Urban Tigner Holmes (2)Critiques

Flicking through this book, a hefty tome, I came across a reference (page 280) to Claris et Laris. Once upon a time I read this 13th-century French romance, all 30,369 verses. Holmes is quite dismissive of this work and I like his style. First he describes it as 'long and tedious' before delivering the coup de grace: 'Claris is the son of a French duke, and Laris is the son of the German king. Their adventures are too complicated to be retold with any profit here'.