Historia Calamitatum

"Historia Calamitatum" by Peter Abélard is a story from the 1100s that goes through the difficult life of a smart philosopher and religious thinker, and it's also a look at the world back then. The book starts with the main character thinking about all the bad things that have happened to him, explaining how he wants to share his troubles to help others feel better. He talks about his childhood growing up through his early passion for learning, and how he chose books over family duties. As he studies in Paris, he fights with famous scholars and becomes a well-known teacher. But his big dreams get him into trouble when he falls in love. What follows is a story full of scandal, backstabbing, and heartbreaking events that change his life forever. From the start, the book shows the problems he faces both in his personal life and in the world of learning, setting the scene for a deep story about love, big goals, and thinking about life's big questions.