| |||||||||||||||
 Trade In this Item for up to £1.25
Get an extra £5 when you trade in books worth £10 or more until June 30, 2012. Trade in The Oxford Guide to Arthurian Literature and Legend (Oxford Paperback Reference) for an Amazon.co.uk gift card of up to £1.25, which you can then spend on millions of items across the site. Trade-in values may vary (terms apply). Find more products eligible for trade-in.
|
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
More About the Author
Product Description
Review
"Highly recommended."--Choice
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Description
The Oxford Guide to Arthurian Literature and Legend is both a critical history of the Arthurian tradition and a reference guide to Arthurian works, names, and symbols. It offers a comprehensive survey of the legends in all of their manifestations, from their origins in medieval literature to their adaptation in modern literature, arts, film, and popular culture. Not only does it analyse familiar Arthurian characters and themes, it also demonstrates the tremendous continuity of the legends by examining the ways that they have been reinterpreted over the years. For instance, the motif of the abduction of Guinevere can be traced from Chrétien de Troyes's Lancelot or the Knight of the Cart and the vulgate cycle of French romances in the 13th century, to Malory's retelling of the story in the Morte d'Arthur, through various modern adaptations like those in T. H. White's The Once and Future King and the contemporary film First Knight. This indispensable reference guide contains seven essays that trace the development of the Arthurian legend, encyclopedic entries, bibliographies, and a comprehensive index. The essays explore the chronicle and romance traditions, the influence of Malory, the Grail legend, the figures of Gawain and Merlin, and the story of Tristan and Isolt. The entries, which highlight key Arthurian characters, symbols, and places, offer quick and easy references. The extensive chapter-by-chapter bibliographies, which are subdivided by topic, augment the general bibliography of Arthurian resources. Comprehensive in its analysis and hypertextual in its approach, The Oxford Guide to Arthurian Literature and Legend is an essential reference book for Arthurian scholars, medievalists, and for those interested in cultural studies of myth and legend.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The tales of Arthur and his accomplished Knights of the Round table have always been an interesting tale to me, and this book recounts all the major workings from as early as the middle ages surrounding King Arthur. I was impressed by author's ability to remain open minded as he interprets an array of literature surrounding the enigmatic figure of Arthur, and certainly the story does change, sometimes significantly depending on the source. Overall the book is a good read, and is divided into chapters not just on Arthur but on other famous figures of the time such as Merlin and Gawain. I particulalry enjoyed the Merlin section and brilliantly speaks of how he moved the giants dance from Ireland to Britain with his magic, which is now of course Stonehenge. Other feats of his include informing Vortigern how his tower is built on an unstable patch of soil as there are two dragons living in its foundations. Of course some of the more well known tales of Arthur such as the sword Excalibur were also a joy to read, and in addition I enjoyed reading about the other array of magical weapons at his and his knights disposal. In all this is an excellent source for further reading into Arthur or for a casual read, and I must point out that this is my first book on Arthur so it is a good starting point for those unsure of which book to buy. I would recommend this book for those interested in the legend of Arthur and also an insight into the workings of the figures in his court. The thing to remember is that Arthur could well have existed, and certainly from my reading of this book, there is no substantial evidence to suggest otherwise. Indeed one day it is entirely possible that he might well return from his resting place at Avalon, and prove all the critics wrong.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2 reviews
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Excellent Reference Book
23 Aug 2009
Format:Paperback
This book is a great value. Extremely well organized and indexed for a book that covers this much ground. There are certainly books out there that treat the topic in more depth, but this is a good starting point for research. The glossary alone is (which is referenced to the main text) is worth the price of the book.
1 of 61 people found the following review helpful
Excellent intro to philosophy
23 Jun 2009
Format:Paperback
This book is informative and intelligently written. Very humble and describes philosophy as it should be described. The author adds religion and philosophy together for a great mix.
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > History > Cultural History
- Books > Mind, Body & Spirit > Mythology
- Books > Poetry, Drama & Criticism > History & Criticism
- Books > Poetry, Drama & Criticism > Poetry > Genres > Myths
- Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > Social Sciences > Anthropology > Customs & Folklore > Folklore
- Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > Social Sciences > Cultural Studies
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
