The rise of romance
By: by Eugène Vinaver.
Publisher: D.S. Brewer; Barnes & Noble
Published: 1984
Place of publication: Woodbridge, Suffolk; Totowa, N.J
Language: eng
Number of pages: 158
Subjects: Malory, Thomas, Sir, 15th cent.; Romances -- History and criticism.; Arthurian romances -- History and criticism.; Knights and knighthood in literature.; Kings and rulers in literature.
Description: Explores medieval French and English romances in their relation to the literary aesthetic of that vanished age as well as to the evolution of narrative. The framework of this investigation is chronological, beginning in the twelfth century with the work of Chrétien de Troyes and following through to the great Arhurian Prose Cycle and its remodelling by Sir Thomas Malory, whose mind and art the author strives constantly to elucidate. As it seeks out the meaning and design of the early masterpieces, the study transcends its chronological framework: major problems of style and technique arise that are of fundamental importance to the contemporary novel as well. Related phenomena in medieval painting, sculpture and manuscript ilumination are drawn upon to illustrate and reinforce the significance of the author's discoveries.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Reprint. Originally published: Oxford : Clarendon Press, 1971.