The Future of the Middle Ages: Medieval Literature in the 1990s

Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida, 1994. First Edition. Paperback. New. Illustrated. In these spirited essays, contributors across a broad spectrum reassess the study of the Middle Ages in the context of today's rapidly changing world. They address concerns ranging from the impact of the end of the cold war on medieval studies to the relationship between philology and twentieth-century poetry, to new views of the long-term history of sexuality. At the crux of the discussion lies the problem of how editors should treat the medieval text, the subject of renewed debate between scholars who believe that the editor and the printed book must enter into the reader's perception of the text and those who advocate a more direct analysis of the medieval manuscript source. The primary focus is on the study of the Middle Ages in France, but areas of concern extend to Spain, Italy, and Germany. Because the book includes disagreement and competing views of the state of medieval studies today, it allows the reader to gauge the breadth and depth of the debate and to anticipate directions of future study. New paperback. Pictorial cover. xiii, 233pp., index. Full refund if not satisfied.