Description
Book SynopsisSurvey of and guide to all the major authors and genres in Middle English prose. The essays in this volume provide an up-to-date and authoritative guide to the major prose Middle English authors and genres. Each chapter is written by a leading authority on the subject and offers a succinct account of all relevant literary, history and cultural factors that need to considered, together with bibliographical references. Authors examined include the writers of the Ancrene Wisse, the Katherine Group and the Wohunge Group; Richard Rolle; Walter Hilton; Nicholas Love; Julian of Norwich; Margery Kempe; "Sir John Mandeville"; John Trevisa, Reginald Pecock; and John Fortescue. Genres discussed include romances, saints' lives, letters, sermon literature, historicalprose, anonymous devotional writings, Wycliffite prose, and various forms of technical writing. The final chapter examines the treatment of Middle English prose in the first age of print. Contributors: BELLA MILLETT, RALPH HANNA III, AD PUTTER, KANTIK GHOSH, BARRY A. WINDEATT, A.C. SPEARING, IAN HIGGINS, A.S.G. EDWARDS, VINCENT GILLESPIE, HELEN L. SPENCER, ALFRED HIATT, FIONA SOMERSET, HELEN COOPER, GEORGE KEISER, OLIVER S. PICKERING, JAMES SIMPSON, RICHARD BEADLE, ALEXANDRA GILLESPIE.
Trade ReviewA much-needed resource. * JOURNAL OF ENGLISH AND GERMANIC PHILOLOGY *
[A] fine collection of essays from which Middle English prose emerges once again as one of the most stimulating and exciting areas of medieval literature. There can be no doubt that A Companion to Middle English Prose will establish itself in no time as a sine qua non for all who find themselves drawn to this rapidly developing field. * ANGLIA *
This is a book which should have a place on the shelves of every university where Medieval English is taught. * RICARDIAN *
An up-to-date and authoritative guide to the major prose Middle English authors and genres. * MEDIUM AEVUM *
Timely and welcome. [...]the scope, and calibre, of research in the Companion, above all, firmly establishes and surveys the valuable work already carried out. * JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND LINGUISTICS *
Table of ContentsAncrene Wisse, the Katherine Group and the Wohunge Group - Bella Millett Rolle and Related Works - Ralph Hanna Wlater Hilton's Scale of Perfection and The Cloud of Unknowing - Ad Putter Nicholas Love - Kantik Ghosh Julian of Norwich - Barry A Windeatt Margery Kempe - A C Spearing *** Mandeville - Ian Higgins Trevisa - A S G Edwards Anonymous Devotional Writings - Vincent Gillespie Sermon Literature - Helen L Spencer Historical Writing - Alfred Hiatt Wycliffite Prose - Fiona Somerset Prose Romances - Helen Cooper Scientific, Medical and Utalitarian Prose - George Keiser Saints' Lives - Oliver S Pickering Reginald Pecock and John Fortescue - James Simpson Private Letters - Richard Beadle Caxton and After - Alexandra Gillespie
