Romance in Medieval England - Hardcover

A compelling overview of the question, unobtrusively vindicating a body of writings long dismissed as wrong-headed `popular' imitations of a greater literature... particularly adapted to undergraduate audiences, for whom it will certainly become a regular reference, while scholars will welcome a collection giving its lettres de noblesse to a genre that is both enjoyable to read and profitable to study. NOTES AND QUERIES
A fine miscellany. NOTES AND QUERIES
Essays...raise important questions about definitions of romance, and about its audience. A stimulating collection. REVIEW OF ENGLISH STUDIES
Valuable for its attention to problems of editing and interpreting manuscript compilations as well as for its focus on less-studied romances such as Octavian, Melayne, Bevis of Hamtoun, Generides, and Isumbras- Five essays deal with questions raised by the study of manuscripts. -The remaining essays look to romances' audience, representations of women, and generic interactions for ways of better interpreting their meanings-this collection of essays and the ongoing conference from which it is drawn contribute to significant devs field.s in the study of romance. SPECULUM

These papers, presented at the first meeting of the society for the Study of Medieval Romance in 1988, exemplify some of the most significant recent trends in literary studies. Notable among these is an interest in women's history and female points of view. More specifically medieval concerns are codicological study and the present lively debate over editorial issues and principles. Since the essays deal with the romance in England between the 12th and 15th centuries, they illustrate both the cultural and linguistic diversity of the genre and the diversity in possible critical approaches.

Contributors: MALDWYN MILLS, JENNIFER FELLOWS, JOHN J. THOMPSON, GILLIAN ROGERS, LYNNE S. BLANCHFIELD, CAROL M. MEALE, JOHN SIMONS, S.H.A. SHEPHERD, ROSAMUND ALLEN, JUDITH WEISS, ROSALIND FIELD, DAVID BURNLEY, ELIZABETH WILLIAMS.