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These essays on Arthurian prose romances, published as a tribute to Cedric E. Pickford, reflect their development and the reshaping of the romances in response to changing taste and fashion from the death of Chrétien de Troyes to the end of the medieval period in England. Topics include the question of religious influences; the transition of Arthurian material to foreign contexts; and the fortunes of the prose romance in England, focusing on the Prose 'Merlin' and Malory. The contributors are: ELSPETH KENNEDY, RENÉE L. CURTIS, FANNI BOGDANOW, JANE H.M. TAYLOR, DAVID BLAMIRES, CERIDWEN LLOYD-MORGAN, CAROL M. MEALE, KAREN STERN, DEREK BREWER, FAITH LYONS, ROGER MIDDLETON
A reconsideration of Arthurian compilations in the late middle ages, looking at the complex ways in which they reshape their material for new audiences.
Up-to-date Coverage of the scope and extent of the important tradition of Arthurian material in Iberian languages and of the modern scholarship on it. (= Wide-ranging bibliographical coverage and guide to both texts and research on them.) Written by Specialists in the different Romance languages of the Iberian Peninsula (Portuguese, Catalan, Galician, Spanish and its dialects). (= Expert analysis of different traditions by leading scholars from Spain and the UK.) Wide-ranging Study not only of medieval and Renaissance literary texts, but also of modern Arthurian fiction, of the global spread of Arthurian legends in the Spanish and Portuguese worlds, and of the social impact of the legends through adoption of names of Arthurian characters and imitation of practices narrated in the legends. (=A comprehensive guide to both literary and social impact of Arthurian material in major world languages.)
Written in the thirteenth century, the Icelandic prose sagas, chronicling the lives of kings and commoners, give a dramatic account of the first century after the settlement of Iceland—the period from about 930 to 1050. To some extent these elaborate tales are written versions of traditional sagas passed down by word of mouth. How did they become the long and polished literary works that are still read today? The evolution of the written sagas is commonly regarded as an anomalous phenomenon, distinct from contemporary developments in European literature. In this groundbreaking study, Carol J. Clover challenges this view and relates the rise of imaginative prose in Iceland directly to the rise of imaginative prose on the Continent. Analyzing the narrative structure and composition of the sagas and comparing them with other medieval works, Clover shows that the Icelandic authors, using Continental models, owe the prose form of their writings, as well as some basic narrative strategies, to Latin historiography and to French romance.
Continuing on to the electronic revolution, Martin's account takes in the changes wrought on writing by computers and electronic systems of storage and communication, and offers surprising insights into the influence these new technologies have had on children born into the computer age. The power of writing to influence and dominate is, indeed, a central theme in this history, as Martin explores the processes by which the written word has gradually imposed its logic on society over four thousand years. The summation of decades of study by one of the world's great scholars on the subject, this fascinating account of writing explains much about the world we inhabit, where we uneasily confer, accept, and resist the power of the written word.
Malory's world explored, from the battle of Towton to the "grete bokes" of chivalric material composd for aristocratic families.
Is it true that French people enjoy reading grammar articles over their coffee and croissants? Can matters of language really be so interesting and absorbing? For thirty years, Aristide composed his Usage et grammaire and Divertissements grammaticaux for one of France’s foremost daily newspapers, Le Figaro. His fans avidly read his weekly chroniques de langue, corresponding with him and asking him questions, which he delighted in answering. His linguistic writings, topical, witty and elegant, are both entertaining and instructive. This book on Aristide’s work will be appreciated by lovers of the French language the world over. Although written in English, it is peppered throughout with extracts from Aristide’s weekly rubriques. Aristide stood in the long tradition of French grammarians, some purist and others relatively laxist. Bernard Pivot described him as one who was «sévère pour une faute de français, indulgent pour un français en faute».