A New Companion to Malory

A comprehensive survey of Malory's Morte Darthur, one of the most important texts of the Middle Ages, with a transformation and expansion of critical approaches in scholarship and significant advances in understanding its milieux. This volume offers scholars, teachers, and students a full guide to the text and the author, with essays providing a synthetic overview and fresh perspectives on key questions and contexts.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 344 pages
Publication date: 22 November 2022
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer Ltd

Malory's Morte Darthur, one of the most significant texts of the Middle Ages, has undergone a comprehensive survey in this volume. It has become a canonical and widely-taught text, and recent decades have witnessed a transformation and expansion of critical approaches in scholarship, as well as significant advancements in understanding its milieux: textual, literary, cultural, and historical. This volume serves as an update to the influential Companion of 1996, providing scholars, teachers, and students with a comprehensive guide to the text and the author. The essays included in this volume offer a synthetic overview of the key questions about and contexts connected with the Morte.

MEGAN G. LEITCH is a Senior Lecturer in English Literature at Cardiff University, while CORY JAMES RUSHTON is an Associate Professor in the Department of English at St Francis Xavier University, Canada. Contributors to this volume include Dorsey Armstrong, Thomas Crofts, Siân Echard, Rob Gossedge, Daniel Helbert, Amy Kaufman, Megan Leitch, Andrew Lynch, Catherine Nall, Ralph Norris, Raluca Radulescu, Lisa Robeson, Meg Roland, Cory Rushton, Masako Takagi, and Kevin Whetter.

The essays in this volume provide fresh perspectives on the key questions about and contexts connected with the Morte. They explore various aspects of the text, including its historical, literary, and cultural contexts, and offer new insights into Malory's storytelling techniques and the themes he addresses. The authors employ a range of critical approaches, including feminist, postcolonial, and cultural studies, to analyze the text and shed light on its enduring significance.

One of the notable features of this volume is its comprehensive coverage of the Morte's textual and editorial history. The authors provide detailed accounts of the various manuscript versions, the influence of print culture on the text's reception, and the contributions of scholars and editors in shaping our understanding of the work. This information is essential for scholars and students who wish to delve deeper into the text and its historical context.

Another strength of this volume is its interdisciplinary approach. The authors draw on a wide range of sources and methodologies, including literary criticism, historical analysis, and cultural studies, to explore the Morte's complex themes and meanings. This approach allows for a more comprehensive understanding of the text and its place in medieval literature and culture.

In conclusion, Malory's Morte Darthur: A Comprehensive Survey is a valuable resource for scholars, teachers, and students interested in medieval literature and culture. The essays included in this volume offer a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the text and its critical reception. The interdisciplinary approach employed by the authors enables a deeper understanding of the Morte's complex themes and meanings, and the comprehensive coverage of the text's textual and editorial history provides valuable insights into its historical context. This volume will be of great interest to anyone seeking to explore the rich and complex world of medieval literature and culture.

Weight: 536g
Dimension: 235 x 155 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781843846758