The Red Romance Book
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Summary
Originally published in 1921. Contents include: How William of Palermo was carried off by the Werwolf; The Disenchantment of the Werwolf; The Slaying of Hallgerda's Husbands; The Death of Gunnar; Njal's Burning; The Lady of Solace; Una and the Lion; How the Red Cross Knight slew the Dragon; Amys and Amyle; The Tale of the Cid; The Knight of the Sorrowful Countenance; The Adventure of the Two Armies who turned out to be Flocks of Sheep; The Adventure of the Bobbing Lights; The Helmet of Mambrino; How Don Quixote was Enchanted while guarding the Castle; Don Quixote's Home-coming; The Meeting of Huon and Oberon, King of the Fairies; How Oberon saved Huon; Havelok and Goldborough; Cupid and Psyche; Sir Bevis the Strong; Ogier the Dane; How the Ass became a Man again; Guy of Warwick; How Bradamante conquered the Wizard; The Ring of Bradamante; The Fulfilling of the Prophecy.
Editor's review
The Red Romance Book is a collection of romance stories edited by Andrew Lang, first published in 1921, gathering short tales of knights, heroes, adventure, and folklore. The table of contents shows stories ranging from William and the werewolf, the feuds and house-burnings of the Icelandic sagas, the Red Cross Knight's dragon fight, the deeds of the Cid, and a Don Quixote-like episode in which sheep are mistaken for an army; the sources are varied, and the arrangement balances legendary color with narrative appeal. Lang's anthologies were usually intended for family reading, with language tidied for reading aloud and retelling. The book's value lies in giving readers access to the romance traditions of many parts of Europe at once; it can serve as an introduction to classic stories for young readers or as casual browsing for those interested in folk narrative and medieval subjects. Note that some stories contain violence such as revenge and burning, which may call for explanation when read with children.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Parents and teachers seeking classic adventure stories for children or students
- Beginning readers interested in chivalric romance, sagas, and European folktales
- Readers who enjoy short-story collections for casual browsing rather than continuous reading
- Literature enthusiasts seeking insight into Andrew Lang's editorial style
Not a good fit for
- Readers seeking the continuous plotting and deep characterization of modern fiction
- Readers with no interest at all in medieval or legendary subjects
- Researchers seeking strictly scholarly annotation or textual criticism
- Young children sensitive to violence such as revenge and house-burning
Reading tips
- Choose stories from the table of contents according to interest rather than proceeding from the first piece in order.
- When reading with children, skim the plot first and explain or skip content such as feuds and house-burnings.
- After each story, have the child retell the outline to practice identifying characters and conflict.
- Use a map to locate where the stories take place and build a sense of the geography of European legend traditions.
Contents
- 版权信息
- THE RED ROMANCE BOOK
- PREFACE
- Part 1
- HOW WILLIAM OF PALERMO WAS CARRIED OFF BY THE WERWOLF
- THE DISENCHANTMENT OF THE WERWOLF
- THE SLAYING OF HALLGERDA’S HUSBANDS
- THE DEATH OF GUNNAR
- NJAL’S BURNING
- THE LADY OF SOLACE
- Part 2
- UNA AND THE LION
- HOW THE RED CROSS KNIGHT SLEW THE DRAGON
- AMYS AND AMYLE
- THE TALE OF THE CID
- THE KNIGHT OF THE SORROWFUL COUNTENANCE
- THE ADVENTURE OF THE TWO ARMIES WHO TURNED OUT TO BE FLOCKS
- THE ADVENTURE OF THE BOBBING LIGHTS
- Part 3
- THE HELMET OF MAMBRINO
- HOW DON QUIXOTE WAS ENCHANTED WHILE GUARDING THE CASTLE
- DON QUIXOTE’S HOME-COMING
- THE MEETING OF HUON AND OBERON, KING OF THE FAIRIES
- HOW OBERON SAVED HUON
- HAVELOK AND GOLDBOROUGH
- CUPID AND PSYCHE
- Part 4
- SIR BEVIS THE STRONG
- OGIER THE DANE
- HOW THE ASS BECAME A MAN AGAIN
- GUY OF WARWICK
- HOW BRADAMANTE CONQUERED THE WIZARD
- THE RING OF BRADAMANTE
- THE FULFILLING OF THE PROPHECY
- THE KNIGHT OF THE SUN
- HOW THE KNIGHT OF THE SUN RESCUED HIS FATHER
FAQ
What age group is this book suitable for?
The materials do not specify an age range. Judging by the subject matter, young readers with some reading ability and adults can both read it; some pieces involve revenge and burning, so younger children are advised to read with a parent and explanations.
Which traditions do the stories come from?
The table of contents shows the legend of William and the werewolf, the stories of Gunnar and Njal in the Icelandic sagas, the Red Cross Knight's dragon fight, the deeds of the Cid, and a Don Quixote-like episode; the sources span much of Europe, and specific origins can be traced through the individual titles.
Can I read this directly without having read other Andrew Lang books?
Yes. This is a short-story collection, and the pieces are relatively independent, so no prior reading is needed. If you like this editorial style, you can go on to Lang's other colored fairy or story collections.
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About the author
Andrew Lang
Author
Andrew Lang is an important figure in editing and compiling fairy tales and folk stories, though detailed information about his life is limited in publicly available Chinese sources. Four of his works are included here: The Red Fairy Book and The Blue Fairy Book from his "coloured fairy book" series, as well as The Red Romance Book and Historical Mysteries. These works show that he was skilled at collecting and retelling folk legends and fairy tales from various regions, with clear and fluent narratives, accessible language, and attention to preserving the oral tradition and imaginative quality of the stories. His fairy-tale anthologies have circulated widely and are often classified as inspirational coming-of-age reading, exercising a lasting influence on children's literature and the dissemination of folk tales in the English-speaking world.
