Romance Reading on the Book

This collection of essays provide an analysis of medieval romance narrative in Britain. The historical and cultural contexts within which several romances were produced, and their putative patrons and audiences, are the focus of several of the contributions, whilst others discuss romance manuscripts and their scribes, uncovering evidence of careful scribal co-operation and planning. The popular appeal and longevity of the genre emerge in discussions of romance's ability to reinvigorate traditional tales and of the changes it sustains over the centuries in order to satisfy the tastes of its largely bourgeois audience.