A Companion to Romance: From Classical to Contemporary (Blackwell Companions to Literature and Culture) [Hardcover]

Corinne Saunders (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0631232710 | ISBN-13: 978-0631232711 | Publication Date: November 8, 2004 | Edition: 1

Romance is a varied and fluid literary genre, notoriously difficult to define. This groundbreaking Companion surveys the many permutations of romance throughout the ages.

• Considers the literary and historical development of the romance genre from its classical origins to the present day
  
• Incorporates discussion of the changing readership of romance and of romance’s special relation to women readers
  
• Comprises 30 essays written by leading authorities on different periods and sub-genres
  
• Challenges the idea that the appeal of romance is exclusively escapist
  
• Draws on a wide range of specific and influential literary examples

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Acknowledging the difficulty of defining "romance," Saunders and the contributors collectively produce a volume that offers a more comprehensive survey of the literature--including its historical, national, and generic varieties--than have previous standard works on the subject…Some of the essays--e.g., Helen Cooper's "Malory and the Early Prose Romances" and Richard Cronin's "Victorian Romance: Medievalism"--are exemplary in the quality of their writing, scholarship, and critical perception…Highly recommended.”
Choice

"... It would be worth acquiring for an academic humanities collection and, from my own experience, would be particulary useful for English literature students at undergraduate and postgraduate level."
Reference Review

Book Description

Romance is a varied and fluid literary genre, notoriously difficult to define. This groundbreaking Companion surveys the many permutations of romance throughout the ages. Comprising 30 essays written by leading authorities in the field, it considers the historical and literary development of the genre from its classical origins to the present day. The focus is on English literature, although this is placed within the larger context of perceptions of romance. The book incorporates discussion of the changing readership of romance, particularly romance's special relation to women readers. It challenges the idea that the appeal of romance is exclusively escapist, drawing on a wide range of specific and influential literary examples. The Companion is suitable for general readers and for those beginning their study of literature, as well as for readers seeking more specialized information on the issue of romance or on the individual types of writing, writers, and works considered.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 584 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell; 1 edition (November 8, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0631232710
• ISBN-13: 978-0631232711
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.1 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,039,260 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)