Flintoft Mary Luserna (1 results)

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. First Edition. [Melbourne], The Author, 1983. Quarto, vi, 282 leaves (printed rectos only). Synthetic cloth; endpapers lightly tanned; ink gift inscription on title page (presumably from the author); a few minor signs of age and handling; an excellent copy. 'Medieval French literature abounds in various types of garden descriptions: that of the hermit, the monk, the knight and, most elusive of all, that of the lover. Each of these when examined in the light of literary interpretation and historical documentation illustrates the complex artistry of medieval garden design. More importantly gardens show the ambivalent attitude towards nature that is variously viewed in an erotic or Christian context' (from the introduction). Originally submitted as a doctoral thesis at the University of Melbourne in 1982, with the variant subtitle 'A Literary Study of Medieval French Garden Imagery'. This verison appears to have been substantially revised in preparation for publication.