I picked up Andrew Lang's translation of 'Aucassin and Nicolette' expecting a quaint, old-fashioned romance. What I got was a funny, tender, and surprisingly rebellious little story that feels like it could have been written yesterday.

The Story

Aucassin is the son of a count, and he's hopelessly in love with Nicolette, a beautiful girl bought from Saracen traders. His father forbids the match because Nicolette's origins are unknown (and therefore 'not good enough'). Nicolette's guardian locks her away for the same reason. When Aucassin refuses to give her up, even refusing to fight in battles unless he can see her, his father makes a cruel bargain: see her one last time, then never again. Of course, it's a trick. What follows is a wild chase. Nicolette escapes her tower, finds Aucassin, and they run away together. But fate—and a pirate ship—separates them. The rest of the story is their separate journeys through strange lands (including a kingdom where men give birth!) as they use their wits, courage, and unwavering belief in each other to find their way back.

Why You Should Read It

This story won me over because of its characters. Aucassin is a lover, not a fighter, and he's unashamed of it. His laments about love are dramatic and over-the-top, and it's kind of charming. But Nicolette is the star. She's the one who engineers their escape, who disguises herself as a minstrel to gather information, who faces down wild beasts. In a time when women in stories were often passive, Nicolette is all action. Their love feels genuine and youthful, a stark contrast to the cold, political marriages their elders want. Lang's translation keeps the poetic, musical feel of the original (it was meant to be sung!) but makes it flow beautifully for a modern reader.

Final Verdict

This is a perfect little book for a quiet afternoon. If you love fairy tales but want one with more personality and punch, this is for you. It's ideal for readers who enjoy classic stories but are curious about the ones that didn't make it into the mainstream Disney canon—the weirder, more heartfelt ones. History lovers will appreciate the glimpse into a different kind of medieval mindset, and romance readers will adore the steadfast, 'against-all-odds' core of the plot. At its heart, it's a 13th-century adventure about two teenagers outsmarting the world to be together, and that's a story that never gets old.