Amadis of Gaul


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(4.4 stars; 13 reviews)

Amadis of Gaul (Amadís de Gaula, in Spanish) was not the first, but certainly one of the best known knight-errantry tales of the 16th century. Not only is its authorship doubtful, but even the language in which it was first written - Portuguese or Spanish. It is imagined to have been composed in the 14th century, but the known first printed edition came to light in Zaragoza in 1508, and the oldest extant version is in Spanish.

The plot is the story of the brave knight Amadis, and starts with the forbidden love of his parents and his secret birth, followed by his abandonment near water. He is found and raised as the son of a knight. Upon reaching adulthood, he goes in a quest for his own identity, and investigates his origins through fantastic adventures: plenty of wizards, princesses, damsels in distress and other knights people the world of Amadis.

Amadis of Gaul, together with Palmerin of England and Tirante the White, are the only books saved from the fire by Quixote's curate, when purging the knight's library: Tirante, for its quaintness; Palmerin, because he thought it had been written by the king himself; and Amadis, for being the best of its kind. Even if Cervante's praise works more as censure, it's a fact that Amadis represents the style as no other, and was the father of a numerous flock, becoming a landmark work among the knight-errantry tales and marking the story of European literature. (Summary by Leni)

Dedicated Proof-Listeners: Miss Stav, Becky Cook, & Rapunzelina (29 hr 17 min)

Chapters

00 - Preface 35:58 Read by Leni
01 - Book 1, Chapters 1 - 2 16:44 Read by Amy Gramour
02 - Book 1, Chapters 3 - 4 24:03 Read by Amy Gramour
03 - Book 1, Chapters 5 - 6 22:18 Read by Amy Gramour
04 - Book 1, Chapters 7 - 9 25:17 Read by Amy Gramour
05 - Book 1, Chapters 10 - 11 16:44 Read by Amy Gramour
06 - Book 1, Chapters 12 - 13 35:26 Read by Mark F. Smith
07 - Book 1, Chapters 14 - 16 31:30 Read by Amy Gramour
08 - Book 1, Chapters 17 - 18 21:48 Read by Amy Gramour
09 - Book 1, Chapters 19 - 21 34:12 Read by Nick Vega
10 - Book 1, Chapters 22 - 24 26:44 Read by Amy Gramour
11 - Book 1, Chapters 25 - 29 38:19 Read by Miramontes
12 - Book 1, Chapters 30 - 33 24:29 Read by Amy Gramour
13 - Book 1, Chapters 34 - 35 37:04 Read by Martin Gradwell
14 - Book 1, Chapters 36 - 37 21:52 Read by Luigina
15 - Book 1, Chapters 38 - 40 24:13 Read by Anna Simon
16 - Book 1, Chapters 41 - 42 23:55 Read by Ted Garvin
17 - Book 1, Chapters 43 - 44 34:35 Read by Ted Garvin
18 - Book 2, Chapters 1 - 3 34:03 Read by Ted Garvin
19 - Book 2, Chapters 4 - 5 14:17 Read by Ted Garvin
20 - Book 2, Chapters 6 - 7 28:30 Read by James K. White
21 - Book 2, Chapters 8 - 9 28:35 Read by James K. White
22 - Book 2, Chapters 10 - 11 21:29 Read by Amy Gramour
23 - Book 2, Chapters 12 - 13 39:54 Read by Ted Garvin
24 - Book 2, Chapters 14 - 15 37:27 Read by mlcui
25 - Book 2, Chapter 16 27:23 Read by Grant Hurlock
26 - Book 2, Chapters 17 - 18 39:40 Read by Grant Hurlock
27 - Book 2, Chapter 19 40:51 Read by Grant Hurlock
28 - Book 2, Chapter 20 26:23 Read by Grant Hurlock
29 - Book 2, Chapter 21 23:46 Read by Amy Gramour
30 - Book 2, Chapter 22 31:38 Read by Anna Simon
31 - Book 3, Chapter 1 31:23 Read by Anna Simon
32 - Book 3, Chapter 2 24:53 Read by Anna Simon
33 - Book 3, Chapter 3 22:40 Read by Anna Simon
34 - Book 3, Chapter 4 20:17 Read by Anna Simon
35 - Book 3, Chapter 5 39:39 Read by Anna Simon
36 - Book 3, Chapter 6 32:51 Read by Amy Gramour
37 - Book 3, Chapter 7 30:53 Read by Anna Simon
38 - Book 3, Chapters 8 - 9 31:58 Read by Anna Simon
39 - Book 3, Chapter 10 31:21 Read by Grant Hurlock
40 - Book 3, Chapter 11 30:19 Read by Grant Hurlock
41 - Book 3, Chapter 12 27:32 Read by Grant Hurlock
42 - Book 3, Chapter 13 23:28 Read by mlcui
43 - Book 3, Chapter 14 17:22 Read by Amy Gramour
44 - Book 3, Chapter 15 24:41 Read by mlcui
45 - Book 3, Chapter 16 20:08 Read by mlcui
46 - Book 3, Chapter 17 31:30 Read by Anna Simon
47 - Book 3, Chapter 18 14:06 Read by Amy Gramour
48 - Book 4, Chapters 1 - 5 34:27 Read by Margaret Espaillat
49 - Book 4, Chapters 6 - 12 31:05 Read by Anna Simon
50 - Book 4, Chapters 13 - 15 34:57 Read by Anna Simon
51 - Book 4, Chapters 16 - 18 28:55 Read by Anna Simon
52 - Book 4, Chapters 19 - 24 36:48 Read by Anna Simon
53 - Book 4, Chapters 25 - 27 22:49 Read by Anna Simon
54 - Book 4, Chapter 28 20:38 Read by Anna Simon
55 - Book 4, Chapters 29 - 30 33:20 Read by bala
56 - Book 4, Chapters 31 - 33 33:07 Read by Denny Sayers (d. 2015)
57 - Book 4, Chapters 34 - 35 23:46 Read by bala
58 - Book 4, Chapter 36 37:55 Read by Denny Sayers (d. 2015)
59 - Book 4, Chapters 37 - 40 34:50 Read by Denny Sayers (d. 2015)
60 - Book 4, Chapter 41 17:03 Read by Anna Simon
61 - Book 4, Chapters 42 - 44 23:48 Read by Anna Simon

Reviews

Better than Arthurian legend


(5 stars)

Lancelot and King Arthur might be more famous, but Amadis is a more likable protagonist. His achievements are epic, and they aren't overshadowed by moral failures. Amadis is like Superman, not merely invincible in combat, but also faithful to his vows despite adversity and dilemas. His habit of adopting pseudonyms and acting incognito truly resembles the modern superhero trope.

Difficult, but worth it


(5 stars)

It is a quest to read this book, but it is rewarding. There are great adventures, well written characters, griping plots, and much more. It is a hard read to modern ears, but if you let these tales into your life you will not regret it