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Le Livre rouge des romans, hardcoverHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soon
About this book

What is a knight’s promise worth when keeping it puts his safety at risk?

The Red Romance Book brings together medieval tales of knights, kings, giants and quests from the old romances of Europe. Honor, loyalty and courage drive these adventures. A knight must keep his word, even when comfort or safety is the cost. Magic and wonders belong to a world where a promise carries real weight.

Andrew Lang gathers the tales, and Mrs. Lang retells them in plain, lively prose for young readers. These are stories rooted in the castles and market squares of Europe, where people sing and tell adventures long before novels. Here, romance means more than love: it opens a door to quests, loyal companions and dark castles.

What you’ll discover

  • Knights who keep their word Follow adventures where loyalty asks more of a knight than comfort and safety allow.
  • Giants, kings and wonders Enter tales where medieval adventure makes room for magic, giants and the demands of honor.
  • Romance beyond love stories Discover an older meaning of romance through tales of knights, wonders and daring quests.
  • Old tales, lively telling Enjoy Mrs. Lang’s plain prose, which brings these old European stories within easy reach.
  • The roots of familiar adventures Meet the lone heroes, loyal companions and dark castles that still shape stories today.

Who will love it

For readers who love knights, quests and old legends, and parents or teachers who want tales to read aloud.

What’s inside

The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary

  1. Romances were stories of knights and wonders
  2. Lang gathered tales from many old sources
  3. Honor, loyalty and courage drive the plots
  4. The old tales still shape stories today

Read the first key idea free

Formats and delivery
eBook
On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
Large-print eBook
The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
Audiobook
11 h 29 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
15-minute summary
The key ideas in about 4 minutes, to read or to hear.
Paperback
6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
Hardcover
6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
Large print paperback
8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
Large print hardcover
8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.

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Children's Classics

Le Livre rouge des romans

by Andrew Lang (éditeur) ; Mme Lang (adaptatrice)

Knights follow forest roads where every stranger may be a friend, a foe or an enchanter, and courage is put to the test.

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Le Livre rouge des romans by Andrew Lang (éditeur) ; Mme Lang (adaptatrice), the cover

From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 4

Romances were stories of knights and wonders

The word romance in the Middle Ages did not mean a love story alone. It first meant a tale written in a Romance language, such as French, rather than in Latin. Over time it came to mean a long story of heroes, noble ladies, journeys and marvels. These tales were often told in verse and performed aloud for lords and their courts.

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What is The Red Romance Book about?

It is a collection of medieval romances about knights, kings, giants and quests, retold in simple prose for young readers. The tales come from the old story traditions of Europe and stress courage, loyalty and honor.

Who wrote The Red Romance Book?

Andrew Lang edited it and his wife, Mrs. Lang, retold the stories. The tales themselves are older, drawn from anonymous medieval romances that passed through many tellers before reaching modern readers.

Is The Red Romance Book part of the Lang fairy books?

Yes, it belongs to the family of colored books Andrew Lang edited for young readers. While the best-known volumes hold fairy tales, this one turns to the knightly romances of the Middle Ages.

The author

Andrew Lang

1844–1912 · Scottish poet and folklorist

Andrew Lang was a Scottish writer born in Selkirk in 1844. He lived in London and died in Banchory in 1912. He wrote poetry, novels, literary criticism, and works on folklore. He edited The Blue Fairy Book, published in 1889, and other fairy-book collections, including The Violet Fairy Book in 1901.

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