Marie de France (Penguin Classics) > Status Update
Marquise
is starting
I had completely forgotten I owned this book, Penguin Classics edition, under stress over beginning-of-the-year stuff as well as the uncertainty as to what will become of this site.
The best antidote to that? Medieval fairy tales! Knights! Fair ladies! Dragons! *happy dances*
I'm never outgrowing tales. <3
— Jan 07, 2026 08:22PM
The best antidote to that? Medieval fairy tales! Knights! Fair ladies! Dragons! *happy dances*
I'm never outgrowing tales. <3
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Marquise’s Previous Updates
Marquise
is finished
What I learnt after 12 "lais":
- He who fears cuckolding shall be cuckolded. 'Tis law.
- The number of maidens in towers is redunkulous. Sir, is this a Rapunzel cult?
- We whine that women couldn't choose, but these ladies are bold & offer themselves on a gold platter & even have a harem. Demure longing at a distance, my eye.
- The period's Yo Momma joke was killing your mum's husband to give her & your dad a HEA.
— Jan 09, 2026 05:47PM
- He who fears cuckolding shall be cuckolded. 'Tis law.
- The number of maidens in towers is redunkulous. Sir, is this a Rapunzel cult?
- We whine that women couldn't choose, but these ladies are bold & offer themselves on a gold platter & even have a harem. Demure longing at a distance, my eye.
- The period's Yo Momma joke was killing your mum's husband to give her & your dad a HEA.
Marquise
is 53% done
What I learnt, six "lais" in:
- So much adultery! Were there no single maidens for a knight to love back then?
- They hunt all the time. Telling a noble he's "a great hunter" is like telling a guy today he plays like Cristiano Ronaldo.
- A scorned woman calling the man who rejects her "gay" is as old as time.
- First date sex isn't a modern invention, prove me wrong.
- Their knowledge of biology is... cough.
— Jan 09, 2026 08:19AM
- So much adultery! Were there no single maidens for a knight to love back then?
- They hunt all the time. Telling a noble he's "a great hunter" is like telling a guy today he plays like Cristiano Ronaldo.
- A scorned woman calling the man who rejects her "gay" is as old as time.
- First date sex isn't a modern invention, prove me wrong.
- Their knowledge of biology is... cough.
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Garima
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Jan 07, 2026 09:38PM
Some books really do wait for the exact moment you need them. Medieval lais feel like the perfect counterweight to modern anxiety- compact, lyrical, and unapologetically enchanted. Knights, dragons, courtly love, and that quiet emotional precision Marie de France does so well. Proof that stories don’t age; we just keep growing into them.
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Oooo. Funky! This looks like fun. :)
Elentarri wrote: "Oooo. Funky! This looks like fun. :)"The Knight vs Dragon trope is one of my favourites! <3
Garima wrote: "Medieval lais feel like the perfect counterweight to modern anxiety- compact, lyrical, and unapologetically enchanted."Hey, Garima! Happy to hear from you, how are you doing? Belated Happy New Year to you. <3
Yes! Medieval fairy tales don't make any excuses for what they are and lay their themes out quite matter-of-factly. I adore them.
Yay for the knights of the Round Table! :D
P.E. wrote: "Yay for the knights of the Round Table! :D"Only one of them is here, and it's rather memorable. ;)
