Whereas the latter is a serious academic work of history, Mont Saint Michel and Chartres is far more whimsical, a playful meditative reflection on medieval culture.
[1] Despite having a far less serious intent than his earlier historical writings, Mont Saint Michel and Chartres has garnered high praise: for example, Maurice le Briton said, "Mont-Saint-Michel and Chartres is undoubtedly Adams's greatest work; though not apparently related to his earlier writings, this inspired work of poetry is the crowning achievement of his severe and somber historical oeuvre.
"[3] The first chapter treats the Mont Saint Michel Abbey: its architectural history as well as what the building and its patron represented for the people of that time.
The second chapter concerns the great medieval epic Le Chanson de Roland, a poem which, Adams argued, "expressed the masculine and military passions of the Archangel"[4] represented by that first cathedral.
Most of the central section of the book, Chapters V – XIII, contains an extended analysis of the Chartres Cathedral, including the architecture and the royal patrons who supported various features.