Stealing Heaven: The Love Story of Heloise and Abelard

Based on one of history's greatest love stories, this heartwrenching novel tells us of the doomed romance between Heloise and Abelard. In twelfth century France, Peter Abelard is a philosophy teacher at the cathedral school of Notre Dame. Considered the greatest teacher of the time, students from all over flock to Paris eager to hear his teachings. Widely admired for his dedication to his profession, he will meet his downfall when he falls in love with a local canon's niece. Raised in a convent, Heloise is a strong-willed young lady with an insatiable desire for knowledge. And with such passionate nature, she possesses a rebellious streak especially when it comes to the society's perception of women as mere chattel. From the day that her Uncle Fulbert has made her aware of his plans to marry her off to a wealthy man, Heloise has expressed her dislike for marriage. Therefore, when he accepts Abelard's request to rent one of his rooms, he doesn't think twice about it despite his relatives' concern about his maiden niece living under the same roof as Master Abelard. In fact, he has so much trust in Abelard's chasteness that one of the conditions he gives Abelard is for him to take Heloise as a pupil. And so begins the tragic romance that will shock the nation and which will become one of histories most popular love stories of all time. While Shakespeare has immortalized the romance of Romeo and Juliet, the story of Heloise and Abelard will always be more powerful for the fact that we know that it happened and we have their letters that tell us of the sorrow that the lovers, especially Heloise, has lived after the vengeful castration of Abelard. Marion Meade does a good job in describing the atmosphere of the time that the book really draws you in and the characters are so vivid adding to the intensity of the story. This is a truly passionate retelling of the doomed love of Heloise and Abelard. But I did find that this book is more focused on Heloise's feelings. You see the depth of her love for Abelard and how she suffered with the nagging doubts about Abelard's true feelings for her, her shock at how he seemed to have readily accepted his fate as God's punishment for not resisting his feelings for her. The author has done a great job in her depiction of Heloise that, at times, it was painful to read how Heloise ached for Abelard's love and for what could have been if not for her uncle's revenge. And this is where some may have a problem with Abelard's character. Because the book is almost entirely focused on Heloise, I myself had some doubts about Abelard and truly wish that I were able to get the same sense of conviction for his true feelings. But despite this, I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves medieval history and passionate love story. As long as you keep an open mind that this is a fictional novel based on facts, and know that there are embellishments for story-telling purpose, this is a wonderful and captivating book for

I was thrilled to find the book. I had seen the movie and was fascinated by the story of Heloise and Abelard, but I was not prepared for the richness of this book. It covers the politics of the day (and the politics of the church), the history of impending war, and, with great passion, the forbidden love between two of history's greatest minds. The story of Heloise's life building her convent was fascinating. This book will remain close at hand for re-reads whenever I need a fix of great storytelling.

This is a beautifully detailed, beautifully written historical novel. A factually accurate, sensual and moving version of the story of the 12th century French lovers Abelard and Heloise. The charismatic Abelard, the pre-emminent philosopher of Paris, is a master of dialectics and reason, celebrated throughout Paris; his pupil, Heloise, some 20 years younger is renowned for 'surpassing all women and most men' in her learning. Abelard is a rebel in the realms of theology and philosophy - but Heloise shows herself to be an even greater rebel, surpassing him in the realm of human love. The film version of the novel (1988)- out of print and difficult to acquire - has some historical inaccuracies and is rather truncated, but is a cut above the run-of-the-mill Romance channel classics. Strives to give equal weight to the paradoxical 'fields' of love and reason. It would be impossible to imagine a richer plot - and yet, though the treatment here is fiction, the events are real.

I first read "Stealing Heaven" in 1979, and it was the first novel to ever bring me to tears. Two years ago I stumbled across it again at a used-book sale. I was thrilled to re-read it and found it just as stirring as the first time. The story of Heloise and Abelard is well known, but Marion Meade manages to make Heloise a flesh and blood character rather than an 11th century martyr. Her descriptions of life in medival Paris are vivid and colorful. The movie version is a weak representation of this wondeful story.

This is an absolutely wonderful book which has a slightly different take on the legendary Abelard & Heloise love story because it's written from her point of view. She is an intelligent, compelling and passionate woman who touched me deeply. The book is written in lovely language and provides wonderful descriptions of medieval France--you feel like you are running the streets of Paris with Heloise in her youth...and you stay with her through all the trials of her lost love, betrayals, lost and found faith and overall an incredible compassion for humanity. It is a great book because it shows Heloise in both her private and public selves and traces her life to eventual redemption. Fascinating and moving...I wept and smiled at the end.