A Companion to Arthurian Literature (Blackwell Companions to Literature and Culture): 103 - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1405157895 ISBN 13: 9781405157896

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009

Synopsis

This Companion offers a chronological sweep of the canon of Arthurian literature - from its earliest beginnings to the contemporary manifestations of Arthur found in film and electronic media. Part of the popular series, Blackwell Companions to Literature and Culture, this expansive volume enables a fundamental understanding of Arthurian literature and explores why it is still integral to contemporary culture. Offers a comprehensive survey from the earliest to the most recent works Features an impressive range of well-known international contributors Examines contemporary additions to the Arthurian canon, including film and computer games Underscores an understanding of Arthurian literature as fundamental to western literary tradition

About this title

Review:

"Even so, A Companion to Arthurian Literature is without a doubt a very useful collection of essays with up-to-date guides for reading and a bibliography that students and non-specialists will find very handy." (Besprechungen, 1 January 2011)

"This is a volume which will be of particular use to students and scholars of English-though it will be equally useful, no doubt, to readers from other traditions who need a quick, but scholarly and exhilarating, introduction largely to the English-language Arthur." (Arthuriana, 21 January 2011)

"A must for anyone interested in the many aspects of the Arthurian legend, the book includes abundant references (including to primary sources) that will serve both those approaching this material for the first time and those pursuing complete knowledge of the subject." (CHOICE, 2009)

"If the coverage is impressive, it is matched by the content.... Any library that covers English literature and popular culture will find this a very worthwhile and popular acquisition for a range of student, academic and other interested readers." (Languages and Literature, Autumn 2009)

From the Back Cover:

This Companion offers a chronological sweep of the canon of Arthurian literature - from its earliest beginnings to the contemporary manifestations of Arthur in film and electronic media. Leading scholars review Arthurian legends and their transformations, language-to-language, text-to-film, and medieval-to-modern adaptations are analyzed, and key concepts such as "empire", "romance" and "chivalry" are explored.

Beginning with the historical Arthur and his Celtic origins, this volume chronicles the transmission of the legend throughout Britain and Europe. Arthurian legends within the medieval and Victorian literary movements and the iconography of Arthurian themes in art are surveyed, and the symbolic role of Arthur in modernist literature ushers in the twentieth century, while the feminist approach of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Mists of Avalon initiates a genre of fantasy fiction based on a richly conceived Arthurian world. Finally, the Companion highlights the rebirth and legacy of the Arthurian legend in contemporary films and computer games.

Part of Blackwell's popular Companions to Literature and Culture series, this expansive volume enables a fundamental understanding of Arthurian literature and leaves no doubt as to why it is still important today.

About this edition

• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1405157895
• ISBN 13: 9781405157896
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 588
• Editor: Fulton Helen