The Cambridge Companion to Chaucer

This second edition continues the excellent tradition of the volume, offering students a comprehensive introduction to Chaucer's work and life.

Piero Boitani (Edited by), Jill Mann (Edited by)

9780521894678, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 12 January 2004

336 pages
22.8 x 15.3 x 2.6 cm, 0.55 kg

'The first edition, sound, intelligent, and rich as it is, has been an important resource and orientation point both for students and for scholars for almost two decades … the editors' decision to eschew an essay formula has born fruit in liveliness and originality as well as intellectual richness.' English Studies

The Cambridge Companion to Chaucer is an extensively revised version of the first edition, which has become a classic in the field. This new volume responds to the success of the first edition and to recent debates in Chaucer Studies. Important material has been updated, and new contributions have been commissioned to take into account recent trends in literary theory as well as in studies of Chaucer's works. New chapters cover the literary inheritance traceable in his works to French and Italian sources, his style, as well as new approaches to his work. Other topics covered include the social and literary scene in England in Chaucer's time, and comedy, pathos and romance in the Canterbury Tales. The volume now offers a useful chronology, and the bibliography has been entirely updated to provide an indispensable guide for today's student of Chaucer.

1. The social and literary scene in England Paul Strohm
2. Chaucer's French inheritance Ardis Butterfield
3. Chaucer's Italian inheritance David Wallace
4. Old books brought to life in dreams: the Book of the Duchess, the House of Fame, the Parliament of Fowls Piero Boitani
5. Telling the story in Troilus and Criseyde Mark Lambert
6. Chance and destiny in Troilus and Criseyde and The Knight's Tale Jill Mann
7. The Legend of Good Women Julia Boffey and A. S. G. Edwards
8. The Canterbury Tales: personal drama or experiments in poetic variety? C. David Benson
9. The Canterbury Tales I: Romance J. A. Burrow
10. The Canterbury Tales II: Comedy Derek Pearsall
11. The Canterbury Tales III: Pathos Robert Worth Frank, Jr.
12. The Canterbury Tales IV: Exemplum and fable A. C. Spearing
13. Literary structures in Chaucer Barry A. Windeatt
14. Chaucer's style Christopher Cannon
15. Chaucer's presence and absence, 1400–1542 James Simpson
16. New approaches to Chaucer Carolyn Dinshaw
17. Further reading: a guide to Chaucer studies Joerg Fichte.

Subject Areas: Literary studies: poetry & poets [DSC]