The torments of love

Hélisenne de Crenne

Originally published in 1538, The Torments of Love tells the story of the ill-starred love affair of the heroine, Helisenne, and her paramour, Guenelic. The first part relates the tale of Helisenne's happy marriage and her sudden adulterous desire for Guenelic, a desire so overwhelming that her husband, in desperation, imprisons her in a tower. Helisenne writes The Torments of Love as a missive to her lover, hoping it will fall into his hands and he will come to her rescue. Part two tells the story of Guenelic's adventures as he and his partner in derring-do, Quezinstra, search across Europe for Helisenne's prison. The novel concludes with Quezinstra's narration of the fate of Helisenne and Guenelic. . This edition is the first English translation and the only complete version of this lost masterwork currently in print in any language.

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