The Treasure of the City of Ladies: or The Book of the Three Virtues (Penguin Classics) Paperback – September 30, 2003

Decent condition, good price.

Christine de Pisan was the first European woman known to have earned a living as a professional writer, and in this intriguing book she offers advice on conduct for women of all classes. A great emphasis is placed on religious observence and piety, as one would expect in an age when religion was an important part of most people's lives, but the book also offers a great deal of practical advice for women about how to manage their lives.A baroness, we are told:'ought to have the heart of a man, that is she ought to know how to use weapons and be familiar with everything that pertains to them, so thta she may be ready to command her men if the need arises. She should know how to launch an attack or defend against one, if the situation calls for it.'medieval ladies had to be able to turn their hand to anything.Sometimes her advice is posititvely modern, as for instance when she comments on the gap in understanding between the old and the young:'There is quite often argument and discord, as much in outlook as in conversation, between old people and young ones, to the point that they can hardly stand each other, as though they were members of two different species.'Evidently not that much has changed in the last 600 years.Although Christine de Pisan mostly concentrated on describing how her readers should live the ideal life, sometimes she vividly describes women who are less than ideal. In the section on artisans' wives for instance, she writes disapprovingly:'She too ought to stay at home gladly and not go every day traipsing hither and yon gossiping with the neighbours and visiting her chums to find out what everyone is doing. That is done by slovenly housewives roaming about the town in groups.'I rather like the image of the cheerful housewives roaming about in groups.I would recommend this fascinating book to anyone interested in medieval women, or in medieval history in general, or in women in general.

I got this book to research a paper I wrote about sexism in the history of different wedding traditions among different cultures for my Feminism in the Middle Ages class in college. It was a really interesting subject to research and this book had quite a bit of great information on the subject!

Christine de Pisan was an accomplished author who wrote a number of works on subjects including warfare and politics. The Book of the City of the Ladies largely explored the subject of women's roles, position and the social expectations placed upon them. For those interested and wishing to learn more about such things, I would strongly recommend this title.Pisan does indeed make some interesting, fascinating and perhaps surprising statements. `A woman should adopt the heart of a man' is a sentiment repeated more than once, meaning in this sense to adopt a strong, wise and constant heart. Amongst other things she advised noblewomen to take an active interest the management of their husband's estates, but more than this `she ought to know how to use weapons and be familiar with everything that pertains to them, so that she may be ready to command her men if the need arises'.Yet those expecting this work to reflect modern feminist ideals may be in for a disappointment. Whilst Christine certainly believed women could and should be strong, it may not be in the way some today expect. She argued for instance that a woman should be obedient, loyal and constant even to an unfaithful or unloving spouse, perhaps because by doing so they would still be held in honour and esteem.Honour and reputation was indeed a big deal for Christine, in keeping with the time. Perhaps this was why she had little time for the notion of courtly love, already outmoded in her day, as something which favoured only men, allowing them `pursue' a women to the cost of her dishonour, shame and disgrace. In her view, it was best for women to discourage, be wary of and shun such advances from men, and for their chaperones or attendants to do their best to prevent them from becoming involved in emotional entanglements which might cause them to be compromised.Yet for admonitions against of sinful or immoral behaviour, the author seemed to think it was acceptable for such women to lie, engage in deception and never reveal the truth which may bring their mistress `dishonour'.Women of the lower and peasant classes also get a mention, and some helpful advice, and even prostitutes are mentioned, the admonition being that they repent, abandon their immoral lifestyle and find respectable employment as soon as they can. Some may disagree with the author's attitude or outlook towards the poorer classes, but with this work as others it may be wise to appreciate it in the context of the time instead of expecting it to measure up to modern standards.Though as a modern Protestant I could never agree with or consider acceptable some of the things the author says which are contrary to the teaching of Scripture, such as praying to Mary or her sentiments that celibacy was preferable to marriage because all procreation even within it was supposedly `unspiritual'.

This book is unlike the best known City of Ladies by the same author. With it, Christine de Pizan offers a manual of conduct to women of all social classes. Today, it is therefore a crucial reading for anyone interested, either academically or for personal reasons, in Women's / Gender Studies. And it is a priceless window into the unconscious biases that still plague how women are perceived and perceive themselves.

eu gostei muito livro

A good insight into medieval French culture.

Christine de Pisan was an accomplished author who wrote a number of works on subjects including warfare and politics. The Book of the City of the Ladies largely explored the subject of women's roles, position and the social expectations placed upon them. For those interested and wishing to learn more about such things, I would strongly recommend this title.Pisan does indeed make some interesting, fascinating and perhaps surprising statements. `A woman should adopt the heart of a man' is a sentiment repeated more than once, meaning in this sense to adopt a strong, wise and constant heart. Amongst other things she advised noblewomen to take an active interest the management of their husband's estates, but more than this `she ought to know how to use weapons and be familiar with everything that pertains to them, so that she may be ready to command her men if the need arises'.Yet those expecting this work to reflect modern feminist ideals may be in for a disappointment. Whilst Christine certainly believed women could and should be strong, it may not be in the way some today expect. She argued for instance that a woman should be obedient, loyal and constant even to an unfaithful or unloving spouse, perhaps because by doing so they would still be held in honour and esteem.Honour and reputation was indeed a big deal for Christine, in keeping with the time. Perhaps this was why she had little time for the notion of courtly love, already outmoded in her day, as something which favoured only men, allowing them `pursue' a women to the cost of her dishonour, shame and disgrace. In her view, it was best for women to discourage, be wary of and shun such advances from men, and for their chaperones or attendants to do their best to prevent them from becoming involved in emotional entanglements which might cause them to be compromised. Yet for admonitions against of sinful or immoral behaviour, the author seemed to think it was acceptable for such women to lie, engage in deception and never reveal the truth which may bring their mistress `dishonour'.Women of the lower and peasant classes also get a mention, and some helpful advice, and even prostitutes are mentioned, the admonition being that they repent, abandon their immoral lifestyle and find respectable employment as soon as they can. Some may disagree with the author's attitude or outlook towards the poorer classes, but with this work as others it may be wise to appreciate it in the context of the time instead of expecting it to measure up to modern standards. Though as a modern Protestant I could never agree with or consider acceptable some of the things the author says which are contrary to the teaching of Scripture, such as praying to Mary or her sentiments that celibacy was preferable to marriage because all procreation even within it was supposedly `unspiritual'.

This is a fascinating book written in the early 15th century by a woman who gives sage advice to many different types of people. It is so interesting seeing her thoughts from a distance of over 500 years. A true classic.