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Rating: 
Summary: An Excellent Work
Review: Morgante stands with Orlando Furioso (Ariosto) and Orlando Innamorato (Boiardo) as one of the great Italian Renaissance romance epics. Morgante, however, is often overlooked, and has only recently been made available in English. Pulci's work has all of the elements that made the genre so popular: romance, action, chivalry, rivalry, magic, and intrigue. Pulci mixes the tragic and the comedic, the epic and the burlesque, and the reverent and the sacrilegious to give the reader a story that is extremely beautiful and always entertaining. Although he lacks some of the subtlety of Ariosto, he has nonetheless created a masterpiece in twenty-eight cantos. We follow Orlando, Rinaldo, Astolfo, Ogier the Dane and the other paladins of King Charlemagne's court through countless adventures in Saracen lands with beautiful women, wicked leaders, grotesque giants, and mythical beasts. It seems that the characters almost inevitably engage in sword fights, convert the Muslims and fall in love. The stories are similar to those of the Arthurian legends, only with the addition of Pulci's grand sense of humor. It all culminates in the Battle of Roncesvalles, where the Christians (betrayed by the wicked Gano) are treacherously attacked by Marsilius and his pagans. This is the story narrated in the Song of Roland, but it comes alive through Pulci's creativity. The translation by Joseph Tusiani is in verse and has been rendered in dignified and eloquent English. Still, it is easy to read and remains lively and never pedantic. Perhaps the greatest feature of this edition is the many annotations provided for each chapter and the scholarly introduction (all by Edoardo Lebano) on the life and works of Luigi Pulci. There are over 200 pages of annotations that help illuminate passages in each canto. This makes the book ideal for students and scholars of both Pulci and the Renaissance. I highly recommend this book. For readers who are unacquinated with Furioso or Innamorato, perhaps you should read those works first to get an idea of the genre, especially since this edition of Morgante is rather pricey. Also, chronologically, Morgante contains stories relating to the end of Orlando's life. However, for those (like me) who have read Furioso and Innamorato and found them to be splendid works, Morgante will be a fine investment.
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Work
Review: Morgante stands with Orlando Furioso (Ariosto) and Orlando Innamorato (Boiardo) as one of the great Italian Renaissance romance epics. Morgante, however, is often overlooked, and has only recently been made available in English. Pulci's work has all of the elements that made the genre so popular: romance, action, chivalry, rivalry, magic, and intrigue. Pulci mixes the tragic and the comedic, the epic and the burlesque, and the reverent and the sacrilegious to give the reader a story that is extremely beautiful and always entertaining. Although he lacks some of the subtlety of Ariosto, he has nonetheless created a masterpiece in twenty-eight cantos. We follow Orlando, Rinaldo, Astolfo, Ogier the Dane and the other paladins of King Charlemagne's court through countless adventures in Saracen lands with beautiful women, wicked leaders, grotesque giants, and mythical beasts. It seems that the characters almost inevitably engage in sword fights, convert the Muslims and fall in love. The stories are similar to those of the Arthurian legends, only with the addition of Pulci's grand sense of humor. It all culminates in the Battle of Roncesvalles, where the Christians (betrayed by the wicked Gano) are treacherously attacked by Marsilius and his pagans. This is the story narrated in the Song of Roland, but it comes alive through Pulci's creativity. The translation by Joseph Tusiani is in verse and has been rendered in dignified and eloquent English. Still, it is easy to read and remains lively and never pedantic. Perhaps the greatest feature of this edition is the many annotations provided for each chapter and the scholarly introduction (all by Edoardo Lebano) on the life and works of Luigi Pulci. There are over 200 pages of annotations that help illuminate passages in each canto. This makes the book ideal for students and scholars of both Pulci and the Renaissance. I highly recommend this book. For readers who are unacquinated with Furioso or Innamorato, perhaps you should read those works first to get an idea of the genre, especially since this edition of Morgante is rather pricey. Also, chronologically, Morgante contains stories relating to the end of Orlando's life. However, for those (like me) who have read Furioso and Innamorato and found them to be splendid works, Morgante will be a fine investment.
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