Letters of Heloise and Abelard: A Translation of Their Complete Correspondence

The letters of Heloise and Abelard remain some of the great romantic and intellectual documents of human civilization while the writers themselves are probably second only to Romeo and Juliet in the fame accrued by tragic lovers. Living in the abbey of the Paraclete in twelfth-century France, the two poured their hearts and minds out to each other in a series of letters. The letters are notable for their intelligence, insight, and philosophy and make clear the reason Heloise and Abelard’s story has resounded for centuries. Here, for the first time, is the collected correspondence with accessible commentary from two of our foremost medieval scholars. This book will be a necessity for anyone interested in the medieval period or in these two touchingly unforgettable figures from the distant past.

The first complete translation of the famous Medieval letter collection.

She began their passionate and complex correspondence by calling him "...her heart's love..:" while he referred to her as "...the singular joy and only solace of a weary mind." The letters of Heloise and Abelard will remain one of the great, romantic and intellectual documents of human civilization while the writers themselves are probably second only to Romeo and Juliet in the fame accrued by tragic lovers. Living in the abbey of the Paraclete in the twelfth century, the two poured their hearts and minds out to each other in a series of letters. Here for the first time is the complete correspondence, with commentary by Mary Martin McLaughlin. This book will be a necessity for anyone interested in the medieval period and for those interested in these two unforgettable figures from the distant past. This book is a companion volume to McLaughlin's study of Heloise, Heloise and the Paraclete. Anyone interested in the Middle Ages or the intricacies of letter collections will be thrilled by this historic publication.

About the Author:
Mary Marting McLaughlin is one of the world's preeminent scholars of the medieval period. Now retired, she has taught at Wellesley and Vassar and is the recipient of numerous awards and grants. She has been researching, writing, and working on the figure of Heloise for almost 25 years. She lives in Millbrook, NewYork.

Mary Martin McLaughlin was one of the pre-eminent medieval historians of the twentieth-century. Her scholarship concentrated on the religious lives of medieval women and children and families in the Middle Ages. She was the editor of The Portable Medieval Reader and The Portable Renaissance Reader, with James Bruce Ross. She taught at the University of Nebraska, Wellesley College, and Vassar College.

Bonnie Wheeler teaches at Southern Methodist University where she directs the Medieval Studies program. She specializes in medieval literature and history with a focus on gender issues and has edited and co-edited fourteen books. She is the executive editor of Arthuriana and President of the Council of Editors of Learned Journals.