The World Is Not Enough

by Zoé Oldenbourg, Willard R. Trask (translator)

Baron Ansiau rides with Richard Coeur de Lion into the horror and agony of the Third Crusade, while his young wife, Alis, assumes the management of their castle and lands and of her own interests and affairs

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Medieval, France, Classics, Historical, 12th Century

509 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1946

About the author

Zoé Oldenbourg (Russian: Зоя Серге́евна Ольденбург) (March 31, 1916–November 8, 2002) was a Russian-born French historian and novelist who specialized in medieval French history, in particular the Crusades and Cathars.

She was born in Petrograd, Russia into a family of scholars and historians. Her father Sergei was a journalist and historian, her mother Ada Starynkevich was a mathematician, and her grandfather Sergei was the permanent secretary of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Saint Petersburg.Her early childhood was spent among the privations of the Russian revolutionary period and the first years of Communism. Her father fled the country and established himself as a journalist in Paris.

With her family, she emigrated to Paris in 1925 at the age of nine and graduated from the Lycée Molière in 1934 with her Baccalauréat diploma. She went on to study at the Sorbonne and then she studied painting at the Académie Ranson. In 1938 she spent a year in England and studied theology. During World War II she supported herself by hand-painting scarves.

She was encouraged by her father to write and she completed her first work, a novel, Argiles et cendres in 1946. Although she wrote her first works in Russian, as an adult she wrote almost exclusively in French.
She married Heinric Idalovici in 1948 and had two children, Olaf and Marie-Agathe.

She combined a genius for scholarship and a deep feeling for the Middle Ages in her historical novels. The World is Not Enough, a vast panorama of the twelfth century immediately put her in the ranks of the foremost historical novelists. Her second, The Cornerstone, won her the Prix Femina and was a Book-of-the-Month Club selection in America. Other works include The Awakened, The Chains of Love, Massacre at Montsegur, Destiny of Fire, Cities of the Flesh, and Catherine the Great, a Literary Guild selection. In The Crusades, Zoe Oldenbourg returned to the Middle Ages she knew and loved so well.

She won the Prix Femina for her 1953 novel La Pierre Angulaire.

Reviews

[Sherilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're interested in the Crusades read everything Zoe Oldenbourg has ever writtten.

[Coleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Way back in 1977, I discovered Zoe Oldenbourg. I fell in love with her books- her historical accuracy-and her characters. Back then, I was fortunate to buy this title and 2 other Oldenbourg's in paperback. The years took their toll on the paperbacks - and they fell apart through handling and moving. I missed those books- especially this one.

A couple of years ago I discovered that The World Is Not Enough was no longer in my local library's collections and that Amazon listed it as out-0f-print and not easily available.

You ever get that longing for a favorite book and discover that you may never get a chance to read it again? It hit me right in the gut. Alis and Ansiau- the two main characters stayed with me so strongly that I even considered seriously naming my son Ansiau before he was born back in 1988. My son Josh scoffs at the idea-but I still think it's a mighty fine name.

Recently I hunted through my state's inter-library online loan program- and discovered that Toledo, Ohio had a library with one of the original hardback cloth copies of The World Is Not Enough.
Well-worn orange-red cloth with butter soft pages. I was in heaven every night reading before I went to sleep.

-which brings me to my first review of the new year....

The World Is Not Enough---
"At Christmas time their parents had settled the amount of the dowry and the other details. The bridegroom's father was old and he wished to see grandchildren of his race and lineage. That was why tonight Alis of Puiseaux would have to go to bed with a boy."

One of my favorite openings to a book. This begins the story of Alis and Ansiau in the year of our Lord 1171. What follows in the next 490 pages is their story as well as that of their children, in-laws, lovers, enemies.

The 2 major events in the book center around the Crusades. During the first Crusade in 1179, the reader stays in Linnieres with Alis, while Ansiau leaves to travel to the Holy Land. Alis develops into a strong woman who runs the castle and surrounding farms.

The reader is taken along with Ansiau and his sons in the 2nd Crusade in 1190. They fight Saladin alongside England's Richard the Lionheart. Upon the baron's return to Linnieres, the couple is followed through ever increasing marital difficulties to final old age and infirmity, but still loyally together as the book's last lines indicate.

Despite their infidelities and financial strains, they remain a force together.

Thus ends one of my favorite books:
"She (Alis) shook her head and rested her cheek on the baron's shoulder. A huge red sun set behind the forest."

[Erik Graff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first of Oldenbourg's mediaeval novels. It is not the best of them, perhaps reflecting her inexperience as a writer at the time. In any case I found parts of it tedious--though, to her credit, one must note that parts of it are intended to show the tedium of even upper-class provincial life, a tedium which partly accounts for why the lord runs off from his home and wife on two crusades.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Details the lives of one family and their interpersonal relationships in the time of the Middle Ages. However, being confined to the family members' castle you learn very little about the rest of the world around them. The exception is when the male members venture off to the Crusades and the reader has a taste of military camp conditions of the time, and yet when they return you are confined once again to who-did-what in the castle and how everyone feels about it. In my opinion, Kenneth Follett's books weave a richer tapestry of the medieval world.

[Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really great book. Great detail of every day life during the 2nd and 3rd Crusades and 12th century France. The details of every day life of the characters are unbelievable. Currently reading Miss Oldenbourg " Crusades". Look forward reading "The Cornerstone" which is the next book in the series.

[Alex Sarll]

You see it said that historical fiction, like SF, is always really about the time in which it's written, and yeah, sure, that's an option, and one which tends to go down well with the unimaginative – but isn't it a nobler achievement to conjure a time long gone back to life as itself, let the reader walk through another lifetime in another age, see the people there in all their similarities to us, but all their differences too, instead of just a textual Snapchat filter? Oldenbourg opens in 1171, in a church on the border of Champagne and Burgundy. Ansiau, heir to the baron of Linnieres, is about to marry Alis, whose late grandfather remains a byword among the men of the region for the old days when knights were really knights (I love that quiet thread of internal nostalgia). And the book follows them from then, until the end of Ansiau's fighting days, with all the life that encompasses; hunts, crusades, romances, feuds, triumphs, debts, children. So many children, born and buried, some with time to become characters in their own right first, though it's debatable whether they're the lucky ones. Because all the awfulness of the Middle Ages is here, the squalor and mud and primitive healthcare, the ignorance and strictures and the pointless, lingering deaths. But so is the grandeur, the moments of joy, the little delights. Some of the people are loveable, others complete monsters, and most, as ever, somewhere in between; Ansiau and Alis spend decades together in various mixtures of love, exasperation and hypocrisy, the years taking their toll (I could only ever picture his alloy of brutality and affability as played by Russell Crowe, then realised at the end of the book that this broken hulk of a man is still younger than Crowe is today). I suppose you could find parallels if you looked, not least in the keen awareness of the horrors of war in a book published in France in 1946, but the world herein never feels like metaphor, let alone allegory; it's simply the world. And thus a way to bear out that title, give us a way to cheat and experience more than one. I can't find anything concrete, but given the dates I assume Fleming borrowed it from here for the Bond family motto; certainly reading it has often left me with an earworm of the last good Bond theme, not that I'm complaining. Certainly the book itself is not enough, and I reached the end with that feeling long books done well can instill, where yes, really you've only known these people for a few weeks, but that was enough that now you don't want to leave them.

[Alethea · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting to read a book set in this period. I've heard that the author carefully researched the details of life in medieval France, and that did come across. Given that a lot of historical fiction is poorly written and fairly poorly researched, this was vastly superior.

All that said, I got so fed up with this (long) novel that I didn't finish it - I ended up skim reading to the end. I realise that my objection is highly subjective, and another reader might not mind at all, or even like the novel all the better because of the following: Alis and Ansiau are quite selfish and shallow characters, and become all the more so as they age, and the story of their marriage is essentially that they are both unrepentantly unfaithful to each other and don't really appreciate each other. Personally, unless novels are supposed to be funny (which this one is not) and I can laugh at characters' amusing failings, then I like to read novels where I can admire the main character(s) to some degree. I hoped that Alis and/or Ansiau would grow in maturity of character over the novel, that would have been interesting, but instead the reverse seemed to happen. I suppose I found watching two selfish people being unkind and thoughtless, and going through the motions of an unhappy marriage, seemed all too much like just watching normal life. There's nothing special about Alis and Ansiau, except that they live in the twelfth century. I realise that that would make the novel all the more appealing to some people, because of its realism - many medieval people were probably exactly like this couple; it's just personal preference that I didn't - I found the characters too annoying and boring to continue wading through a long novel about them.

[Ben Bergonzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The words 'sweeping' and 'epic' are so often over-used but here they are just right. This is an account of the lives of Alis and Anisau over a 40 year span from their marriage in their mid teens - 20 pregnancies for her, innumerable battle and tournament wounds for him, love affairs for both. Their children (mutual children and children with others) and grandchildren, their financial manoeuverings to pay for dowries and armour. The crusades are depicted mainly as a matter of of frustrated waiting and camp fever. The writing is simple, a continuous story from several points of view with few chapter breaks, little dialogue, some realistic but confusing aspects eg several characters with the same name. It's all immensely involving and vivid. The complex family relationships reminded me of Tolstoy, the casual violence and the frequent sex (with the very young) reminded me of rock stars with teenage groupies. Some gritty situations - more than once a girl is mentioned as still growing even after giving birth. The French/Russian author was only thirty when the book was published, yet brings immense psychological insight and the real 'truth of mood' that is the hallmark of great well-researched historical fiction. 590 pages but very enjoyable.

[Rohan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The World is Not Enough spans the lifetime of the Baron of Linnieres from his childhood and marriage with Lady Alis until his gradual demise. The reader can get a glimpse of the humdrum existence of French nobility in the countryside, their involvement in petty rivalries, treacheries, as well as their medieval attitudes. By accompanying Ansiau and Lady Alis, the reader can understand the nature of interpersonal relationships between master and serf, man and woman in 13th century France. The author portrays the role of religion as skin-deep and merely a formality without much of an impact on the inner lives of medieval Frenchmen. Pre-Christian local pagan practices and beliefs seem to coexist without resistance. I expected the author to provide more detail on the baron’s expeditions in the Holy Land, but the story focuses more on life back in the castle under Lady Alis’ custody. This novel is worth reading if you want to immerse yourself in the provincial lives of medieval nobility during the second and third crusades.

[Ditti Steiner · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author, Zoé Oldenbourg was a painter before becoming a historian and a writer. I always feel transported to and immersed both intellectually as well as visually in the particular era she chooses to write about. I particularly enjoy her stories set in the middle ages, a time of history my history teachers did not particularly like and always referred to with distaste. As a grown up I traveled a lot in that particular area of France and became fascinated as well as curious about what really happened during those dark ages. Couldn't have dreamed of having a better view and understanding .

[Nancy Zaroulis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe that this is the greatest historical novel ever written. Equally fascinating is the story of the author, a refugee from the Russian Revolution whose family settled in Paris. All during World War II, Oldenbourg went to the Biblioteque Nationale to research 12th Century France. I like to believe that this was her refuge from the Nazi occupation. The book was published in 1948. The destruction of Notre Dame Cathedral, which was constructed in roughly the same time period as this novel, brought the book to mind.

[Roibeárd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some books stay with you for a long time after you have read them, this was one of them for me. Realistic characters and storyline. The relative squalor of the castle, the pointlessness of some of the feuding and fighting. The medieval superstition and belief in magic is captured very well. And (maybe because it was written so long ago) there was a refreshing lack of trying to write our 21st century Western values back into the story. For good and bad, the characters are believably very much of their time.

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of a dozen books I've read twice. And I'm 60 years old, so that's over a very long period with a lot of reading. I'm not sure why, but part of it is that the author loves all the characters, even the dark, mentally ill "evil" ones. She knows both men and women. She writes convincingly of the inner lives of children, young adults, and old adults.

[Malini Sridharan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The parts set in France fit somewhere between pop historical romance and In A Dark Wood Wandering.The treatment of the crusades was a little disappointing-- the writing style changed completely, and it became more of a non-fiction chronicle than historical fiction.

[Roger Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

A grade eleven student told me about her favourite author, Zoe Oldenbourg back in 1972. I soon got my hands on The World is Not Enough and read four more of her books over the next five years. I had always had a fascination with the Middle Ages, and because I was teaching a course that ran from ancient to Medieval times, I had an opportunity to satisfy my interest. Finding Oldenbourg was the icing on the cake. I have never found any historical fiction quite so thoroughly researched or understandable concerning that period of time. I highly recommend them if you have a fascination with the Medieval as I did. You probably will have difficulty finding them in libraries these days, but I have discovered several titles through discount. online suppliers.

[David Bush]

Zoe Oldenbourg was an accomplished French historian and novelist who specialized in the history of the Crusades. In the first book of her medieval series, she reconstructs the medieval world in fine detail. You are transported to a different age. The mentality, dialogue, attitudes, religiosity,customs and behaviour of the people of that time is faithfully reconstructed.It is a generational family saga and much happens in the story. Themes of love, betrayal, infidelity,revenge, remorse ,conversion, repentance, greed and penance intertwine in this elaborate historical epic.

[Lena P · Rating 3 out of 5]

Je suis très partagée.
Je n'ai pas passé un excellent moment en lisant ce livre. Pourtant, il est bien écrit et il remplit son but: nous faire vivre les années 1100 comme si on y était!
Le bémol tient aux personnages. Bien écrits, intéressants, complexes... Mais leurs choix! Je préfère les histoires dans lesquelles les personnages évoluent positivement. Ici c'est tout l'inverse, j'avais envie de crier pendant tout le roman: "noooon, ne fait pas ça!".
Donc, si on aime les histoires qui ne finissent pas forcément bien, où il arrive des malheurs aux personnages, ça peut tout à fait plaire.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Following the lives of Alis and Anseiu from their marriage at the age of 14 and 16 respectively through their old age during the middle ages in France. This is also during the time of the second and third Crusade. Sometimes interesting sometimes just a slog-fest of infidelity and jealousy. I think I would have liked this more if the characters had been more sympathetic and less fallible.

[Paul Clement · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un bon roman historique, qui semble malheureusement quelque peu oublié. Ce récit d'une famille de nobliaux à l'époque des croisades s'étale sur plusieurs décennies et nous fait découvrir en détail les mœurs de l'époque ; une vraie plongée. Je regrette peut-être sa longueur qui finit par installer une certaine lassitude après la énième génération et l'énième amourette.

[Lionelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un bon moment de lecture. Une plongee dans le moyen âge avec des personnages attachants des intrigues, des amours des combats....C'est très bien écrit, pas enjolivé, on a vraiment l'impression de vivre l'histoire. Un récit intéressant sur la place de la femme à cette époque. Peut être un peu long le récit de la deuxième croisade .

[Diane Verdi · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing book about the crusades and life in the 12th centuy.

[Sheena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this ad a teen many years ago. It's well written and I recalled being able to relate to some of the characters.

[Pollymoore3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Feels authentically horrible and beautiful. The Middle Ages were probably like this.

[Eileen Iciek · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel, first published in 1948, tells the story of the lives of the minor nobility in the county of Champagne in France before, during and after the third Crusade. Few of the characters are likable and the story jolts from one grim situation to another. I knew the Middle Ages were full of death, disease, and filth, but this story was relentless that way. The main characters are Baron Ansiau and his wife, Lady Alys, whom we meet on their wedding day in their early teens. The story closes about 40 years later. In between there is the Crusade, poverty, infidelities, and dozens of children born (most of whom end up in the grave).

I do not read books to be depressed or discouraged, which this one did. It was well written (if in a style some would find dated today) and the author's research into the period was impeccable. I would recommend this book to anyone seeking to learn what life was like in Medieval times, but only if you can handle the unceasingly grim lives these people lived.

[Vonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This really put you into France during the crusades time period. The story was interesting and the environment painted very realistically.

I couldn't relate too much to the lovers, they were both rather shallow people at first. Their love was very strong because it was the only protection they had for the cruel and violent period in which they were living.

[Marcella · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with any such sweeping family saga, being fully-immersed in the lives of the main characters (and their children) from adolescence to late middle age left me feeling moody at the end; there was something very bittersweet about leaving these real, flawed characters in their twilight years. That's how vividly they and their world were drawn.

[Kellie]

The lady at Border's recommended this book when I was looking for The Pillars of the Earth today...it's worth a try!

[Pam]

More historical than novel.

[Steven · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't get in to this book and consequently abandoned it after nearly 100 pages. I'm surprised that I have done this and thought I'd enjoy this book.

[Diane McCarrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all time favorites...every five years or so I read it again.