A review by heiditighe
The Song of Roland by Unknown

I think I can review this book without offending the author. (If not, something much more interesting is going on here.) It's not light bedtime reading, but it was interesting to see the poetic conventions. I was especially intrigued that the whiteness of many characters' beards was described as a physically beautiful feature because it represented valued wisdom.

Probably not a must-read for most of my friends, but it's short and comprehensible, so if for some reason (other than sheer nerdiness) you need to pick up an epic poem, this one's a good choice.