Review by Choice Review
This eclectic group of essays has as its governing theme the relationships between Arthurian legend and cultural transformation. The editors (Eastern Michigan Univ. and York Univ., Ontario, respectively) have organized the essays into two groups: first, a set of 11 essays examines the medieval social conditions that gave rise to various manifestations of Arthurian legend, such as intellectual environment, political pressures, and the cultural forces of chivalry and marriage; and second, a set of six essays considers how various postmedieval societies have appropriated and reinvented Arthurian material and its medieval contexts, including Spenser's Faerie Queene, 17th-century editions of Malory, the "romantic revival" of the 19th century, and contemporary science-fiction comic books. Diverse in their interests and findings, these 17 brief essays employ a wide range of methodologies and critical perspectives, both traditional and contemporary. Many of the scholars contributing to the volume have established reputations and interests reflected (and reiterated) here--e.g., Maureen Fries on marriage, Donald Maddox on Chr'etien de Troyes--and thus this relatively expensive volume offers many topics and authors already well represented in most academic collections. Recommended for those academic libraries maintaining a comprehensive collection on the history and criticism of Arthurian romances and their adaptations. Upper-division undergraduates and up. C. S. Cox; University of Pittsburgh--Johnstown
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review