This collection of twelve specially commissioned essays provides a stimulating guide to the Middle English popular romances. These were very popular in later medieval Britain and even today students of medieval literature will encounter examples of the genre, such as Sir Orfeo, Sir Tristrem, and Sir Launfal. Each essay introduces one popular romance, setting it in its literary and historical contexts, and develops an original interpretation that reveals the possibilities that popular romances offer for modern literary criticism. A substantial introduction by the editors discusses the production and transmission of popular romances in the Middle Ages, and considers the modern reception of popular romance and the interpretative challenges offered by new theoretical approaches.

About the Author
Ad Putter is Lecturer in the English Department of the University of Bristol, and also works for the Centre for Medieval Studies at Bristol. He is author of various books and articles on medieval literature, including An Introduction to the Gawain poet also published by Longman. Jane Gilbert is Lecturer in French at University College London. She is the author of several articles on medieval French and English romances.

Reviews
'.....these new essays offer varied and thoughtful approaches to a group of relatively little known romances, and are successful in demonstrating their interest for the literary critic as well as the historian or linguist.' Corinne Saunders, Notes and Queries. 'The book is worth recommending to students as an accessible starting point...' Christopher Dyer, University of Leicester 'The reading of the articles proves in itself to be an entertaining, aesthetically satisfying and scholarly redeeming act and whets the reader's appetitie for the original texts...' Dr Thomas Honegger, Chair of Medieval Studies, Friedrich-Schiller-Universitat Jena.



Book Information
ISBN 9780582298880
Author Ad Putter
Format Paperback
Page Count 320
Imprint Longman
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 898g
Dimensions(mm) 156mm * 234mm * 17mm