Customer Reviews

Barnabe Riche: His Farewell to Military Profession (Medieval and Renaissance Texts and Studies)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For all you folks out there passing through and wondering who this Barnabe Riche is, and why he's important, let me give you a little info. Riche was man of the English Renaissance. He served in the English military, especially in Ireland, but eventually turned to writing. You'll note the title of the work for which he is best known today above--the book you are currently looking at. Why is this man important you ask? Riche's Farewell to Military Profession is a collection of different stories, the second of which, Apolonious and Silla, is considereed the source for Shakespeare's comedy Twelfth Night. The main concept behind both works is that a woman is dressed as a man: said woman insinuates herself into the court of a nobleman with whom she is in love. The nobleman, however, does not reciprocate that love, but is pursuing another woman, and he uses the masquerader as a go-between. Fun ensues, as you can imagine. These are just basic points, not the complete fabric of the story. If your curiousity has been aroused, by all means, read Shakespeare--or, if you are a huge Shakespeare fan, and are interested in the what, when, where, and how of the bard, then this piece might interest you. Shakespeare, while being a brilliant writer, was not the only man with a pen in his hand during this time, folks. There are dozens of other writers from this period who have become eclipsed over the centuries by Shakespeare. I could list any number of playwrights: Thomas Kyd, John Fletcher, Francis Beaumont--even the giants Ben Jonson and Christopher Marlowe have had that titanic shadow to cope with, and it is not fair to these talented writers that history and modern readers ignore them: unless you're at a university being forced to swallow them down, or you're a professor specializing in this period (in which case, if said sort of person happens to be reading this, good luck with cause), people don't tend to get exposed to these guys, and as I said, it's a shame. So, to end this, go forth, buy Riche's Farewell to Military Profession, and read the darn thing. Open your mind to a whole new realm. And if you don't feel like slapping down 14 bucks, go to a library (probably a college or university library) and you'll find it there (I hope). Overall, it's a good read.