Record Number: 32410
Reading Experience:
Evidence:
'As a matter of fact I am at present reading a real "old french" romance "The High History of the Holy Graal" translated in the lovely "Temple Classics". If I dared to advise you any longer -. It is absolute heaven: it is more mystic and eerie than the "Morte" & has [a] more connected plot. I think there are parts of it even you'd like.'
Century:1900-1945
Date:Between 1 Nov 1916 and 15 Nov 1916
Country:England
Timen/a
Place:Great Bookham
Surrey
'Gastons'
(Reader):
silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
(Listener):
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
Reader / Listener / Reading Group:
Reader: Age:Child (0-17)
Gender:Male
Date of Birth:29 Nov 1898
Socio-Economic Group:Professional / academic / merchant / farmer
Occupation:Student
Religion:Church of England
Country of Origin:Northern Ireland
Country of Experience:England
Listeners present if any:e.g family, servants, friends
n/a
Additional Comments:
n/a
Text Being Read:
Author: Title:The High History of the Holy Graal
Genre:Fiction, Prose Arthurian romance, translated from the Old French
Form of Text:Print: Book
Publication DetailsTranslated from the first volume of "Perceval le Gallois", edited by C. Potvin) by Sebastian Evans. London: J. M. Dent, 1898 (Temple Classics Series)
Provenanceowned
Source Information:
Record ID:32410
Source:C. S. Lewis
Editor:Walter Hooper
Title:C. S. Lewis Collected Letters
Place of Publication:London
Date of Publication:2000
Vol:1
Page:249/250
Additional Comments:
From a letter to Arthur Greeves, 8 November 1916. The 'Morte' is Sir Thomas Malory's 'Morte d'Arthur'.
Citation:
C. S. Lewis, Walter Hooper (ed.), C. S. Lewis Collected Letters, (London, 2000), 1, p. 249/250, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=32410, accessed: 09 May 2025
Additional Comments:
Lewis was reading a translation of 'Li Hauz Livres du Graal', also known as 'Perlesvaux', an anonymous work of the early 13th century which purports to be a continuation of 'Le Conte du Graal' of Chretien de Troyes. I find it odd that Lewis, who loved this kind of literature, does not mention Chretien's work anywhere in his correspondence until 1946: '...you remember that all was lost because Perceval failed to ask "for what does it serve?"' (Letter to Ruth Pitter, 24 July 1946)