Classical and Medieval Literary Criticism: Translations and Interpretations.

XIII, 527 p. From the library of Prof. Wolfgang Haase, long-time editor of ANRW and the International Journal of the Classical Tradition (IJCT). - Somewhat rubbed dust jacket, small stains on bottom edge, otherwise very good. / Etwas beriebener Schutzumschlag, kleine Flecken auf Fußschnitt, sonst sehr gut. - In this unusual anthology, the editors have gathered together significant examples of critical works in accurate, readable translations, some newly made. Accompanying the texts are illuminating essays analyzing their importance for students in the field. The book not only fulfills its primary goal of exploring the methods and conclusions of the great critics; it endeavors also to provide a framework for an interpretation of the history of criticism both classical and medieval. Key texts in the history of poetics from Aristophanes to Boccaccio are included here. There are also lesser-known but historically important writings. The major aim has been to provide interpretation in depth and real guidance for the reader. To this end, a full 40 percent of the total coverage is given over to introductions, notes, extensive annotated bibliographies, a glossary of proper names, and indexes. Each of the two sections is prefaced by a general introduction emphasizing larger historical movements in criticism. Individual selections are preceded by an introductory essay that places the work in the context of its time, summarizes its substance and method, assesses its influence, and points to significant problems. Leon Golden of Florida State University was responsible for the classical part, O. B. Hardison, Jr., for the medieval. The medieval section with its introductory material will be of special value. Here the selections are much less familiar, and secondary studies on medieval critics often inadequate, difficult to obtain, or nonexistent. Classical and Medieval Literary Criticism should prove its value both as a reference work and a reader for students of literature. - Alex Preminger is editor of the Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics and other books; he is associate professor, Brooklyn College Library, the City University of New York. Senior editor of this project, he was also responsible for the concept and coordination of the book. O.B. Hardison, Jr., has been Director of the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., since 1969. Formerly professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of North Carolina, he is the author, among other books, of Christian Rite and Christian Drama in the Middle Ages. Kevin Kerrane is co-editor of The Art of Drama and The Art of Modern Drama and is associate professor of English at the University of Delaware. ISBN 9780804432573