Description
Book SynopsisThis wide-ranging and stimulating Companion covers literature composed in French from the ninth century to the Renaissance, including the Chanson de Roland, the Roman de la Rose, Christine de Pisan and the Tristan romances. This is the ideal starting-point to discover the riches of the French medieval tradition.
Trade Review'One of the merits of these essays is that they can be read in any order. Each contributor presents the works or author under discussion clearly, assuming no great background knowledge on the part of the reader, a positive for a volume intended for university students. The essays succeed in introducing medieval French literature and some of the current debates in that discipline to the non-specialist. I recommend [this book] most strongly.' French Review
Table of ContentsChronology; Introduction Simon Gaunt and Sarah Kay; Part I. What Is a Medieval French Text?: 1. The Chanson de Roland Jane Gilbert; 2. The Old French Vulgate cycle Peggy McCracken; 3. Le Roman de la rose Noah D. Guynn; 4. The Testament of François Villon Adrian Armstrong; Part II. What Is a Medieval French Author?: 5. Chrétien de Troyes Matilda Bruckner; 6. The Châtelain de Couci Simon Gaunt; 7. Guillaume de Machaut Deborah McGrady; 8. Christine de Pizan Marilynn Desmond; Part III. What Is the Value of Genre for Medieval French Literature?: 9. Narrative genres Keith Busby; 10. Lyric poetry of the later Middle Ages Jane H. M. Taylor; 11. Genre, parody and spectacle Sarah Kay; 12. Theatre and theatricality Helen Solterer; Part IV. How Can We Read Medieval French Literature Historically?: 13. Feudalism and kingship James R. Simpson; 14. Clerks and laity Emma Campbell; 15. The marital and the sexual William Burgwinkle; 16. Others and alterity Sylvia Huot; Appendix. Reference works for Old and Middle French; Bibliography of medieval French texts; Suggested further reading; Index.
