A Companion to Medieval Popular Romance

Popular romance was one of the most wide-spread forms of literature in the middle ages yet despite its cultural centrality and its fundamental importance for later literary developments the genre has defied precise definition its subject matter ranging from tales of chivalric adventure to saintly women and monsters who become human. The essays in this collection seek to provide an inclusive and thorough examination of romance. They provide contexts definitions and explanations for the genre particularly in but not limited to an English context. Topics covered include genre and literary classification; race and ethnicity; gender; orality and performance; the romance and young readers; metre and form; printing culture; and reception. CONTRIBUTORS: ROSALIND FIELD RALUCA L. RADULESCU MALDWYN MILLS GILLIAN ROGERS JENNIFER FELLOWS THOMAS H. CROFTS ROBERT ALLEN ROUSE JOANNE CHARBONNEAU DESIREE CROMWELL AD PUTTER KARL REICHL PHILLIPA HARDMAN CORY JAMES RUSHTON