W e n d y Metcalf-Roy Star-Crossed Lovers B o y meets g i r l , boj i n . u r n s g i r l , they live h a p p i l y ever after: il onl) il were so simple. But as the Bard so wisely p o i n t o u t , the course of true love never d i d r u n s m o o t h , a n d most great love stories are d i s t i n g u i s h e d by t u r m o i l a n d tragedy, m i s f o r t u n e a n d m i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g . F r o m the m y t h s a n d legends (>l ancient times to the headlines of I [ o l l y w o o d , some names have been l i n k e d in r o m a n c e for eternity. T h e i r stories have been w r i t t e n , rewritten a n d often re-invented as m o v i e s . H e r e is a s m a l l selection of current titles a b o u t some great lovers f r o m the N o r t h V a n c o u v e r D i s t r i c t L i b r a r y . H e l o i s e a n d A b e l a r d : a n e w b i o g r a p h y of history's great lovers by James B u r g e , is the story o f the c h a r i s m a t i c teacher a n d his i m p u l s i v e y o u n g student. C o n s i d e r e d one of the w o r l d ' s great love stories, it was u n t i l recently based o n just eight s u r v i v i n g letters between the c o u p l e . N o w Burge d r a w s o n 113 recently translated letters that have been a t t r i b u t e d to the lovers to b r i n g to life their passionate affair, as w e l l as the repressive c l i m a t e of the times. T h e couple met in 1115, w h e n A b e l a r d was an o u t s p o k e n philosopher a n d H e l o i s e w a s a p r o m i s i n g student. T h e i r a f f a i r w a s c o n d u c t e d v i r t u a l l y under the nose o f H e l o i s e ' s u n c l e , w h o w a s enraged w h e n he learned the truth a n d eventually had A b e l a r d castrated. T h e c o u p l e retreated to cloistered, religious lives, but their passion never a b a t e d . HELOISE AND ABELARD TRISTAN AND ISOLDE Y o u have a choice o f styles here. If y o u like the f u l l - b l o w n , b o d i c e - r i p p e r style o f h i s t o r i c a l r o m a n c e , w i t h a little m y s t i c i s m t h r o w n i n , then R o s a l i n d M i l e s is for y o u . T h e a u t h o r o f the p o p u l a r G u e n e v e r e series begins a n e w t r i l o g y w i t h Isolde, Q u e e n o f the Western Isle: T h e M a i d o f the W h i t e H a n d s a n d T h e L a d y o f the Sea c o m p l e t e the story. H o w e v e r , for a sensitive a n d f i n e l y - w r i t t e n retelling of one o f the w o r l d ' s greatest love stories, t u r n to T h e K i n g i n the Tree by P u l i t z e r P r i z e - w i n n e r Steven M i l l h a u s e r . K e l o w n a a u t h o r Jack W h y t e , a master of the history/fantasy genre, i n t r o duces L a n c e l o t in C l o t h a r the F r a n k , a n d i n T h e Eagle he takes us i n t o the m i n d s a n d lives o f three people - K i n g A r t h u r of E n g l a n d ; his best k n i g h t , L a n c e l o t ; a n d his Q u e e n , G u i n e v e r e . T h e i r c o m p l i c a t e d love triangle f o r m s the basis for one o f the m o s t cherished legends of the Western w o r l d , a n d W h y t e tells the story f r o m a n e w a n d f a s c i n a t i n g perspective. LANCELOT AND GUINEVERE Chopin's Funeral by Benita Eisler CHOPIN AND GEORGE SAND T h e i n n o v a t i v e p i a n i s t - c o m p o s e r C h o p i n m o v e d in the highest circles o f F r e n c h society but, frail a n d t u b e r c u l a r t h r o u g h o u t his a d u l t life, lived i n e m o t i o n a l s o l i t u d e . H i s story is e n t w i n e d w i t h that o f his f a m o u s lover a n d s o m e t i m e manager, the novelist a n d p o l i t i c a l activist G e o r g e S a n d . F r o m 1838 to 1 8 4 6 , the c o u p l e shared a h o m e i n the F r e n c h c o u n t r y s i d e i n the s u m m e r a n d a p a r t m e n t s i n Paris i n the w i n t e r . T h e i r r e l a t i o n s h i p was sometimes i d y l l i c but m o r e often s t o r m y , a n d it ended bitterly; Sand d i d not attend C h o p i n ' s f u n e r a l , w h i c h is w h e r e this flashback story begins. The Love Letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett P a s s i o n a n d p o e t r y just g o together, a n d y o u just can't get m u c h m o r e r o m a n t i c than the t w o B r o w n i n g s . B o o k s have been w r i t t e n o n the romance between the t w o poets, but the t w o lovers tell it best. ROBERT AND EILZABETH BROWNING