The rise of romance

Explores medieval French and English romances in their relation to the literary aesthetic of that vanished age as well as to the evolution of narrative. The framework of this investigation is chronological, beginning in the twelfth century with the work of Chrétien de Troyes and following through to the great Arhurian Prose Cycle and its remodelling by Sir Thomas Malory, whose mind and art the author strives constantly to elucidate. As it seeks out the meaning and design of the early masterpieces, the study transcends its chronological framework: major problems of style and technique arise that are of fundamental importance to the contemporary novel as well. Related phenomena in medieval painting, sculpture and manuscript ilumination are drawn upon to illustrate and reinforce the significance of the author's discoveries.